Sir Gervaise belonged to a religious Order, and were he of a presuming
disposition, he might well have gathered a meaning from your words far
beyond what you intended, and have even entertained a presumptuous hope
that you were not indifferent to his merits. In the present case, of
course, no harm is done; still, methinks that it would be far better had
the words been unspoken. Your cousin here will, I am sure, agree with
me."

Caretto did not speak, but stood playing with his moustache, waiting for
Claudia's reply. The girl had stood with downcast eyes while her mother
was speaking.

"I only expressed what I felt, mother," she said, after a pause, "and I
do not think that Sir Gervaise Tresham is likely to misunderstand me.
It seems to me that never among those whom I have met have I seen one
so worthy. No praises can be higher than those with which my cousin has
spoken of him. He has rescued him, whom we dearly love, from slavery;
he has saved Genoa from great disaster, and many towns and villages from
plunder and ruin. I do indeed feel proud that such a knight should wear
my gage, and, were there no other reason, I should be unwilling that, so
long as he carried it, another should possess a similar one from me. I
am sure that Sir Gervaise will have felt that this was the meaning of my
words; I wished him to see that it was not a favour lightly given by a
girl who might, a few weeks hence, bestow a similar one upon another,
but was a gage seriously given of the honour in which I held him."

"Very well said, Claudia," Caretto broke in, before the countess could
reply. "I warrant me the young knight will not misunderstand your gift,
and that he will prize it highly and carry it nobly. He is not one of
those who will boast of a favour and display it all times, and, except
perhaps to his friend Sir Ralph Harcourt, I will wager he never tells a
soul who was its donor."

When Claudia shortly afterwards left the room, he said to the countess,
"Excuse me for breaking in, Agatha, but I felt that it was much better
to agree with her, and not to make overmuch of the matter; she is just
of an age to make some one a hero, and she could hardly have chosen a
better subject for her worship. In the first place, he is a knight
of St. John; in the second, he is going away in a few days, perhaps
tomorrow, and may never cross her path again. The thought of him will
prevent her fancy from straying for a time, and keep her heart whole
un