o
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."

"Yes. The knights hid themselves behind a pile of goods on the wharf.
There was no one about, so far as they could see, but soon after twelve
they saw a figure come up on to the deck of a fishing boat moored by the
quay. It was the Greek; he stood there for a minute or two listening,
and then went down again; he did this five or six times, and at one
o'clock they saw him throw up his arms, as if in despair; he stepped
ashore, and was about to make his way up into the town when they rushed
out and seized him. There is no doubt as to what his fate will be. I am
sorry to say that I hear my friend Vrados has been arrested; but there
can be no doubt about his loyalty, and he will assuredly be able
to e