A wave of humor passed over Angèle’s grave face, for a stranger quartet never sailed high seas together: one blind of an eye, one game of a leg, one bald as a bottle and bereft of two front teeth; but Buonespoir was sound of wind and limb, his small face with the big eyes lost in the masses of his red hair, and a body like Hercules. It flashed through Angèle’s mind even as she answered the gurgling salutations of the triumvirate that they had been got together for no gentle summer sailing in the Channel. Her conscience smote her that she should use such churls; but she gave it comfort by the thought that while serving her they could do naught worse; and her cause was good. Yet they presented so bizarre an aspect, their ugliness was so varied and particular, that she almost laughed. Buonespoir understood her thoughts, for with a look of mocking innocence in his great blue eyes he waved a hand again towards the graceless trio, and said, “For deep-sea fishing,” then solemnly winked at the three.
A moment later Angèle was speeding along the shore towards her home on the farther hill-side up the little glen; and within an hour Buonespoir rolled from the dusk of the trees by the manor-house of Rozel and knocked at the door. He carried on his head, as a fishwife carries a tray of ormers, a basket full of flagons of muscadella; and he did not lower the basket when he was shown into the room where the Seigneur of Rozel was sitting before a trencher of spiced veal and a great pot of ale. Lemprière roared a hearty greeting to the pirate, for he was in a sour humor because of the taking-off of Michel de la Forêt; and of all men this pirate-fellow, who had quips and cranks, and had played tricks on his cousin of St. Ouen’s, was most welcome.
“What’s that on your teacup of a head?” he roared again, as Buonespoir grinned pleasure at the greeting.
“Muscadella,” said Buonespoir, and lowered the basket to the table.
Lemprière seized a flagon, drew it forth, looked closely at it, then burst into laughter, and spluttered, “St. Ouen’s muscadella, by the hand of Rufus!”
Seizing Buonespoir by the shoulders, he forced him down upon a bench at the table, and pushed the trencher of spiced meat against his chest. “Eat, my noble lord of the sea and master of the cellar!” he gurgled out, and, tipping the flagon of muscadella, took a long draught. “God-a-mercy—but it has saved my life,” he gasped in satisfaction as he lay back in his great chair and put his feet on the bench whereon Buonespoir sat.
They raised their flagons and toasted each other, and Lemprière burst forth into song, in the refrain of which Buonespoir joined boisterously:
“King Rufus he did hunt the deer,