Part 40 (1/2)
”Humph! We shall see that,” said Monk
At thisthe leader of the fishermen with hiood-looking for his age He was of ht, and wore a justaucorps of coarse wool, a cap pulled down over his eyes, a cutlass hung from his belt, and he walked with the hesitation peculiar to sailors, who, never knowing, thanks to the movement of the vessel, whether their foot will be placed upon the plank or upon nothing, give to every one of their steps a fall as fir a pile Monk, with an acute and penetrating look, examined the fisherman for some ti, half silly, peculiar to French peasants
”Do you speak English?” asked Monk, in excellent French
”Ah! but badly, my lord,” replied the fisherman
This reply was made much more with the lively and sharp accentuation of the people beyond the Loire, than with the slightly-drawling accent of the countries of the west and north of France
”But you do speak it?” persisted Monk, in order to examine his accent once more
”Eh! we men of the sea,” replied the fisheres”
”Then you are a sea fisherman?”
”I am at present, my lord--a fisherman, and a fahs at least thirty pounds, and s that will fry beautifully”
”You appear to me to have fished more frequently in the Gulf of Gascony than in the Channel,” said Monk, s
”Well, I aood fisherman, my lord?”
”Oh! not at all; I shall buy your fish And now speak frankly; for whom did you destine theoing to Newcastle, following the coast, when a party of horse in an opposite direction n to my bark to turn back to your honor's cae of ,” added the fisher, ”I was forced to subo to Lambert's camp in preference to mine?”
”My lord, I will be frank; will your lordshi+p permit me?”
”Yes, and even if need be shall co to M Laentlemen from the city pay well--whilst your Scotchmen, Puritans, Presbyterians, Covenanters, or whatever you chose to call theed his shoulders, without, however, being able to refrain fro from the south, you come to fish on our coasts?”
”Because I have been fool enough to land”
”My lord, man shoves his boat into the sea, but God and the wind do the rest, and drive the boat where they please”
”You had, then, no intention of landing on our coasts?”
”Never”
”And what route were you steering?”
”We were returning from Ostend, where some mackerel had already been seen, when a sharp wind fro that it was useless to struggle against it, we let it drive us
It then becao and sell thelish port, and that was Newcastle We were told the opportunity was good, as there was an increase of population in the camp, an increase of population in the city; both, ere told, were full of gentlery So we steered our course towards Newcastle”
”And your companions, where are they?”