"Merely to keep me company for a few months," said he. "You must
know that after my release in England I settled down there,
married an English wife, and rose to command a small English
merchant ship, in which I have made several voyages from
Southampton to the Guinea coast. They look on me there as an
Englishman.
You can understand, however, that with my feelings about the
Emperor I am lonely sometimes, and that it would be an advantage
to me to have a companion who would sympathize with my thoughts.
One gets very bored on these long voyages, and I would make it
worth your while to share my cabin."
He looked hard at me with his shrewd grey eyes all the time that
he was uttering this rigmarole, and I gave him a glance in return
which showed him that he was not dealing with a fool. He took
out a canvas bag full of money.
"There are a hundred pounds in gold in this bag," said he. "You
will be able to buy some comforts for your voyage. I should
recommend you to get them in Southampton, whence we will start in
ten days.
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