by G. A. Henty
CHAPTER VIII AN EVENING AT RHODES
Suleiman Ali's advice was carried out. It added considerably to thelength of the voyage; but they saw only one doubtful craft. She waslying close inshore under the shadow of the sand hills, and they didnot see her until she hoisted her sails and shot out from the land. Theywere, however, three miles distant from the land at the time, and thewind was blowing from the north; consequently the pirate was dead toleeward. Every sail was set at once on board the trader, and, being afast sailor, she maintained her position until nightfall. The wind thendropped, and just as the light faded they could see that the vesselbehind them had put out her sweeps. The trader kept up her sails untilcertain that she could be no longer seen; then the canvas was lowered,and the crew took to the boats and towed her due north.
The night was fortunately a dark one, and those watching anxiously fromthe deck of the trader were unable to discern her pursuer as she passedbehind them. As soon as they were well assured that she must havegone on, the boats were got in, the sails hoisted again, and, takingadvantage of every light flaw of wind, they proceeded on their course.In the morning the sails of the galley could be seen on the horizon, butthe distance was too great for her to take up the pursuit again with anychance of success, and the trader continued her course to Acre withoutseeing more of her.
As soon as the trader entered the port, the Egyptian captain went onshore, taking with him a copy of the safe conduct and the letter fromthe grand master to the pasha. Going to the residence of the governor,he handed these to him, saying that he had on board Aga Suleiman Ali,and a knight who was charged to deliver him up on payment of the ransom.
"I have been expecting you," the governor said. "I have received aletter from the pasha, stating that he had written to the grand masterrespecting the ransom of the aga, and sending me the amount whichSuleiman's son had offered. The young man was not of age when his fatherwas captured, but he is so now, and was therefore able to raise thesum required. I will go down to the port with you myself, hand overthe ransom, and welcome Suleiman, whom I know well, back from hiscaptivity."
The transfer was speedily made; a heavy purse was handed to Gervaise,and Suleiman was a free man.
"Send me word, if you can, when you return to Rhodes," the latter said,as he bade farewell to the young knight. "I shall be anxious until Ihear. Fortune was with us as we sailed hither, but it may desert youon your return. Should aught befall you, tell your captors that if theybring you to me I will pay any ransom that they could, in fairness,require. Should they refuse to do this, send, if possible, a messengerto me, and on receipt of your message I will send a trusty man topurchase your freedom. You have treated me as a friend and an equal, anda friend I shall always remain."
The vessel was to remain four days in port, to discharge her cargo andtake in another, and Suleiman had talked of remaining at Acre until shesailed, but Gervaise protested strongly against this.
"You have your family, from whom you have been so long separated,awaiting your return with anxiety, and I pray you to make no stay on myaccount. I am well content to remain on board here, and to look at thecity which has so often been the theatre of great deeds--which Richardthe Lion Heart captured, and which so many of the Hospitallers died todefend. I was charged by the grand master not to land, and indeed I feelmyself that it would be an act of folly to do so. There are doubtlessmany on shore who have relatives and friends now working as slaves amongus, and some of these might well seek to avenge them by slaying one ofthe Order. I feel your kindness, but it would be a pain to me to knowthat you were lingering here on my account, when you must be longing toembrace your children."
The four days passed rapidly. Gervaise had, at the suggestion of thegovernor, laid aside the mantle and insignia of the Order.
"If you do not do so," he said, "I must place a strong guard of soldierson board, in order to ensure that the pasha's safeguard is not violated.Sailors are a turbulent race, and were you recognised here they mightmake a tumult, and slay you before a word of what was going on reachedme. In any case I shall place two soldiers on board until you leave theport."
On the morning of the fifth day the sails were got up, and the vesselsailed out from the port. Fortune again favoured them, and they reachedRhodes without any adventure. Gervaise went at once to the palace, andhanded over the purse of gold to the treasurer. He then sent up his nameto the grand master, and was immediately conducted to his room.
"I am glad to see you back, Tresham. I have been uneasy about you. Haveyou fulfilled your mission without adventure?"
"Without any adventure, sir, save that we were once chased by a pirateon our way east, but escaped in the darkness. Save for that, the voyagehas been wholly uneventful. I have received the ransom, and handed thepurse to your treasurer."
