What is the importance of St. George the Dragonslayer in the novel, Abigail?

In the novel, the mythical dragon-slayer St. George symbolizes a superficial, illusory valor, specifically in the character of Péter Kalmár. Upon meeting the handsome Kalmár, Gina compares his face to that of St. George, which she had seen in paintings on her travels with her French governess, Marcelle. Simply because of his dashing appearance and because of her own bias toward beauty, she repeatedly associates Kalmár with heroism and noble character throughout the novel, referring to him as St. George. As a result, she completely overlooks the courageous behavior of the unassuming Kőnig.