Gervaise took her hand as she fastened it round his neck, and kissed it; then, still holding it, he said, “Do you know what you are doing, Claudia?  You are raising hopes that I have never been presumptuous enough to cherish.”

“I cannot help that,” she said softly.  “There is assuredly no presumption in the hope.”

He paused a moment.

“You would not esteem me,” he said, holding both her hands now, “were I false to my vows.  I will return to Rhodes tomorrow, and ask the grand master to forward to the Pope and endorse my petition, that I may be released from my vows to the Order.  I cannot think that he or the Holy Father will refuse my request.  Then, when I am free, I can tell you how I love and honour you, and how, as I have in the past devoted my life to the Order, so I will in the future devote it to your happiness.”

The girl bowed her head.

“’Tis right it should be so,” she said.  “I have waited, feeling in my heart that the vow I had given would bind me for life, and I should be content to wait years longer if needs be.  But I am bound by no vows, and can acknowledge that you have long been the lord of my life, and that so long as you wore the heart I had given you, so long would I listen to the wooing of no other.”

“I fear that the Countess, your mother —­ " Gervaise began, but she interrupted him.

“You need not fear,” she said.  “My mother has long known, and knowing also that I am not given to change, has ceased to importune me to listen to other offers.  Her sole objection was that you might never return from captivity.  Now that you have come back with added honours, she will not only offer no objection, but will, I am sure, receive you gladly, especially as she knows that my cousin Sir Fabricius, for whom she has the greatest affection, holds you in such high esteem.”

Six months later Gervaise again landed at Genoa, after having stayed at Rome for a few days on his way back.  D’Aubusson had expressed no surprise at his return to Rhodes, or at the request he made.

“Caretto prepared me for this,” he said, smiling, “when he asked me if you might accompany him to Genoa.  The Order will be a loser, for you would assuredly have risen to the grand priorage of your langue some day.  But we have no right to complain; you have done your duty and more, and I doubt not that should Mahomet again lay siege to Rhodes, we may count on your hastening here to aid us?”

“That assuredly you may, sir.  Should danger threaten, my sword will be as much at the service of the Order as if I were still a member of it.”