Page 38 - A Knight of the White Cross

termination of his year of novitiate. Thus, while the other lads treated
Gervaise kindly, and indeed made rather a pet of him, Robert Rivers

ignored him as much as possible, and if obliged to speak to him did so with
a pointed rudeness that more than once brought upon him a sharp reproof

from his companions. Gervaise himself was but little affected by Robert's
manner. He was of an exceptionally good tempered nature, and, indeed,
was so occupied with his work and so anxious to satisfy his teachers, that

Robert's ill humour passed almost unnoticed.

The journey was performed without incident. During their passage across
the south of France, Gervaise's perfect knowledge of the language gained
for him a great advantage over his companions, and enabled him to be of

much use to Sir Guy. They had fine weather during their passage up the
Mediterranean, and in the day their leader gave them their first lessons in

the management and discipline of a ship.

"You will be nearly as much at sea as you are on land for the five years you

must stay at the convent," he said; "and it is essential to the education of a
knight of our Order to know all things connected with the management of a

ship, even to its building. We construct our own galleys at Rhodes, using,
of course, the labour of slaves, but under our own superintendence; and it is
even more essential to us to know how to fight on sea than on land. There

is, too, you see, a rivalry among ourselves, for each langue has its duties,
and each strives to perform more gallant deeds and to bring in more rich

prizes than the others. We of England are among the smallest of the
langues, and yet methinks we do a fair portion of the work, and gain fully
our share of honour. There is no fear of your having much time on your

hands, for it is quite certain that there will soon be open war between
Mahomet and the Order. In spite of the nominal truce, constant skirmishes

are taking place, so that, in addition to our fights with pirates, we have
sometimes encounters with the sultan's galleys.

"Seven years ago, a number of our Order took part in the defence of
Lesbos, and lost their lives at its capture, and we have sure information that

Mahomet is preparing for an attack on the Island. No doubt he thinks it will
be an easy conquest, for in '57 he succeeded in landing eighteen thousand