himself on the neck of the Genoese, and the old man wept in a manner that
caused him to withdraw aside, in order to conceal the tears which had so
suddenly and profusely broken from fountains that he had long thought
nearly dried.

Chapter III.

Ha, cousin Silence, that thou hadst seen
That, that this knight and I have seen!

_King Henry IV._

The calculating patron of the Winkelried had patiently watched the
progress of the foregoing scene with great inward satisfaction, but now
that the strangers seemed to be assured of support powerful as that of
Melchior de Willading, he was disposed to turn it to account without
farther delay. The old men were still standing with their hands grasping
each other, after another warm and still closer embrace, and with tears
rolling down the furrowed face of each, when Baptiste advanced to put in
his raven-like remonstrance.

"Noble gentlemen," he said, "if the felicitations of one humble as I can
add to the pleasure of this happy meeting, I beg you to accept them; but
the wind has no heart for friendships nor any thought for the gains or
losses of us watermen. I feel it my duty, as patron of the bark, to recall
to your honors that many poor travellers, far from their homes and pining
families, are waiting our leisure, not to speak of foot-sore pilgrims and
other worthy adventurers, who are impatient in their hearts, though
respect for their superiors keeps them tongue-tied, while we are losing
the best of the breeze."

"By San Francesco! the varlet is right;" said the Genoese, hurriedly
erasing the marks of his recent weakness from his cheeks. "We are
forgetful of all these worthy people while joy at our meeting is so
strong, and it is time that we thought of others. Canst thou aid me in
dispensing with the city's signatures?"

The Baron de Willading paused; for well-disposed at first to assist any
gentlemen who found themselves in an unpleasant embarrassment, it will be
readily imagined that the case lost none of its interest, when he found
that his oldest and most tried friend was the party in want of his
influence. Still it was much easier to admit the force of this new and
unexpected appeal than to devise the means of success. The officer was, to
use a phrase which most men seem to think supplies a substitute for reason
and principle, too openly committed to render it probable he would easily
yield. It was necessary, however, to make the trial, and the ba