"I am glad that your first command has turned out so well. I will seethat you do not lack employment; and the fact that you are able to actas interpreter will ensure you a welcome on any galley. At present,however, it is not my intention to send out many cruisers. Every lifenow is precious, and no amount of spoil that can be brought in willcounter balance the loss of those who fall. However, I may find somemission on which you can be employed. I know that you love an activelife; and as, for nine months, you have put a rein on your inclinations,and have devoted yourself wholly to study, so that you might be ofgreater use to the Order, you have a good right to any employment inwhich your knowledge can be utilised."
On his arrival at the auberge, Gervaise was very heartily greeted by theyounger knights.
"I told you you were born lucky, Gervaise," Ralph Harcourt said. "Therehas been more than one wager made that you would be captured; but I,for my part, was confident that your good fortune would not desert you.Still, though not surprised, we are delighted to see you again. Now tellus about your voyage."
Gervaise gave a brief account of the adventure with the pirate, and thendescribed the visit of the governor to the ship.
"Did he say anything to you?"
"He was courteous and solemn; just the sort of man you would fancy aTurkish governor should be. He looked a little surprised when I accostedhim in Turkish, but asked no questions at the time, though I daresay heinquired afterwards of Suleiman how I came to speak the language. Theonly time he actually said anything was when he requested that I wouldnot wear the mantle of the Order while in port, as sailors were aturbulent race, and it might lead to an attack upon me; and as he wasresponsible to the pasha that his safe conduct should be respected, itwould be necessary, if I declined to follow his advice, to keep a strongbody of soldiers on board. As this would have been a horrible nuisance,especially as I wanted to enjoy in quiet the view of the city, with itscastle and walls, I acceded at once to his request, which seemed to mea reasonable one. He did send two soldiers on board, but they remaineddown in the waist, and did not interfere with my pleasure in any way."
"Next to Jerusalem, how I should like to see Acre!" Ralph Harcourtexclaimed. "It is, of all other cities, the most closely connected withour Order. We helped to win it, and we were the last to defend it.We have heard so much about the fortress, and it has been so oftendescribed to me, that I know the situation of every bastion--at least,as it was when we left it, though I know not what changes the Turks maysince have made."
"That I know not, Ralph. Of course, I only saw the seafront, and it wasupon the land side that the attack was made. We know that the breacheswere all repaired long ago, and it is said that the place is strongerthan ever. From the port all was solid and massive. It is indeed a grandand stately fortress. Here we have done all that was possible to makeRhodes impregnable, but nature did nothing for us; there nature has doneeverything, and the castle looks as if it could defy the assaults of anarmy, however large. And indeed, it was not wrested from us by force.The knights, when the city walls were stormed and the town filled withtheir foes fought their way down to the water's edge and embarked there,for they were reduced to a mere handful; and however strong a castle maybe, it ne
eds hands to defend it. Still, it well nigh moved me to tearsto see the Turkish banner waving over it, and to think how many tensof thousands of Christian soldiers had died in the effort to retain theholy places, and had died in vain."
"I wonder whether the Turks will ever be forced to relinquish their holdof the holy places?"
"Who can tell, Sir Giles?" the bailiff, who had come up to the groupunobserved, said quietly. "Certainly not in our time--not until theMoslem power, which threatens not only us, but all Europe, has crumbledto dust. So long as Acre remains in their power there is no hope. I saynot but that by a mighty effort of all Christendom, Palestine might bewrested from the infidels, as it was wrested before; but the past showsus that while men or nations can be stirred to enthusiasm for a time,the fire does not last long, and once again the faithful few would beoverwhelmed by the odds that would be brought against them, while Europelooked on impassive, if not indifferent. No, knights; the utmost thatcan be hoped for, is that the tide of Moslem invasion westward may bestayed. At present we are the bulwark, and as long as the standard ofour Order waves over Rhodes so long is Europe safe by sea. But I foreseethat this cannot last: the strongest defences, the stoutest hearts,and the bravest of hearts, cannot in the long run prevail againstoverpowering numbers. As at Acre, we may repel assault after assault,we may cause army after army to betake themselves again to their ships;but, as a rock is overwhelmed by the rising tide, so must Rhodes succumbat last, if left by Europe to bear alone the brunt of Moslem invasion.All that men can do we shall do. As long as it is possible to resist,we shall resist. When further resistance becomes impossible, we shall, Itrust, act as we did before.
