“I once,” he commenced, “performed a service for an English lady, whose second husband was a Frenchman. She was then called the Duchess of Coulancourt.” “Eh! mon Dieu!” exclaimed Dame Moret, nearly dropping a bottle of wine she was taking from a cupboard, “what is that you say? Is it possible then you are the brave English lad who saved the duchess’s daughter at Toulon?” “I am,” said our hero, greatly astonished. “Mon Dieu! how rejoiced I am;” and putting her arm round his neck, her eyes filled with tears, she kissed his cheek with the affection of a mother. “My eyes! Ah! Blow me if this aint a go!” exclaimed Bill, who not understanding a word, and beholding his officer kissed by an old woman, was confounded. “Talk of kissing,” he muttered to himself, eyeing the mess on the dish, “keel haul me, if I wouldn’t rather kiss that young one outside for a week. Ax your pardon, ma’am,” said the seaman, starting back, seeing the dame turn round to him, “if your going to buss me, if you please let me have a pull at the mess there first.” “Hallo! Dame Moret,” shouted a coarse, loud voice from the kitchen, “where the diable have you stowed yourself? Show your nose out here. I want you.” Dame Moret started, looked frightened, but immediately put her hand on the door, saying— “I’m coming, Pierre Gaudet! I’m coming!” and then whispered to our hero, who stood confounded, for Gaudet was the name of the Captain of the privateer Vengeance, “Do not speak out loud; I will lock the door; remain quiet. That is a fierce man outside, though he is my son-in-law;” and then the dame passed out, locking the door after her, and putting the key in her pocket. CHAPTER XIX. “What in the world brings you here this morning?” exclaimed Dame Moret. Our hero could hear every word spoken, and such an effect had the name of Gaudet upon him, that hungry as he was he paused to listen. Not so Bill; neither understanding nor caring what was saying outside, but thinking solely of the stew before him, he looked imploringly at his officer, and pointed to the smoking viands, rubbing his lips with the back of his bony hands. Our hero made him a sign to help himself. Four-and-twenty hours, fast destroys politeness, so putting a fair portion on his plate, Bill retired to a corner and made himself happy. Our hero was hungry, but he was also anxious and curious. When Dame Moret said, “What in the world brought you here this morning, Pierre Gaudet? I thought you were at sea in the Vengeance,” he listened eagerly. “Curse the salt water and the Vengeance, too!” returned the man. “I’m ruined; two cursed Englishmen contrived to get off yesterday with the Vengeance, and somehow or other she caught fire at sea, and they ran her ashore, on the coast here. I want help.” “But, I don’t understand you,” said Dame Moret; “how could two Englishmen run away with the lugger?”