"At your service, padre."
"Ah, ah! And do you often come to these parts?"
"Deuce take me if I do not believe you are questioning me, monk," Lepoletais said with a frown, and looking him in the face; "how does it concern you whether I come here or not?"
"Me? Not at all."
"That is true, but it may concern others, may it not? And you would not be sorry to know the truth."
"Oh? can you suppose such a thing?" Fray Arsenio hastily said.
"I do not suppose, by Heaven, I know exactly what I am saying, but, believe me, señor monk, you had better give up this habit of questioning, especially with buccaneers, people who through their character, do not like questions, or else you might some day run the risk of being played an ugly trick. It is only a simple piece of advice I venture to give you."
"Thank you, señor, I will bear it in mind, though in saying what I did, I had not the intention you suppose."
"All the better, but still profit by my hint."
Thus rebuffed, the monk shut himself up in a timid silence; and in order to give a turn to his thoughts which, we are bound to say, were anything but rosy colored at this moment, he took up the rosary hanging from his girdle, and began muttering prayers in a low voice.