racle, and obey me as if I were an
admiral."

"Then it was you who preferred M. Lambert as the best customer?"

"Yes, certainly. And, to be frank, my lord, was I wrong?"

"You will see that by and by."

"At all events, my lord, if there is a fault, the fault is mine; and my
comrades should not be dealt hardly with on that account."

"This is decidedly an intelligent, sharp fellow," thought Monk.
Then, after a few minutes' silence employed in scrutinizing the
fisherman,--"You come from Ostend, did you not say?" asked the general.

"Yes, my lord, in a straight line."

"You have then heard of the affairs of the day; for I have no doubt that
both in France and Holland they excite interest. What is he doing who
calls himself king of England?"

"Oh, my lord!" cried the fisherman, with loud and expansive frankness,
"that is a lucky question, and you could not put it to anybody better
than to me, for in truth I can make you a famous reply. Imagine, my
lord, that when putting into Ostend to sell the few mackerel we had
caught, I saw the ex-king walking on the downs waiting for his horses,
which were to take him to the Hague. He is a rather tall, pale man, with
black hair, and somewhat hard-featured. He looks ill, and I don't think
the air of Holland agrees with him."

Monk followed with the greatest attention the rapid, heightened, and
diffuse conversation of the fisherman, in a language which was not
his own, but which, as we have said, he spoke with great facility. The
fisherman, on his part, employed sometimes a French word, sometimes an
English word, and sometimes a word which appeared not to belong to any
language, but was, in truth, pure Gascon. Fortunately his eyes spoke for
him, and that so eloquently, that it was possible to lose a word
from his mouth, but not a single intention from his eyes. The general
appeared more and more satisfied with his examination. "You must have
heard that this ex-king, as you call him, was going to the Hague for
some purpose?"

"Oh, yes," said the fisherman, "I heard that."

"And what was his purpose?"

"Always the same," said the fisherman. "Must he not always entertain the
fixed idea of returning to England?"

"That is true," said Monk, pensively.

"Without reckoning," added the fisherman, "that the stadtholder--you
know, my lord, William II.?--"

"Well?"

"He will assist him with all his power."

"Ah! did you hear that said?"

"No, but I think so."

"You are qui