“And what is to be the upshot of our acquaintance, then?”
“Do you ask this seriously, Bernard, or are you only jesting at my presentiments?”
“In all seriousness and in all trustfulness,” replied I.
“You 'll stay here in Havre—join me in my business—make money—be a rich man—and—” he paused.
“Go on; I like the prophecy,” said I, laughing.
“And I was going to say, just as likely to lose it all, some fine morning, as easily as you earned it.”
“But I have not a single requisite for the part you assign me. I am ignorant of every branch of trade and traffic; nor, if I know myself, do I possess one single quality that insures success in them.”
“I'll teach you, Bernard! There are few secrets in my craft. We deal with smugglers,—we buy from them, and sell to them! For the pedler that comes to us in our shop in the 'Rue des Sol,' we care little; for our customers who drop in after nightfall, we have a sincere affection. You have hitherto regarded them in the light of visitors and friends. You little suspected that through them we carried on all our business; and just as little did it ever occur to you that you yourself are already a great favorite with them. Your stories, your remarks, the views you take of life, all your observations, are quite novel and amusing to poor fellows whose whole experience of the world is picked up in stormy nights in the Channel, or still more perilous adventures on shore. Many have already asked me when you would be with me of an evening, that they might come; others have begged they might bring friends along with them; and, in short, they like you; and they are fellows who, when they have fancies, don't grudge the price they pay for them.”
I laughed heartily as I heard this. Assuredly it had never occurred to myself to observe the circumstance, still less to make it a matter of profit or speculation; but, somehow, the coarse flattery of even such admiration was not without a certain charm for my mind.
Still, it was a part I could not have condescended to practise for gain, nor, perhaps, had such been my intention, could I have been equally successful.