at on
the throne--His Majesty the King--His Majesty the Emperor, or Citizen
Bonaparte. Oh, a poor fisherman, what was it to him? He occupied
himself with his little fishes, not with great folk. (Another
white-teethed grin.) What had happened? _Parbleu_, it began by the
military, those accursed military (this with a cautious look around,
and gathering courage by seeing no signs of disapproval, proceeding
with greater volubility). The poor town was full of them, infantry
and artillery; regiments of young devils--and a band of old ones too.
The veterans of _celui la_ (spitting on the deck contemptuously) they
were the worst; that went without saying. A week ago there came a
rumour that he had escaped--was in France--and then the ferment
began--duels every day--rows in the cafes, fights in the ports. At
night one would hear shouts in the streets--_Vive l'Empereur!_ and it
spread, it spread. _Ma foi_--one regiment mutinied, then another--and
then it was known that the Emperor had reached Paris. Oh, then it was
warm! All those gentlemen, the officers who were for the King, were
arrested. Then there was a grand parade on the _place d'armes_--Yes,
he went there too, though he did not care much about soldiers. All the
garrison was there. The colonel of the veterans came out with a flag
in its case. _Portez armes!_ Good. They pull out the flag from the
case: it's the old tricolour with the eagle on the top! _Presentez
armes!_ And this time it was all over. Ah, one should have seen that,
heard the houras, seen the bonfires! _Monsieur le Maire_ and the rest,
appointed by the King, they were in a great fright, they had to give
way--what does Madame say? Traitors? Oh, _bedame_ (scratching his
head), it was no joke with the military just now--the whole place was
under military law and, _saperlotte_, when the strong commands it is
best for the weak to obey. As for him, he was only a poor fisherman.
What did he know? he was not a politician: every one to his trade. So
long as they let one have the peace--He thanked the gentleman, thanked
him much; thanked the lady, desired to wish her the good-morning and
_Monsieur_ too. Did they like no little fresh soles this morning? He
had some leaping then below in his boat. No? well the good-morning
then.

They had heard enough. The fisherman paddled back to his skiff, and
Molly stood watching from a little distance the motionless figure of
the captain of the _Peregrine_ as with one hand clenchin