ive
to every one of their steps a fall as firm as if they were driving a
pile. Monk, with an acute and penetrating look, examined the fisherman
for some time, while the latter smiled, with that smile half cunning,
half silly, peculiar to French peasants.

"Do you speak English?" asked Monk, in excellent French.

"Ah! but badly, my lord," replied the fisherman.

This reply was made much more with the lively and sharp accentuation of
the people beyond the Loire, than with the slightly-drawling accent of
the countries of the west and north of France.

"But you do speak it?" persisted Monk, in order to examine his accent
once more.

"Eh! we men of the sea," replied the fisherman, "speak a little of all
languages."

"Then you are a sea fisherman?"

"I am at present, my lord--a fisherman, and a famous fisherman too. I
have taken a barbel that weighs at least thirty pounds, and more
than fifty mullets; I have also some little whitings that will fry
beautifully."

"You appear to me to have fished more frequently in the Gulf of Gascony
than in the Channel," said Monk, smiling.

"Well, I am from the south; but does that prevent me from being a good
fisherman, my lord?"

"Oh! not at all; I shall buy your fish. And now speak frankly; for whom
did you destine them?"

"My lord, I will conceal nothing from you. I was going to Newcastle,
following the coast, when a party of horsemen who were passing along
in an opposite direction made a sign to my bark to turn back to your
honor's camp, under penalty of a discharge of musketry. As I was not
armed for fighting," added the fisherman, smiling, "I was forced to
submit."

"And why did you go to Lambert's camp in preference to mine?"

"My lord, I will be frank; will your lordship permit me?"

"Yes, and even if need be shall command you to be so."

"Well, my lord, I was going to M. Lambert's camp because those gentlemen
from the city pay well--whilst your Scotchmen, Puritans, Presbyterians,
Covenanters, or whatever you choose to call them, eat but little, and
pay for nothing."

Monk shrugged his shoulders, without, however, being able to refrain
from smiling at the same time. "How is it that, being from the south,
you come to fish on our coasts?"

"Because I have been fool enough to marry in Picardy."

"Yes; but even Picardy is not England."

"My lord, man shoves his boat into the sea, but God and the wind do the
rest, and drive the boat where they please."

"You h