her what that most precious
of treasures might be. He answered all her inquiries in an evasive
manner, and at last, when her question could no longer be evaded, he
rose abruptly and left the room. And, seek as she might, Richberta could
find no trace of her mysterious visitor.

Richberta strove to discover the meaning of the old man's words. She was
rich--she possessed greater treasures than any in Stavoren, at a time
when that city was among the wealthiest in Europe--and yet she lacked
the most precious of earth's treasures. The memory of the words galled
her pride and excited her curiosity to an extraordinary pitch. In vain
she asked the wise men of her time--the priests and philosophers--to
read her the riddle of the mysterious traveller. None could name a
treasure that was not already hers.

In her anxiety to obtain the precious thing, whatever it might be,
Richberta sent all her ships to sea, telling the captain of each not
to return until he had found some treasure that she did not already
possess. The vessels were victualled for seven years, so that the
mariners might have ample time in which to pursue their quest. So their
commander sent one division of the fleet to the east, another to the
west, while he left his own vessel to the hazard of the winds, letting
it drift wheresoever the fates decreed. His ship as well as the others
was laden heavily with provisions, and during the first storm they
encountered it was necessary to cast a considerable portion of the food
overboard, so that the ship might right itself. As it was, the remaining
provisions were so damaged by the sea-water that they rotted in a few
days and became unfit for food. A pestilence would surely follow the use
of such unwholesome stuff, and consequently the entire cargo of bread
had to be cast into the sea.

The commander saw his crew ravaged by the dreaded scurvy, suffering from
the lack of bread. Then only did he begin to perceive the real meaning
of the sage's words. The most valuable of all earthly treasures was not
the pearls from the depths of the sea, gold or silver from the heart of
the mountains, nor the rich spices of the Indies. The most common of all
earth's, products, that which was to be found in every country, which
flourished in every clime, on which the lives of millions depended--this
was the greatest treasure, and its name was--bread.

Having reached this conclusion, the commander of Richberta's fleet set
sail for a Balt