count your time at once, while we do not begin to count ours until
we are seventeen. Still, good luck may befall us yet, for if the
grand master dies, Sir Peter is sure to be chosen to succeed him.
Then, you see, we too shall be pages of the grand master."

"How many are there of you?"

"Only De Lille and myself. Of course D'Aubusson will take on the
grand master's present pages; but as there are five vacancies on
an average every year, he will be able to find room for us among
the number."

"Why, how many pages has the grand master?" Gervaise asked, in
surprise.

"Sixteen of them, so you may guess the duties are easy enough,
as only two are generally employed, except, of course on solemn
occasions."

"Are there any other English besides myself?"

The boy shook his head. "There are eight belonging to the French
langues; the others are Spaniards, Italians, or Germans. There,
this is our room and this is De Lille. De Lille, this is the grand
master's new page, Master Gervaise Tresham, and our lord says we
are to treat him kindly and entertain him well until tomorrow,
when he will go to the palace. He speaks our language, and has been
some years in France."

"How came you to be there?" De Lille asked Gervaise.