Page:The venture; an annual of art and literature.djvu/100

 he said to the youth, "My son, I deliver this lady to you to keep and guard in all honesty, and touch her no more than if she were you own sister. Regard the precepts of the law of God, which you Christians have, and keep them as you know how;" all which the youth promised and fulfilled.

He embarked, leaving great yearning for him with the Moor and his wife and sons; these returned to Fez, and he putting to sea with favourable weather speedily arrived in his own country, where his father received him with great caresses, being ready to have patience with him even though he should have brought the bones of another Saint, as indeed he desired, nor did he at first put him any questions. But when the presents had been seen, his son gave him the Moor's letter, by which he learned that the son had brought a Christian maiden appraised at five thousand crusadoes. At this he grieved mightily, and said, "That the Lord should send Saints is well, but what want we with sinners, especially female ones? Thou hast surely brought her here to satisfy thy carnal appetites, and hast never laid out thy money so ill in thy life." And he was more ireful and anguished than the other two times, weening that nothing good could come of mortal sin. Notwithstanding at the entreaty of his wife, he suffered that the damsel should be brought to his house, as she longed to see her; and this he did not to pleasure the girl, but to remove her from the company of his son. He therefore brought her to the house, and when his wife saw her she kissed her on the face, and thanked God who had made her so