“And who could do more?” the countess queried.
“Gervaise could do more, Countess, as was shown in that attack on the corsairs by means of fire ships. He has a head to plan, and, in the case I speak of, a happy thought of his not only saved the lives of ourselves and Sir John Boswell, but, indirectly, was the means of preventing two of our galleys being captured by the corsairs.”
“Which is Sir Gervaise?” one of the ladies asked.
Ralph smiled.
“Look round the hall, signoras, and see if any of you can pick him out from the rest of us.”
The ladies looked round the hall.
“There are only about twenty here; the rest are in the other rooms. Do not set us to work guessing, if he is not in sight, Sir Ralph.”
“Oh yes, he is in sight. Now do each of you fix on the one you think most accords with your ideas of what a knight, brave in action and wise and prudent in council, would be like.”
The six ladies each fixed on one of the young knights.
“You are all wrong,” said Ralph.