"We were driven from Palestine, only to fortify ourselves at Rhodes.If we are driven from Rhodes, we shall, I feel assured, find a homeelsewhere, and again commence our labours. The nearer we are to Europethe more hope there is that Christendom will aid us, for they will moregenerally understand that our defeat would mean the laying open of theshores of the Mediterranean, from Turkey to Gibraltar, to the invasionof the Moslems. However, comrades, this is all in the future. Our shareis but in the present, and I trust the flag of the Order will float overRhodes as long, at least, as the lifetime of the youngest of us, andthat we may bequeath the duty of upholding the Cross untarnished tothose who come after us; and we can then leave the issue in God'shands."
All listened respectfully to the words of their leader, although hisopinion fell like cold water upon the fiery zeal and high hopes of hishearers. The possibility of their losing Rhodes had never once enteredinto the minds of the majority of them. It was likely that ere long theymight be called upon to stand a siege, but, acquainted as they were withthe strength of the place--its deep and seemingly impassable moat, itsmassive walls, and protecting towers and bastions--it had seemed to themthat Rhodes was capable of withstanding all assaults, however numerousthe foe, however oft repeated the invasion. The bailiff was, as allknew, a man of dauntless courage, of wide experience and great judgment,and that he should believe that Rhodes would, although not in theirtime, inevitably fall, brought home to them for the first time the factthat their fortress was but an outpost of Europe, and one placed sodistant from it that Christendom, in the hour of peril, might be unableto furnish them with aid. As the bailiff walked away, there was silencefor a short time, and then Sir Giles Trevor said cheerfully, "Well, ifit lasts our time we need not trouble our heads as to what will takeplace afterwards. As the bailiff says, our duty is with the present, andas we all mean to drive the Turks back when they come, I do not see thatthere is any occasion for us to take it to heart, even if it be fatedthat the Moslems shall one day walk over our tombs. If Christendomchooses to be supine, let Christendom suffer, say I. At any rate, I amnot going to weep for what may take place after I am turned into dust."
"That sounds all very well, Sir Giles," Ralph Harcourt said, "and I haveno argument to advance against it, though I am sure there is much to besaid; but if the bailiff, or the chaplain, or indeed any of the elders,had heard you say so, I have no doubt you would have had a fittingreply."
Sir Giles tossed his head mockingly. "I shall fight neither better norworse, friend Harcourt, because it may be that someday the Moslems are,as the bailiff seems to think, destined to lord it here. I have onlypromised and vowed to do my best against the Moslems, and that vow onlyholds good as long as I am in the flesh; beyond that I have no concern.But what are we staying here for, wasting our time? It is the hour forthose of us who are going, to be starting for the ball given by SignorSucchi; as he is one of the richest merchants in the town, it will be agay one, and there is no lack of fair faces in Rhodes. It is a grievouspity that our elders all set their will against even the younger membersof the community joining in a dance. It was not one of the things Iswore to give up. However, here in Rhodes there is no flying in the faceof rules."
Three or four of the other young knights were also going.
"What are you thinking of doing, Gervaise?" Harcourt asked.
"I have nothing particular to do, Ralph, except that, first of all, Imust write a letter to Suleiman Ali and hand it to the bailiff, prayinghim to send it off by the first vessel that may put in here on her wayto Acre. If I do not do it now it may be neglected, and I promised towrite directly I got here. I will not be half an hour, and after that Ishall be ready to do anything you like."
In less than that time, indeed, he rejoined Ralph. "Now what shall wedo with ourselves? What do you say to a stroll through the streets? I amnever tired of that."
"I like better to go by way of the roofs, Gervaise. The streets arebadly lit, and although they are busy enough in some quarters, they areso narrow that one gets jostled and pushed. On the terraces everythingis quiet. You have plenty of light and music, and it is pleasant tosee families sitting together and enjoying themselves; and if one isdisposed for a cup of wine or of cool sherbet, they are delighted togive it, for they all are pleased when one of us joins a group. I havequite a number of acquaintances I have made in this way while you havebeen working away at your Turkish."
"Very well," Gervaise said. "If such is your fancy, Ralph, let us takeone of the paths across the roofs. I might walk there twenty years bymyself without making an acquaintance, and I do not pledge myself tojoin in these intimacies of yours. However, I shall be quite content toamuse myself by looking on at the scene in general, while you are payingyour visits and drinking your sherbet."
"There are plenty of fair girls among the Rhodians," Ralph said, with asmile; "and though we are pledged to celibacy we are in no way bound toabstain from admiration."
