Faith! never until this hour have I truly enjoyed the prayers of any _padre_; I knew not what I missed.

Still there is limit even to such pleasure, and it is time now to conclude; I have heard better Latin in my day, while your provincial accent rasps painfully upon the ears." "You made your play quite well, Monsieur," I said shortly, somewhat mortified he should thus take the leadership out of my hands at the first symptom of danger.

"But there must be something besides play-acting for us to-night if we get free of this ship.

So come now; do you get into the box ?" He looked down at it doubtfully, with a shrug of the shoulders.
"_Pardieu_! I would ask certain questions first," he said with greater show of seriousness.

"For how long a time?
for what sort of a passage?
It will prove somewhat cramped, I take it, for a man of my length of limb." "I hope both may prove short," I returned, continuing to hold up the lid for him to enter.