Monsieur Le Marchant smiled, and the two young men laughed out.

“Ma foi!” said the old man.  “You are frank, mon gars.”

“It is best so.  I wanted you to know, and I wanted Carette to know, though I think she has known it always.  I have never thought of any but Carette, and as soon as I am able I will ask her to marry me.”

“Whether I have other views for her or not?” said her father.

“No other could possibly love Carette as I do,”—­at which he smiled briefly and the others grinned.  “I have only one wish in life, and that is to care for her and make her happy.”

“That is for the future, so we need not talk about it now.  If you make a fortune at the privateering—­who knows?”

“And what can you tell me of Torode, monsieur?  Is he the best man to go out with?”

“He has been more successful than most, without doubt,” and the keen cold eyes rested musingly on me, while he seemed to be turning deep thoughts in his mind.  “Yes.  Why not try him?  And after your first voyage come across again, and we will talk it over.  Martin,”—­to the man who had given me good-morning with his musket,—­“you are too long away from your post.  Allez!”

“There was nothing in sight till Monsieur Carre came round the corner,” said Martin, and went off to his look-out.

“These preventive men, with their constant new regulations, are an annoyance,” said the old man quietly.  “Some of them will be getting hurt one of these days.  It is a pity the Government can’t leave honest traders alone.  They worry you also on Sercq, I suppose?”

“I hear of them.  But we have nothing to do with the trading at Belfontaine, so they don’t trouble us.”

“Ah no, I remember.  Well, come across again after your first voyage and tell us how you get on, Monsieur Carre.”

Helier sauntered back with me towards the landing-place.  Carette had disappeared.  I wondered if my plain speaking had offended her, but I was glad she had heard.

I pulled out of the little bay and ran up my lug and sped straight across to Herm.  Every rock was known to me, even though it showed only in a ring of widening circles or a flattening of the dancing waves into a straining coil, for we had been in the habit of fishing and vraicking here regularly until Torode took possession.  And many was the time I had hung over the side of the rocking boat and sought in the depths for the tops of the great rock-pillars which once held up the bridge that joined Brecqhou to Herm and Jethou.  But now the fishing and vraicking were stopped, for Torode liked visitors as little as did Jean Le Marchant.