By this time they had arrived at the entrance to the tunnel, and Justinian who had been in earnest conversation with Crispin, turned round sharply to Alcibiades.
“You will wait here,” he said imperiously.
“Will not my men come up in order to carry down the wine?” said Alcibiades, looking as black as thunder at this peremptory order.
“No. I will send my men down with it, and you can pay the money to Andros here.”
“But, Effendi”—
“Enough! I have spoken!”
“Holy St. Elmo! you will not let me visit your island?”
“No farther than this,” retorted Justinian significantly. “You know the proverb, Captain Alcibiades,—‘Ill to him who shows his treasure freely.’”
He turned his back on the baffled cut-throat, and ascended the stairs, followed by his own men, while Alcibiades and his ruffians remained below, evidently mad with anger at having admittance refused them. Rumor said Melnos was full of treasure, and the crafty smuggler wanted to convince himself of the truth of this with his own eyes, so the prohibition against passing the palisade made him very wrathful. The king, however, paid no attention to his black looks, but resumed his journey, with Crispin and[and] Maurice on either side of him. Caliphronas, on the weak pretext of asking Alcibiades some question about the wine, remained behind, a fact which was at once noted by the lynx-eyed Justinian.
“Traitor!” he growled in his deep voice, stroking his beard, as was his habit when angered; “the fox to the fox. Ah, well I know those two rascals are hatching plots against me.”