those two were born Frenchmen, Rodd, my boy," said the doctor,
"for there is something very gentlemanly about the Count, and I like
that lad Morny too. There is something about him, Rodney, that you
might very well copy."

"Is there, uncle?"

"Yes, sir, there is. Certainly. I am not your father, but I am your
uncle, and it gratifies me very much to see the polished, almost
reverent way in which that lad behaves towards the Count. It's polite,
and it's respectful, and it's--er--it's--er--"

"Why, you wouldn't like it, uncle, if I were to behave to you just as he
does to the Count."

"Well, not exactly, Rodney, but there's something very nice about it.
Great pity, though, that they are French, and so corroded, so crusted
over, as I may call it, with a sort of hero-worship for that tyrannical
usurper. There, I won't mention his name."

"That's right, uncle; don't, please."

"Why, sir?"

"Because it always makes you so cross, uncle."

"Now, Rodney, that's what I don't like. If I have an antipathy to a
scoundrel, and speak out firmly as an Englishman should, it is not for a
boy like you to say I am cross; and I am quite sure that young Morny
would have had too much common-sense to speak out like that to his
father. It is a great pity, though, that they are both, as I say, so
eaten up with that hero-worship, and I am very much afraid that I spoke
a little too plainly to the Count to-day. It was rather unfortunate
too. It was just when we had been having a very interesting
conversation upon the medusae, especially those of a phosphorescent
nature. By the way, has Morny said much to you about the object of
their research?"

"No, uncle. He always seems disinclined to speak."

"Humph! Yes, he does seem very reticent. His father as good as said,
as I think I told you, that this was a voyage of discovery, a search for
something he wanted to take back, and which was to make his country very
great. But he has never said what, and it would be so very
ungentlemanly to seem curious."

"But you do feel curious to know, don't you, uncle?"

"Well, I must confess, my boy, that I do--a little jealous, perhaps, of
another man's success, for I did learn as much as this, that he felt
pretty sure of being successful if he could get the brig sound again.
Well, I suppose we shall know some day."

"I don't like to say any more to Morny, uncle. It would seem so small;
and besides, he never questions me anything about