“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 explain to the satisfaction of the council how this man became a resident at his house.”

“I am sorry I met him there, Ralph.  It is a very unpleasant thing to have gone to a house, to have been received kindly, and then to be the means of bringing trouble upon it.”

“Yes.  I feel that a little myself, because I took you there; and yet I cannot regret it, for if you had not seen him and taken an objection to him, you might not have noticed him particularly when he spoke to one of the galley slaves.  It is certainly curious that you should have doubted the man, for I have met him there several times, and even after your visit with me I could see nothing in him to justify your dislike.”