Page 168 - A Knight of the White Cross

When the meal had concluded, Sir John Kendall said, "Brother knights,
When the grand master bestowed the honour of secular knighthood upon

this young comrade of ours, he predicted that he would rise to high
distinction in the Order. I think you will all agree with me that the

prediction is already in a fair way of being fulfilled, and that the services he
has rendered to the Order justify us, his comrades of the English langue, in
feeling proud of him. I drink, brothers, to his health."

A loud shout rose from the assembled knights, for upon the return of the

party who had been away, the rest of those at the auberge had hastily robed
themselves and descended to the hall to gather the news. When the shout
had died away, and the wine cups were emptied, Gervaise, who was sitting

on Sir John Kendall's right hand, would gladly have retained his seat, but
the bailiff told him that he must say a few words, and after standing in

embarrassed silence for a minute he said, "Sir John Kendall, and brother
knights, I can only say that I am very sensible of the kindness with which
you have been pleased to regard what seems to me after all to have been a

very ordinary affair. I saw a man, whom I knew to be a stranger in the
Island, speaking surreptitiously to a slave, and afterwards saw him

conversing with a prison officer. That naturally struck me as curious, and I
followed the officer, to see to which prison he belonged. Any one would
have thought, as I did, that such a thing was strange, if not suspicious, and

the only way to find out whether there was anything in it was to mix with
the slaves; as I spoke Turkish well enough to do so I asked Sir John

Kendall's permission to disguise myself. He gave me every assistance, and I
shared their lot for a fortnight. There was no very great hardship in that -­
certainly nothing to merit the praise that Sir John Kendall has been kind

enough to bestow on me. Nevertheless, I am very glad to have gained your
good opinion and very grateful to him and to you for drinking to my

health."

Then he sat down abruptly.

Sir John Kendall now rose, and the knights, following his example, betook

themselves to their dormitories.