he deck, and gracefully, with no more seeming effort than a swan upon
a garden pond, the _Peregrine_ veered and glided towards the rough
skiff with its single ochre sail and its couple of brown-faced
fishermen, who had left their nets to watch her advance. Captain Jack
leant over the side, his hands over his mouth, and hailed them in his
British-French--correct enough, but stiff to his tongue, as Molly
heard and smiled at, and loved him for, in woman's way, when she loves
at all.

"Ahoy, the friend! A golden piece for him who will come on board and
tell the news of the town."

A brief consultation between the fisher pair.

"_Un ecu d'or_," repeated Captain Jack. Then there was a flash of
white teeth on the two weather-beaten faces.

"_On y va, patron_," cried one of the fellows, cheerfully, and jumped
into his dinghey, while his comrade still stared and grinned, and the
stalwart lads of the _Peregrine_ grinned back at the queer foreign
figure with the brown cap and the big gold earrings.

Soon the fisherman's bare feet were thudding on the deck, and he stood
before the English captain, cap in hand, his little, quick black eyes
roaming in all directions, over the wonders of the beautiful white
ship, with innocent curiosity. But before Captain Jack could get his
tongue round another French phrase, Molly, detaching herself from her
post of observation, came forward, smiling.

"Let me speak to him," she said, "he will understand me better, and it
will go quicker. What is it you want to know?"

Captain Jack hesitated a moment, saw the advantage of the suggestion,
and then accepted the offer with the queer embarrassment that always
came over him in his relations with her.

"You are very good," he said.

"Oh, I like to talk the father and mother tongue," she said, gaily and
sweetly. Her eyes danced; he had never seen her in this mood, and, as
before, grudgingly had to admit her beauty.

"And if you will allow it," she went on, "I am glad to be of use too."

The fisherman, twirling his cap in his knotted fingers, stared at her
open mouthed. _Une si belle dame!_ like a queen and speaking his
tongue that it was a music to listen to. This was in truth a ship of
marvels. _Ah, bon Dieu, oui, Madame_, there were news at St. Malo, but
it depended upon one's feelings whether they were to be regarded as
good or bad--_Dame_, every one has one's opinions--but for
him--_pourvu qu'on lui fiche la paix_--what did it matter who s