Page 169 - A Knight of the White Cross

The next morning notices were sent by the grand master to the bailiffs of
the auberges, and the knights of the grand cross who happened to be in the

Island, to assemble in council. Messages were also sent to Gervaise,
requesting him to repair at the same hour to the palace, as the council

would probably require his attendance.

"Oh dear! I wish this was all over," he said to Ralph, as the latter assisted

him to buckle on his armour.

"I don't see anything to sigh about," Ralph said. "I think that you are the
most fortunate fellow in the world. I do not say that you have not well
deserved it, because it is the tremendous way you worked at Turkish and

gave up everything else that has enabled you to do this. Still, there was luck
in your noticing that villain talking to the galley slaves, and then to one of

the officers of the prison. Of course, as the grand master said last night, it
isn't one in a thousand who would have thought anything more about it, and
I am sure I shouldn't; so that, and all the rest, is entirely your own doing.

Still, it was a piece of luck that you noticed him talking with a slave. Don't
think I envy you, Gervaise; I don't a bit, and I feel as much as any one that

you have well deserved the honour you have obtained. Still, you know, it is
a sort of consolation to me that luck had a little -- just a little -- to do with
it."

"In my opinion luck had everything to do with it," Gervaise said heartily,

"and I feel downright ashamed at there being such a fuss made over it. It
was bad enough before, merely because I had hit on a plan for our escape
from those pirates, but this is worse, and I feel horribly nervous at the

thought of having to appear before the grand master and the council."

"Well, that brown dye will hide your blushes, Gervaise. I can only say I
wish that I was in your place. By-the-bye, have you heard that they caught
that rascal Greek last night?"

"No, I have not heard anything about it."