" O ho !** laughed the questioner,
** I forgot your present fortune j and,

VOL I. c



26 THE THREE BROTHERS.
indeed, myself a little^'* correcting his
risibility, and bowing low to the gen-
tlemen. But Claudio, whose Italian re-
serve shrunk from such freedom, de-
sired him in a commanding tone to lead
to the wherry ; and after some weak
excuses, backed with clowtiish invita-
tions to spend a moment in the hut, he
was obliged to obey. " I can do nothing
without my father," said he to the par*
ty who were all safe in the boat j then
calling loud on his name^ he added, *' by
St. Jeremy, one might fancy him asleep!
do go, Pierre, and see what is .become of
him.'* Pierre resented this familiar re-
quest by smartlyrecoramendingbimtobo
moreattentvieto his employers' urgency^
and less impertinent in their company.
The youth returned some blunt mysteri-
ous answer, which was followed by the
appearance of Jaques, with whose assist-
ance he quickly paddled to the opposite
shbre. " I ha*n*t this luck every day,*'
faid the old man, bowing his thanks for



THE THRM BROTHERS. ^7

the money Henri put into his hand:
^* these are hard times, monsieur ; what
with the heat of war and the siimm^r,
a poor boatman is scarce a degrae front,
famine.'*

" Of uTir and of summer!** exclaimed
the donor. " Prithee, friend, how be-
came these conjunctively adverse to thy
profit ?**

^* The first has left few people in this
vicinity for me to work for/* said
Jaques; "and these the second has ena-
bled to do without me.**

** Ha! how so ?'* continued the Che-
valier.
