repared. The captain's boy came to announce to
the passengers that the repast was ready; two or three among them, who
had successfully resisted seasickness, entered the cabin.

Father Griffen said grace; they had hardly seated themselves when the
door of the cabin opened suddenly, and the following words were
pronounced with a strong Gascon accent:

"There is, I hope, noble captain, a small place for the Chevalier de
Croustillac?"

All the guests made a movement of surprise, then strove to read in the
features of the captain an explanation of this singular apparition. The
captain remained stupefied, regarding his new guest with an air almost
of affright.

"Eh, there, who are you? I do not know you. Where the devil did you come
from, sir?" he finally said.

"If I came from the devil, this good priest," and he kissed the hand of
Father Griffen, "this good priest would send me back there very quickly,
by saying, 'Get thee behind me, Satan.'"

"But where _do_ you come from, sir?" cried the captain, stupefied by the
confident and smiling air of this unexpected guest.

"One does not come thus on board. You are not on my list of passengers.
You have fallen from the sky, perhaps?"

"A few minutes since it was from the infernal regions; now it is from
the heavens that I come. Faith! I do not lay claim to an origin so
divine nor so infernal, worthy captain; I----"

"It matters not as to that," replied the captain. "Tell me, how came you
here?"

The chevalier assumed a majestic air. "I should be unworthy of belonging
to the noble house of de Croustillac, one of the oldest in Guienne, if I
had the slightest hesitation in satisfying the legitimate curiosity of
the illustrious captain."

"So--this is very lucky," cried the latter.

"Do not say it is lucky, rather say it is right. I fall upon your vessel
like a bomb; you are astonished; nothing is more natural; you ask me how
I came on board. This is your right. I explain it to you--that is my
duty. Completely satisfied by my explanation, you extend to me your hand
and say, 'This is well, chevalier, place yourself at table with us.' I
respond to you, 'Captain, I cannot refuse, for I am dying for lack of
sustenance. Blessed be your benevolent offer.' So saying I slip in
between these two estimable gentlemen. I make myself small; very small;
in order not to incommode them; on the contrary, the motion is so
violent that I wedge----"

So saying, the chevalier put his word