Gervaise laughed.
"Admire as much as you like, Ralph, but do not expect me to do so. Ihave scarcely as much as spoken to a woman since I entered the House inLondon, and I should have no idea what to say to a young girl."
"But it is part of the education of a true knight to be courteous towomen. It is one of the great duties of chivalry. And you must rememberthat we are secular knights, as well knights of the Order."
"The work of the Order is quite sufficient for me at present, Ralph. Intime I may come to like the society of women, to admire their beauty,and possibly even to wear the colour of some one, for that seems to bethe fashion; though why we, who are bound to celibacy, should admire onewoman more than another I cannot understand."
They had by this time descended from the castle, and were taking theirway along one of the broad paths that led over the flat roofs of thehouses by means of the bridges thrown across the streets.
"These are some acquaintances of mine," Ralph said, stopping at one ofthe walls, some three feet high, that bordered the path.
Beyond was an enclosure of some fifty feet square. Clumps of shrubs andflowers, surrounded by stonework some eight or ten inches high enclosingthe earth in which they grew, were scattered here and there. Lamps werehung to cords stretched above it, while others were arranged among theflowers. In the centre a large carpet was spread, and on this some eightor ten persons were seated on cushion
s. A girl was playing a lute, andanother singing to her accompaniment. She stopped abruptly when her eyefell upon the figures of the two young knights.
"There is Sir Ralph Harcourt, father!" she exclaimed in Italian, whichwas the language most used on the Island, and spoken with more or lessfluency by all the knights, among whom it served as a general medium ofcommunication. "Are you waiting to be invited in, Sir Knight?" shewent on saucily. "I thought that by this time you would know you werewelcome."
"Your tongue runs too fast, child," her father said, as he rose andwalked across to Ralph. "You are welcome, Sir Ralph, very welcome. Ipray you enter and join us."
"I will do so with pleasure, Signor Vrados, if you will also extend yourhospitality to my friend Sir Gervaise Tresham."
"Most gladly," the merchant said. "I pray him to enter."
The two knights passed through the gate in the wall. All rose to theirfeet as they went up to the carpet, and greeted Ralph with a warmthwhich showed that he was a favourite. He introduced Gervaise to them.
"I wonder that I do not know your face, Sir Knight," the merchant'swife said. "I thought I knew all the knights of the Order by sight, fromseeing them either at the public ceremonies, or observing them pass inthe streets."
"For the last nine months Sir Gervaise has been an anchorite. He hasbeen learning Turkish, and has so devoted himself to the study that evenI have scarce caught sight of him, save at meals. As for walking in thestreets, it is the last thing he would think of doing. I consider myselfa good and conscientious young knight, but I am as nothing in thatrespect to my friend. I used to look upon him as my little brother, forwe were at the House of the Order in London together. He is four yearsyounger than I am, and you know four years between boys makes an immensedifference. Now the tables are turned, and I quite look up to him."
"You will believe as much as you like, Signora, of what Sir Ralph says,"Gervaise laughed. "As you have, he says, known him for some time,you must by this time have learnt that his word is not to be takenliterally."
"We learned that quite early in our acquaintance," the girl who hadfirst noticed them said, with an affectation of gravity. "I always tellhim that I cannot believe anything he says, and I am grateful to you,Sir Knight, for having thus borne evidence to the quickness of myperception."
By this time the servants had brought some more cushions, and on theseRalph and Gervaise seated themselves. Wine, sherbet, and cakes, werethen handed round. The master of the house placed Gervaise on his righthand, as a stranger.
"You have been among our islands, Sir Gervaise? But indeed, I need notask that, since I know that you and Sir Ralph were knighted together foryour valour in that affair with the ships of Hassan Ali. We come fromLesbos. It is now eighty years since my family settled in Rhodes, and wehave seen it grow from a small place to a great fortress."
"'Tis a wonderful place," Gervaise said. "I know nothing of thefortresses of Europe, but it seems to me that no other can well bestronger than this--that is, among places with no natural advantages."
"The knights have always had an abundance of slaves," the merchant said;"so many that they have not only had sufficient for their work here, buthave been able to sell numbers to European potentates. Yes, Rhodes iswonderfully strong. That great fosse would seem as if it could defy theefforts of an army to cross; and yet the past has shown that even thestrongest defences, held with the greatest bravery, can be carried bygenerals with immense armies, and careless how they sacrifice them sothat they do but succeed. Look at Acre, for example."
