Page 159 - A Knight of the White Cross

any unusual movements in any of the auberges."

At half past ten Sir John Kendall went round among the knights and bade
fifty of them arm themselves quietly, and proceed, one by one, down to the

gate, and there await orders. Up to this time Gervaise had remained in the
bailiff's room, so as to avoid the questioning that would take place, and he
went down to the gate with the bailiff and Sir John Boswell.

The knights assembled rapidly. None were aware of the reason for which

they had been called out at such an hour, and there was a buzz of talk and
conjecture until Sir John Kendall arrived. He was followed by four of the
servants, who at once lighted the torches they carried, when he proceeded

to go through the roll, and found that the muster was complete. Many of the
knights had gazed in some surprise at Gervaise, whose dark complexion

altogether concealed his identity, and it was supposed that he must be some
newly arrived knight, though none had heard that any ship had entered the
harbour that day.

Two or three minutes later fifty knights of the langue of Auvergne came

down, headed by the grand master himself, whose appearance greatly
heightened the surprise of the English knights. The torches were now
extinguished, the gate thrown open, and the party descended into the town.

Gervaise had purposely fallen in by the side of Harcourt.

"You are but newly arrived, Sir Knight?" the latter said, as they moved off.

"Not so very newly, Ralph," Gervaise replied.

"What! is it you, Gervaise?" Harcourt exclaimed, with a start of surprise.

"Why, I did not know you, though I looked hard at you in the torch light.
What have you done with yourself? Where have you been? Do you know
what all this is about?"

"I cannot tell you now, Ralph. You must be content to know that I have

been in prison, and working in the galleys."