"I am the chief partner in a great house of Greek merchants settled in Palermo," he said. "My name is Charalambos Aristarchi, and I desire the honour of speaking with Messer Angelo about the purchase of several cargoes of glass for the King of Sicily."
"I will deliver your message, sir," said Zorzi. "Pray wait a minute, I will open the door."
Aristarchi's big head disappeared at last.
"Yes!" growled the porter to Zorzi. "Open the door yourself, and take the blame. The man has the face of a Turkish pirate, and his voice is like the bellowing of several bulls."
Zorzi unbarred the door, which opened inward, and Aristarchi turned a little sideways in order to enter, for his shoulders would have touched the two door-posts. The slight and gracefully built Dalmatian looked at him with some curiosity, standing aside to let him pass, before barring the door again. Aristarchi, though not much taller than himself, was the biggest man he had ever seen. He thanked Zorzi, who pushed forward the porter's only chair for him to sit on while he waited.
"I will bring you an answer immediately," said Zorzi, and disappeared down the corridor.
Aristarchi sat down, crossed one leg over the other, and took a pistachio nut from his pouch.
"Master porter," he began in a friendly tone, "can you tell me who that beautiful lady is, who came here a moment ago?"
"There is no reason why I should," snarled the porter, beginning to strip the outer leaves from a large onion which he pulled from a string of them hanging by the wall.
Aristarchi said nothing for a few moments, but watched the man with an air of interest.