Boney began by listening, but
after a bit he dropped into his own thoughts and looked at the
crowd sideways through the front-room curtains. Talleyrand
called to him when I'd done.
'"Eh? What we need now," says Boney, "is peace for the next
three or four years."
'"Quite so," says Talleyrand. "Meantime I want the Consul's
order to the Prize Court at Le Havre to restore my friend here his
ship."
'"Nonsense!" says Boney. "Give away an oak-built brig of
two hundred and seven tons for sentiment? Certainly not! She
must be armed into my Navy with ten - no, fourteen twelve-
pounders and two long fours. Is she strong enough to bear a long
twelve forward?"
'Now I could ha' sworn he'd paid no heed to my talk, but that
wonderful head-piece of his seemingly skimmed off every word
of it that was useful to him.
'"Ah, General!" says Talleyrand. "You are a magician - a
magician without morals. But the brig is undoubtedly American,
and we don't want to offend them more than we have. "
'"Need anybody talk about the affair?" he says. He didn't look
at me, but I knew what was in his mind -just cold murder because
I worried him; and he'd order it as easy as ordering his carriage.
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