Page 96 - A Knight of the White Cross

"Well, well, you need not be angry, Harcourt, I have nothing to say against
Tresham. No doubt he had a happy thought, which turned out well; but I

cannot see that there was anything wonderful in it, and it seemed to me
unfair that one who is a mere boy should receive higher praise than

yourself, who, as I heard Sir John and Sir Adam Tedbond say last night at
the refectory, bore yourself right gallantly."

"I did my best," Ralph said shortly; "but there was small credit in that when
we were fighting for our lives. The most cowardly beast will fight under

such circumstances. When you see a Moslem rushing at you, scimitar in
hand, and know that if you do not cut him down he will cut you down, you
naturally strike as hard and as quickly as you can. You have never liked

Gervaise, Rivers. I am sure I don't know why, but you always speak in a
contemptuous sort of tone about him. True, it does him no harm, but it

certainly does you no good. For what reason should you feel a contempt for
him? Although so much younger, he is a better swordsman and a better
rider than you are. He is liked by every one in the auberge, which is more

than can be said of yourself; he is always good tempered, and is quiet and
unassuming. What on earth do you always set yourself against him for?"

"I do not know that I do set myself against him," Rivers said sullenly. "I
own to having no great liking for him, which is natural enough, seeing that

his father was a Lancastrian, while we are Yorkists; but it is not pleasant to
see so much made of a boy, merely because D'Aubusson has favoured

him."

"I am certain," Harcourt said hotly, "that such an idea has never occurred to

any one but yourself. Sir Peter is a great man and will soon be our grand
master, but at present he is but grand prior of the langue of Auvergne, and

whether he favours Tresham or not is a matter that concerns none of us.
Gervaise is liked by us for his own good qualities. He bears himself, as a
young knight should do, respectfully towards his seniors, and is ever ready

to do a service to any one. No one has ever seen him out of temper; he is
always kind and considerate to the servants, and when in command of

parties of slaves at the public works never says a harsh word to them, but
treats them as if they were human beings, and not brute beasts. Besides,