Page 94 - A Knight of the White Cross

despatched in galleys to Genoa and Marseilles, to be sold for the benefit of
the Order.

D'Aubusson without hesitation carried out Sir John Boswell's promise to

the slaves who had rowed his boat. They were not only set at liberty, but
were each presented with a sum of money, and were placed on board a
galley, and landed on the mainland.

The English knights were all proud of the honour that had been won by

their young countrymen, the only exception being Robert Rivers, who was
devoured with jealousy at their advancement. He did not openly display his
feelings, for the reports not only of Sir John Boswell, but of the other two

English knights, were so strong that he dared not express his discontent. He
himself had twice been engaged with pirates, but had gained no particular

credit, and indeed had, in the opinion of his comrades, been somewhat
slack in the fray. He was no favourite in the auberge, though he spared no
pains to ingratiate himself with the senior knights, and had a short time

before been very severely reprimanded by the bailiff for striking one of the
servants.

"I have more than once had to reprove you for your manners to the
servants," the bailiff said. "You will now be punished by the septaine; you

will fast for seven days, on Wednesday and Friday you will receive bread
and water only, and will be confined to the auberge for that period. The

next time that I have reason to complain of you, I shall bring the matter
before the grand master, and represent to him that it were best to send you
home, since you cannot comport yourself to the servants of the auberge as

befits a knight of the Order. We have always borne the reputation of being
specially kind to our servants, and it is intolerable that one, who has been

but a short time only a professed knight, should behave with a hauteur and
insolence that not even the oldest among us would permit himself. There is
not one of the servants here who was not in his own country of a rank and

station equal, if not superior, to your own; and though misfortune has fallen
upon them, they are to be pitied rather than condemned for it. In future, you

are to give no order whatever to the servants, nor to address them, save
when at meals you require anything. If you have any complaints to make of