The first Alcalde, already tamer and becoming compassionate, more mildly said, "I will not have them go to your house, they shall go to mine, where I will give them a lesson upon the state of things at Algiers, so that for the future nobody shall be able to catch them tripping in their pretended story." The two lads thanked him. The bystanders praised this kind intention of the Alcalde's, and our pilgrims were delighted with the result of the affair. The first Alcalde then came up to Periander, and said, "And you, friend pilgrims, have you got any picture with you to tell us about? Have you any history to relate, and make us believe it true, although falsehood herself may have composed it?" Periander made no answer, for he saw Antonio pulling out the passports, licenses, and dispatches that they carried with them, and placing them in the Alcalde's hands, he said, "Your worship may see by these papers who we are, and where we are going, but we do not think it necessary to produce them, as we ask no alms, and have no need to ask any. Thus, you perceive, you may let us pass on freely." The Alcalde took the papers, and because he did not know how to read, he gave them to his companion, who knew as little as he did, and so they passed on into the hands of their clerk, who, glancing over them rapidly, returned them to Antonio, saying, "My lord Alcalde, there is as much worth and goodness as there is beauty in these pilgrims: if they wish to remain here to-night, my house shall serve them for an inn, and I shall attend to their wishes to the utmost of my power." Periander thanked him; they stayed there that night, as it was late; and they were accommodated at the clerk's house with kindness, abundance, and cleanliness. FOOTNOTES: [N] Suburbs or districts near the sea-shore, so called from the pieces of timber on which the fish are spread and dried. [O] A small coin. [P] Tan buen pan hacen aquí como en Francia. (Proverb.) [Illustration] CHAPTER XI. Day came, and with it the thanks of hospitality received, and once more the pilgrims were on their way. As they were leaving the town, they fell in with the false captives, who told them that they had been instructed by the Alcalde in such a way that they could never again be caught in a falsehood as to Algerine matters:[Q] "So that sometimes," said one, (he who was the chief spokesman) "sometimes one may rob by authority of the magistrate,--I mean that sometimes a bad minister of justice connives at delinquency for the sake of interest." They travelled on together till they came to where the road branched off in two separate directions. The captives took that which led to Carthagena, and the pilgrims that to Valencia.