"I was looking at it five days ago," Gervaise said, "and thinking thatit was beyond the might of man to take."
"Do you mean that you were at Acre?" the merchant asked, with surprise.
"Yes. I went there to hand over a captive who had been ransomed. Ofcourse I had a safe conduct, and I was glad indeed of the opportunity ofseeing so famous a fortress."
"You were fortunate indeed, Sir Knight, and it was, if you will pardonmy saying so, singular that so young a knight should have been chosen.Assuredly, even the senior knights of the Order would rejoice at theopportunity of beholding a fortress so intimately connected with thepast history of the Order."
"It was due entirely to my being able to speak Turkish," Gervaise said."As my friend Sir Ralph was mentioning, I have been studying hard, andcan now speak the language fluently; and as this was a necessity onsuch a mission, and the few knights who can so speak it are all in highoffice, and could hardly be asked to undertake so unimportant a service,I was selected."
"And you really speak Turkish well? It is an accomplishment that few,save Greeks subject to Turkey, possess. Do you intend, may I ask, tomake Rhodes your home? I ask because I suppose you would not have takenthis labour had you intended shortly to return to England."
"Yes; I hope to remain here permanently. I know that the first steptowards promotion here is generally a commandery at home, but I did notenter the Order with any idea of gaining office or dignity. I desiresimply to be a knight of the Cross, and to spend my life in doingfaithful service to the Order."
"A worthy ambition indeed, and one that, so far as my experience goes,very few knights entertain. I see yearly scores of young knights depart,no small proportion of whom never place foot on Rhodes again, althoughdoubtless many of them will hasten back again as soon as the danger ofan assault from the Turks becomes imminent. You see, we who dwell hereunder the protection of the Order naturally talk over these things amongourselves; and although, in the matter of fortifications, all will admitthat enormous efforts have been made to render the town secure, it isclear that in the matter of knights to defend them there is very muchleft to be desired. It is all very well to say that the knights from allparts of Europe would flock hither to defend it; but the journey wouldbe a long one, and would occupy much time, and they would probablynot receive news that the Turks had sailed until the place was alreadyinvested. Then it would be difficult, if not altogether impossible, forships with reinforcements to make their way through the Turkish fleet,and to enter the port. To man the walls properly would need a force fivetimes as numerous as that which is now here. I recognise the valourof your knights; they have accomplished wonders. But even they cannotaccomplish impossibilities. For a time they could hold the walls; butas their number became reduced by the fire of the Turkish cannon and thebattles at the breaches, they would at last be too weak any longerto repel the onslaughts of foes with an almost unlimited supply ofsoldiers."
"That is true enough," Gervaise admitted; "and to my mind it is shockingthat four-fifths at least of the Order, pledged to oppose the infidels,should be occupied with the inglorious work of looking after the manorsand estates of the society throughout Europe, while one-fifth, at most,are here performing the duties to which all are sworn. Of the revenuesof the estates themselves, a mere fraction finds its way hither. Still,I trust that the greater part of the knights will hasten here as soon asdanger becomes imminent, without waiting for the news that the Turkisharmament has actually set forth."
For an hour the two young knights remained on the roof, Gervaise talkingquietly with the merchant, while his companion laughed and chatted withthe ladies and friends of their host. After they had left, with thepromise that it would not be long before they repeated their visit,Ralph bantered Gervaise on preferring the society of the merchant tothat of his daughters.
"I found him a pleasant and very well informed man, Ralph, and enjoyedmy talk with him just as you enjoyed talking nonsense to his daughtersand listening to their songs. Who was the man sitting next to the eldestdaughter?"
"He doesn't belong to Rhodes, but is a Greek from one of the islands,though I did not catch from which. I don't know whether he is a relativeof the family, or a business connection of the merchant's, or a strangerwho has brought a letter of introduction to him. Nothing was said onthat head; why do you ask?"
"I don't like the man's face; he is a handsome fellow, but has a craftyexpression. He did not say much, but it seemed to me that at times,
whenhe appeared to be sitting carelessly sipping his sherbet, he was reallytrying to listen to what Vrados was saying to me. He could not doso, for we were on the other side of the circle, and were speaking insomewhat low tones, while the rest of you were chatting and laughing."
"What should he want to listen for, most sapient knight?"
"That I can't tell, Ralph; but I am certain that he was trying tolisten."
