Monsieur will forgive me for recalling?"
"Yes; for I was there in my dreams, lad. I was fishing for those
yellow perch by the poplars, and you were baiting my hooks."
"Was I, Monsieur?" joyfully. "My mother used to tell me that it was a
sign of good luck to dream of fishing. Was the water clear?"
"As clear as Monsieur le Cure's emerald. Do you remember how he used
to twist it round and round when he visited the chateau? It was a fine
ring. The Duchesse d'Aiguillon gave it to him, so he used to tell us.
'Twas she who founded the Hotel Dieu at Quebec, where we are going."
"Yes; and in the month of May, which is but a few days off, we used to
ride into Cevennes to the mines of porphyry and marbles which . . .
which . . ." Breton stopped, embarrassed.
"Which I used to own," completed the Chevalier. "They were quarries,
lad, not mines. 'Golden days, that turn to silver, then to lead,'
writes Victor. Eh, well! Do you know how much longer we are to remain
upon this abominable sea? This must be something like the eighteenth
of April."
"The voyage has been unusually prosperous, Captain Bouchard says.
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