Page 368 - A Knight of the White Cross

since I was here two years ago."

"Yes; you were a youth then, Gervaise, and now you are a man, and one of
no ordinary strength and size. The sun of Tripoli, and your labours during

the siege, have added some years to your appearance. You are, I think, little
over twenty, but you look two or three years older. The change is even
greater in your manner than in your appearance; you were then new to

command, doubtful as to your own powers, and diffident with those older
than yourself. Now for two years you have thought and acted for yourself,

and have shown yourself capable of making a mark even among men like
the knights of St. John, both in valour and in fitness to command. You
saved St. Nicholas, you saved the life of the grand master; and in the order

of the day he issued on the morning we left, granting you three months'
leave for the recovery of your wounds, he took the opportunity of

recording, in the name of the council and himself, their admiration for the
services rendered by you during the siege, and his own gratitude for saving
his life when he lay helpless and surrounded by the Moslems -- a testimony

of which any knight of Christendom might well feel proud."

It was three hours before Caretto returned to the ship.

"My cousin is at home, and will be delighted to see you. I am sorry that I

have kept you waiting so long, but at present Genoa, and, indeed, all
Europe, is agog at the news of the defeat of the Turks, and Italy especially

sees clearly enough that, had Rhodes fallen, she would have been the next
object of attack by Mahomet; therefore the ladies would not hear of my
leaving them until I had told them something at least of the events of the

siege, and also how it came about that you were there to share in the
defence. I see that you are ready to land; therefore, let us be going at once.

Most of the people will be taking their siesta at present, and we shall get
through the streets without being mobbed; for I can assure you that the
mantle of the Order is just at present in such high favour that I had a hard

task to wend my way through the streets to my cousin's house."

On arriving at the palace of the Countess of Forli, Gervaise was surprised at
the change that had taken place in the Lady Claudia. From what Caretto