"Be easy, lieutenant," responded a subordinate, who until then had not been perceived, for he was hidden by the piles of the wharf, "I will not allow the tender to leave without your orders." "That is well, Thomas, and beside," replied the officer, firing a shot from his gun as a signal, "the coastguard will not permit the brigantine to sail." It would be impossible to paint the frightful agony of the actors in this scene. Croustillac saw that his plan for flight was out of the question, because the slightest signal from the coastguard would prevent the departure of the Chameleon. The officer who had just appeared stopped in front of Croustillac and Chemerant, and said to them, "In the name of the king, I order you to tell me who you are and where you are going, gentlemen; by the governor's orders no one can sail from here without a permit from him. "Sir," said Chemerant, "the soldiers who are with me are part of the governor's guard; you see, I am acting by his consent." "An escort, sir! you have an escort!" said the astonished officer. "There, near the mole, sir," said Croustillac. "Oh, that is another matter, sir; the light was so feeble that I had not noticed the soldiers. I hope you will pardon me, sir." This man, who seemed extremely talkative, approached the governor's guard, examined them a moment, and said with excessive volubility, "My orders are simply to prevent persons going toward the wharf, just now the Chameleon, and a fine vessel she is, belonging to Blue Beard, and which has bravely run down a Spanish pirate--came last night to the mooring." "Sir, I beg you to silence this insupportable babbler," said the chevalier to Chemerant, "you must see how painful this scene is to me." "You see, sir," said Chemerant to the lieutenant of marines, "the persons who are going to embark, do so under my personal responsibility. I am Chemerant, commissioner extraordinary to the king, and am furnished with full powers." "Sir," said the lieutenant, "it is unnecessary to cite your authority; this escort is sufficient guarantee, and----" "Then, sir, remove the order." "Nothing is easier, sir; the order being now useless, it is useless to maintain it." "Thomas," cried this irrepressible talker to his subordinate, "you know the order that I gave you?" "Which, lieutenant?" "How! brainless one!" "Sir, my time is valuable, I must return shortly to Fort Royal," said Chemerant. The lieutenant continued, recklessly, "How! you have forgotten the order I gave you?" "The last one? no, lieutenant." "No, lieutenant! well, repeat it, then; let us hear the order." Then, addressing Chemerant, he said to him, while pointing to his soldier, "He hasn't the memory of a gosling! I am not sorry to give him this lesson before you, it will profit him." "Confound it! I am not here to assist in educating your functionaries," said Chemerant. "Well, Thomas, this order?" "Lieutenant, it was to let no one embark on the vessel."