d on the table, and the
knights discussed the incidents of the evening.

When the meal had concluded, Sir John Kendall said, "Brother knights,
When the grand master bestowed the honour of secular knighthood upon
this young comrade of ours, he predicted that he would rise to high
distinction in the Order. I think you will all agree with me that the
prediction is already in a fair way of being fulfilled, and that the
services he has rendered to the Order justify us, his comrades of the
English langue, in feeling proud of him. I drink, brothers, to his
health."

A loud shout rose from the assembled knights, for upon the return of the
party who had been away, the rest of those at the auberge had hastily
robed themselves and descended to the hall to gather the news. When the
shout had died away, and the wine cups were emptied, Gervaise, who was
sitting on Sir John Kendall's right hand, would gladly have retained his
seat, but the bailiff told him that he must say a few words, and after
standing in embarrassed silence for a minute he said, "Sir John Kendall,
and brother knights, I can only say that I am very sensible of the
kindness with which you have been pleased to regard what seems to me
after all to have been a very ordinary affair. I saw a man, whom I knew
to be a stranger in the Island, speaking surreptitiously to a slave,
and afterwards saw him conversing with a prison officer. That naturally
struck me as curious, and I followed the officer, to see to which prison
he belonged. Any one would have thought, as I did, that such a thing was
strange, if not suspicious, and the only way to find out whether there
was anything in it was to mix with the slaves; as I spoke Turkish
well enough to do so I asked Sir John Kendall's permission to disguise
myself. He gave me every assistance, and I shared their lot for a
fortnight. There was no very great hardship in that--certainly nothing
to merit the praise that Sir John Kendall has been kind enough to bestow
on me. Nevertheless, I am very glad to have gained your good opinion and
very grateful to him and to you for drinking to my health."

Then he sat down abruptly.

Sir John Kendall now rose, and the knights, following his example,
betook themselves to their dormitories.

The next morning notices were sent by the grand master to the bailiffs
of the auberges, and the knights of the grand cross who happened to
be in the Island, to assemble in council. Messages were also sent t