"Well, as you were no doubt both talking more sensibly than most of us,"Ralph laughed, "he certainly showed his discernment."
"I daresay I am wrong," Gervaise said quietly; "but you know we have ourspies at Constantinople, and probably the sultan has his spies here; andthe idea occurred to me that perhaps this man might be one of them."
"Well, I am bound to say, Gervaise," Ralph said, a little irritably,"I have never heard so grave an accusation brought on such insufficientevidence--or rather, as far as I can see, without a shadow of evidenceof any kind. We drop in upon a man who is one of our most respectedmerchants, whose family has been established here many years, whoseinterests must be the same as those of the Order; and because a guest ofhis does not care to take any active part in my joking with the girls,and because you imagine that there is a cunning expression on his face,you must straightway take it into your head that he must be a spy."
"Excuse me, Ralph, I simply said that the idea occurred to me that hemight be a spy, which is a very different thing to my accusing him ofbeing one. I am ready to admit that the chances are infinitely greaterthat he is an honest trader or a relation of the merchant, and that hispresence here is perfectly legitimate and natural, than that he shouldbe a spy. Still, there is a chance, if it be but one out of a thousand,that he may be the latter. I don't think that I am at all of asuspicious nature, but I really should like to learn a little aboutthis man. I do not mean that I am going to try to do so. It would be anunworthy action to pry into another's business, when it is no concern ofone's own. Still, I should like to know why he is here."
Ralph shrugged his shoulders.
"This comes of living the life of a hermit, Gervaise. Other people meetand talk, and enjoy what society there is in the city, without troublingtheir heads for a moment as to where people come from or what theirbusiness is here, still less whether they are spies. Such ideas do notso much as occur to them, and I must say that I think the sooner youfall into the ways of other people the better."
"There is no harm done," Gervaise said composedly. "I am not thinkingof asking our bailiff to order him to be arrested on suspicion. I onlyremarked that I did not like the man's face, nor the way in which, whilehe pretended to be thinking of nothing, he was trying to overhear whatwe were saying. I am quite willing to admit that I have made a mistake,not in devoting myself to Turkish, but in going to the merchant's withyou this evening. I have had no experience whatever of what you callsociety, and, so far from it giving me pleasure to talk to strangers,especially to women, it seems to me that such talk is annoying to me,at any rate at present. When I get to your age, possibly my ideas maychange. I don't for a moment wish to judge you or others; you apparentlyenjoy it, and it is a distraction from our serious work. I say simplythat it is an amusement which I do not understand. You must rememberthat I entered the Order in consequence of a solemn vow of my deadfather, that I regard the profession we make as a very serious one, andthat my present intention is to devote my life entirely to the Order andto an active fulfilment of its vows."
"That is all right, Gervaise," Ralph said good temperedly. "Only I thinkit would be a pity if you were to turn out a fanatic. Jerusalem andPalestine are lost, and you admit that there is really very littlechance of our ever regaining them. Our duties, therefore, are changed,and we are now an army of knights, pledged to war against the infidels,in the same way as knights and nobles at home are ever ready to engagein a war with France. The vow of poverty is long since obsolete. Many ofour chief officials are men of great wealth, and indeed, a grand master,or the bailiff of a langue, is expected to spend, and does spend, a sumvastly exceeding his allowance from the Order. The great body of knightsare equally lax as to some of their other vows, and carry this to alength that, as you know, has caused grave scandal. But I see not thatit is in any way incumbent on us to give up all the pleasures of life.We are a military Order, and are all ready to fight in defence ofRhodes, as in bygone days we were ready to fight in defence of the HolySepulchre. Kings and great nobles have endowed us with a large number ofestates, in order to maintain us as an army against Islam; and as suchwe do our duty. But to affect asceticism is out of date and ridiculous."
"I have certainly no wish to be an ascetic, Ralph. I should have noobjection to hold estates, if I had them to hold. But I think that atpresent, with the great danger hanging over us, it would be betterif, in the first place, we were all to spend less time in idleness oramusement, and to devote all our energies to the cause. I mean not onlyby fighting when the time comes for fighting, but by endeavouring inevery way to ward off danger."
"When I see danger, I will do my best to ward it off, Gervaise; but Icannot go about with my nose in the air, snuffing danger like a huntingdog in pursuit of game. At any rate, I will not bother you to accompanyme on my visits in future."