-'Oh, I am a great man, and great men will of course seek me
out.'

"Soon after, the prince and his suite arrived and went on board. I did
the same, and the steamer put to sea. When we were fairly out on the
water, the captain came to me and said, 'The prince, Mr. Williams,
requests me to say to you that he desires to have an interview with
you, and will be happy either to have you come to him, or allow me to
introduce him to you.' 'Present my compliments to the prince,' I
said, 'and say I put myself entirely at his disposal, and will be
proud to accede to whatever may be his wishes in the matter.' The
captain again retired, and soon returned, bringing the Prince de
Joinville, with him. I was sitting at the time on a barrel. The prince
not only started with evident and involuntary surprise when he saw me,
but there was great agitation in his face and manner--a slight
paleness and a quivering of the lip--which I could not help remarking
at the time, but which struck me more forcibly afterwards in
connection with the whole train of circumstances, and by contrast with
his usual self-possessed manner. He then shook me earnestly and
respectfully by the hand, and drew me immediately into conversation.
The attention he paid me seemed not only to astonish myself and the
passengers, but also the prince's retinue.

"At dinner-time there was a separate table laid for the prince and his
companions, and he invited me to sit with them, and offered me the
seat of honour by his side. But I was a little abashed by the
attentions of the prince, so I thought I would keep out of the circle,
and begged the prince to excuse me, and permit me to dine at the
ordinary table with the passengers, which I accordingly did. After
dinner the conversation turned between us on the first French
settlement in America, the valour and enterprise of the early
adventurers, and the loss of Canada to France, at which the prince
expressed deep regret. He was very copious and fluent in speech, and I
was surprised at the good English he spoke; a little broken, indeed,
like mine, but very intelligible. We continued talking late into the
night, reclining in the cabin on the cushions in the stern of the
boat. When we retired to rest, the prince lay on the locker, and I in
the first berth next to it.

"The next day the steamer did not arrive at Green Bay until about
three o'clock, and during most of the time we were in conversation. On
our arrival the prince said