"Only the hope?"
"In the promise—the avowal that she does love me."
"Georgette will be rich, M. le Capitaine; I can give each of my girls a portion fit for any demoiselle at the Court of the Most Christian King (the hat was raised at these words), while you, monsieur, have only your epaulettes and your sword."
"My epaulettes I won at the risk of my life in the struggle we have commenced to save French Royalists from French Republicans; what other mission brought us here? My sword, M. de Thoisy, saved you from a dreadful death, when all your francs and livres would have failed to do so."
"Parbleu! you are right—pardon me," said the old French gentleman, who did not lack generosity.
"Georgette's wealth would be quite enough for two; but I shall make over to her, or to you," said I, by a happy thought, and with an air of splendid generosity, "a ship that I possess."
"A ship?"
"A ship containing thirty millions of pieces of eight."
"Mon Dieu! M. le Capitaine, are you in your senses?" exclaimed De Thoisy, holding up his hands.
"Quite," said I, while M. de Thoisy elevated his shoulders to his ears, and his eyebrows to the roots of his periwig.