oung man a pure, a lofty, and a generous nature, unsullied by
anything mean or low, a guileless and earnest heart, a soul _sans
peur et sans reproche_; and it did seem by the expression of her own
face as though she had read all this in Claude.

Further conversation of a general nature followed, which served to
explain the position of all of them with reference to one another.
Claude was the virtual master of the schooner, since he had chartered
it for his own purposes. To all of them, therefore, he seemed first
their savior, and secondly their host and entertainer, to whom they
were bound to feel chiefly grateful. Yet none the less did they
endeavor to include the honest skipper in their gratitude; and Zac
came in for a large share of it. Though he could not understand any
of the words which they addressed to him, yet he was easily able to
guess what they were driving at, and so he modestly disclaimed it all
with the expression,--

"O, sho! sho, now! sho, sho!"

They now learned that Claude was on his way to Louisbourg, and that
they would thus be able to reach their original destination. They
also learned the circumstances of Zac, and his peculiar unwillingness
to trust his schooner inside the harbor of Louisbourg. Zac's scruples
were respected by them, though they all declared that there was no
real danger. They were sufficiently satisfied to be able to reach any
point near Louisbourg, and did not seek to press Zac against his
will, or to change his opinion upon a point where it was so strongly
expressed.

No sooner had these new passengers thus unexpectedly appeared, than a
very marked change came over Pere Michel, which to Claude was quite
inexplicable. To him and to Zac the good priest had thus far seemed
everything that was most amiable and companionable; but now, ever
since the moment when he had turned away at the sight of the face of
Laborde, he had grown strangely silent, and reticent, and
self-absorbed. Old Laborde had made advances which had been coldly
repelled. Cazeneau, also, had tried to draw him out, but without
success. To the lieutenant only was he at all inclined to unbend. Yet
this strange reserve did not last long, and at length Pere Michel
regained his old manner, and received the advances of Laborde with
sufficient courtesy, while to Mimi he showed that paternal gentleness
which had already endeared him to Claude and to Zac.

Several days thus passed, during which but little progress was m