au was
more than he could endure; so that, after a few attempts, he retired,
baffled, vexed at what he considered the other's aristocratic pride.
What was more noticed by him now, was the fact that Pere Michel had
grown more reserved with him; not that there was any visible change
in the good priest's friendly manner, but he seemed pro-occupied and
strangely self-absorbed. And so things went on.

Meantime the schooner can hardly be said to have gone on at all. What
with light head winds, and currents, and calms, her progress was but
slow. This state of things was very irritating to Zac, who began to
mutter something about these rascally Moosoos bringing bad luck, and
"he'd be darned if he wouldn't like to know where in blamenation it
was all going to end." But as Claude was no longer so good a listener
as he used to be, Zac grew tired of talking to empty space, and
finally held his peace. The winds and tides, and the delay, however,
made no difference with Claude, nor did it interfere in the slightest
with his self-content and self-complacency. In fact, he looked as
though he rather enjoyed the situation; and this was not the least
aggravating thing in the surroundings to the mind of the impatient
skipper.

Thus several days passed, and at length Claude had an opportunity of
drawing Mimi into another somewhat protracted conversation.

"I am very much obliged to you," said Claude, gayly, "for making your
appearance. I have been trying to do the agreeable to your shipmate
Cazeneau, but without success. Is he always so amiable? and is he a
friend of yours?"

Mimi looked at Claude with a very serious expression as he said this,
and was silent for a few minutes.

"He is a friend of papa's," said she at last. "He came out with us--"

"Is he a great friend of yours?" asked Claude.

Mimi hesitated for a moment, and then said,--

"No; I do not like him at all."

Claude drew a long breath.

"Nor do I," said he.

"Perhaps I am doing him injustice," said Mimi, "but I cannot help
feeling as though he is in some way connected with dear papa's
troubles. I do not mean to say that he is the cause of them. I merely
mean that, as far as I know anything about them, it is always in such
a way that he seems mixed up with them. And I don't think, either,
that his face is very much in his favor, for there is something so
harsh and cruel in his expression, that I always wish that papa had
chosen some different kind of a person fo