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At the brutal bluntness of my speech and question--for I fear I took out upon his I ventured not to exploit with Mada how this same difference of faith had co into the priest's thin, wasted cheeks, and I could see how tightly his hands clinched about the crucifix at his girdle

"As toman, as that is born froravely,as frankly as yourself, I doubt if I would prove of much assistance upon a ship's deck; such effort as you propose for this night would be wholly foreign to my habit of life"

"Spoken truly; nor would I make choice of one with muscles so inert froive and take hard blows I ask you not upon the ship's deck at all, my friend, nor shall I require your coar warehouse of Bomanceaux et fils Still, it will require steady nerve to do even what little I require, and, if you doubt your courage, say so now, and I will seek a the slaves for stouter heart and readier hand"

That my words touched his pride I could read instantly in his uplifted face

"Nay, thou needest seek no further," he announced briefly, his thin lips tightly pressed together "I will go, Monsieur" I knew instantly by the bold ring of the words that henceforward I ht you would Now a question more, and then I must have food Can you prepare for my use one of your robes?"

"Easily, Monsieur; Father Cassati left one behind at the chapter-house when he went aboard ship, and you do not greatly differ in point of size But is it possible thou proposest to turn priest, and of our Order?"

"In outward vesture reater liberty of arb, andYet, perchance, therethe priestly character, as well as of overestiy on board"

He shrugged his shoulders, nettled soravely distrusting your naturalness in the wearing of a robe dedicated to religion," he made answer "But as for the otherthedisposition, over-fond of the bottle, in truth,--although it giveth me pain to speak thus of one of my own Order,--and I have been informed, moveth at his oill about the ship He is of the sort to be 'hail felloellSpaniards, who care little for God or man, as he possesseth few scruples of his own"