'Never mind, it will come to me again/ said
Christophe.
After this the boys clambered about those old walls
that had once known the thunder and stress of battle.
And Jan pulled off his jersey, which was striped red
and white, and he tied it on to the end of a stick:
'Who will follow the banner of the cross?' he shouted,
waving the jersey above his head. 'Christophe, come
on! We are now crusaders!5
So they played at being in Palestine where Jan,
single-handed, slew countless unbelievers; and where
Christophe must continually dash to his aid in the
face of terrific personal danger. Nor did Mireio
prove less courageous, indeed she was so much ex-
cited by the shouting that she quite forgot the eleven
long years which had lain all too heavy upon her
just lately, and she thought of herself as a hound of
war, so must run about growling ferociously in spite
of her many sores and her lameness.
But on their way home Jan grew very quiet, for
he wanted to say a great many things that somehow
refused to get themselves said — he wanted to say how
troubled he was because Christophe could not share
his good fortune. And since words seemed to fail
him he groped in his pocket, producing his biggest
and gaudiest marble.
'Allons, take it! I will give it to you;5 he mumbled.
'Why?5 enquired Christophe, delighted and sur-
prised.
'Because I would very much like you to have it.5
Presently Jan said: 'Supposing I were rich. . . .
supposing I were made a bishop or a cardinal and
wanted- to give you a magnificent present; what
would you like best in all the world?5 And he waited
expectantly for the answer.
But the answer when it came was most unsatisfac-
tory for without so much as a moment's hesitation
138