and promised that he would kindly forgive us all the anger we had caused him by deluding him so long.
On hearing this we kissed his hand with tears, and promised not to return without the money. And, listening to our earnest desire, he sent with us four Turks as guards, with whom we went to Galata, and to the house of this Strada. When we asked him where we could make arrangements about the money, according to his message, he at first held back with gloomy reserve, saying,—“I don’t know; I certainly imagined that a certain good friend of yours intended to advance it for you, but to-day he says he has none.” At this we were unspeakably downcast. Seeing us thus downcast, he could not restrain himself from weeping, but delivered us letters from the priest Adam von Winor, Dean of Carlstein, and from my dear mother, the noble Lady Catherine Wratislaw, née Von Bessin, wherein they informed us that they had sent us three 200 ducats by way of Venice, which Alfonzo di Strada was to pay us. When, therefore, we asked for the money, and he showed it us, so unlooked-for and inexpressibly sudden a joy filled our hearts that it is in no wise possible to describe it. We immediately embraced and kissed Strada with tears of joy, and not even waiting for the food and drink which he wished to give us, as a bird which escapes from its cage, settles somewhere on a tree, sings and delights in its liberty, even so we, being enraptured beyond all our expectations, praised the Lord God, returned to our tower with the money, and hastened up into the fortress with a cheerful countenance.
Our aga, seeing us somewhat cheerful, contrary to our previous mood, immediately understood that we had the
