it on
you."

"What trial, my Father?"

"Yet, no; this trial has permitted you to show a delicacy as noble as
touching----"

A knock at the door of Father Griffen's room.

"What is it?"

"Supper, Father."

"Come, let us go, my son," said Father Griffen, regarding Croustillac
with a peculiar air; "I do not know why it seems to me that the journey
will terminate fortunately for you."

The chevalier, very much surprised that the Reverend Father should have
brought him to his room in order to hold the discourse we have reported,
followed Father Griffen on deck.

To the great astonishment of Croustillac, he saw the crew in gala
attire; lighted torches were suspended to the shrouds and the masts.
When the adventurer appeared on deck, the twelve guns of the
three-master resounded in salute.

"Zounds! Father, what is all this?" said Croustillac; "are we attacked?"

Father Griffen had no leisure to respond to the adventurer; Captain
Daniel, in his holiday clothes, followed by his lieutenant, his officer
and the masters and mates of the Unicorn, came to respectfully salute
Croustillac, and said to him with ill-concealed embarrassment:
"Chevalier, you are my shipowner; this ship and its cargo belong to
you."

"To the devil with you, comrade Daniel!" responded Croustillac; "if you
are as crazy as this before supper, what will you be when you have been
drinking, our host?"

"I ask no end of pardons, chevalier, for having made you balance things
on your nose, and for having led you to chew oakum in order to spit fire
during the voyage. But as true as we are in sight of the coast of
France, I did not know that you were the proprietor of the Unicorn."

"Ah, Father, explain to me," said Croustillac.

"The Reverend Father will explain to you many things--so much the
better, chevalier," continued Daniel, "that it is he who brought me just
now the letter of my correspondent of Fort Royal, which announces to me
that in view of the power of attorney he has always had from my
shipowner in Rochelle, he has sold the Unicorn and her cargo as attorney
to Chevalier Polypheme de Croustillac; thus then the Unicorn and her
cargo belong to you, chevalier; you will give me a receipt and discharge
of the said Unicorn and of the said cargo when we reach a port of
France, or foreign land which it shall suit you to designate; which
receipt and discharge I will send to my shipowner for my entire
discharge of the said ship and said cargo.