“She arose and walked to her daughters. I, too, was watching the man. He was old, dirty, wrinkled, and did not lift his eyes from his work.
“My mother returned. I noticed that she was trembling. She exclaimed quickly:
“'I believe that it is he. Why don't you ask the captain? But be very careful that we don't have this rogue on our hands again!'
“My father walked away, but I followed him. I felt strangely moved.
“The captain, a tall, thin man, with blond whiskers, was walking along the bridge with an important air as if he were commanding the Indian mail steamer.
“My father addressed him ceremoniously, and questioned him about his profession, adding many compliments:
“'What might be the importance of Jersey? What did it produce? What was the population? The customs? The nature of the soil?' etc., etc.
“'You have there an old shell opener who seems quite interesting. Do you know anything about him?'
“The captain, whom this conversation began to weary, answered dryly:
“'He is some old French tramp whom I found last year in America, and I brought him back. It seems that he has some relatives in Havre, but that he doesn't wish to return to them because he owes them money. His name is Jules—Jules Darmanche or Darvanche or something like that. It seems that he was once rich over there, but you can see what's left of him now.'