“I don’t know, Wingate,” Sir John Boswell said.  “It seems to me that when a young knight of seventeen eschews all pleasure, refrains from volunteering for service at sea, and spends his whole time in study, he does distinguish himself, and that very greatly.  Of the three or four hundred young knights here I doubt if one other would have so acted.  Certainly, none to my knowledge have done so.  Yet I do not suppose that D’Aubusson selected him for this duty as a reward for so much self denial and study, but because by that self denial and study he is more fitted for it than any of us here, save some three or four knights in the other langues, all of whom are in too high a position to be employed in so unimportant a duty.  He can speak Turkish —­ not a few score of words and sentences such as I can, but, as Suleiman Ali tells me, like a native.  Were one of us chosen for this mission, it would be necessary to send an interpreter with him; and every one knows how hard it is to do business in that manner.  It seems to me that the grand master has acted wisely in putting aside all question of seniority, and employing the knight who is better suited than any other for it.”

“You are right, Boswell,” the bailiff said.  “I really have been astonished at the manner in which Tresham has given himself up to study.  It would have been a natural thing had he, after gaining so much credit, been anxious and eager to gain more.  When you spoke to me about his determination to learn Turkish, I thought he would speedily tire of it, and that when the next galley sailed, his name would be among the list of volunteers for the service.  I am sure, comrades, that there are few, if any, among us who would not infinitely prefer fighting the Moslems to spending our whole time in learning their language; and I for one consider the fact that he has for nine months laboured so incessantly and assiduously that he has come, as Boswell says, to speak it like a native, is even more to his credit than the deed for which he was knighted.”

This conversation took place at the upper end of the table, and was not heard at the lower end where the younger knights were seated.

“I am not chosen from favour,” Gervaise said hotly, to one of his companions who had asserted that this was so.  “I am simply chosen because I can speak Turkish.”

“How much Turkish can you speak?” one of them laughed.  Gervaise turned to the Turkish servant behind them, and said, in his language, “Hassan, Sir Giles Trevor wishes to know how well I speak Turkish.  You have heard me talking with Suleiman Ali.  Will you give him your opinion about it?”

The man turned gravely to Sir Giles Trevor.

“My lord,” he said, in English, “Sir Gervaise Tresham, he speaks Turkish same as I do.  If he dress up in Turk clothes I suppose him Turk, not know he Christian by his speech.”

Exclamations of surprise broke from the young knights.