The captain, disarmed by this simple logic, now appealed to his powers of persuasion.
"Toni, at least you will do it for me. Do it for my sake. We shall continue friends as we have always been. On some other occasion I'll sacrifice myself. Think…. I have given my word of honor."
And the mate, although much touched by his pleadings, replied dolefully:
"I cannot…. I cannot!"
He was anxious to say something more to round out his thought, and added:
"I'm a Republican…."
This profession of faith he brought forward as an insurmountable barrier, striking himself at the same time on the breast, in order to prove the hardness of the obstacle.
Ulysses felt tempted to laugh, as he had always done, at Toni's political affirmations. But the situation was not one for joking, and he continued talking in the hope of convincing him.
He had always loved liberty and been on the side opposed to despotism!… England was the great tyrant of the sea; she had provoked the war in order to strengthen her jurisdiction and if she should achieve the victory, her haughtiness would have no limit. Poor Germany had done nothing more than defend herself…. Ferragut repeated all that he had heard in the doctor's home, winding up in a tone of reproach:
"And are you on the side of the English, Toni? You, a man of advanced ideas?…"