These she placed before them, bidding them eat.

What that food was they did not know, because of the sauces with which it had been covered, until she told them that it was fish.
After the fish came flesh, and after the flesh fowls, and after the fowls cakes and sweetmeats and fruits, until, ravenous as they were, who for days had fed upon salted pork and biscuits full of worms washed down with bad water, they were forced to beg her to bring no more.
"Drink another cup of wine at least," she said, smiling and filling their mugs with the sweet vintage of Lebanon--for it seemed to please her to see them eat so heartily of her fare.
They obeyed, mixing the wine with water.

While they drank she asked them suddenly what were their plans, and how long they wished to stay in Beirut.

They answered that for the next few days they had none, as they needed to rest, to see the town and its neighbourhood, and to buy good horses--a matter in which perhaps she could help them.

Masouda nodded again, and asked whither they wished to ride on horses.
"Out yonder," said Wulf, waving his hand towards the mountains.
"We desire to look upon the cedars of Lebanon and its great hills before we go on towards Jerusalem." "Cedars of Lebanon ?" she replied.