Page:Memoirs of Vidocq, Volume 2.djvu/61

CHAPTER XIX.

Continuation of the same day—The Cotemporaine—An adjutant de place—The daughters of mother Thomas—The silver lion—Captain Paulet and his lieutenant—The pirates—The bombardment—Departure of Lord Lauderdale—The disguised actress—The executioner—Henry the Ninth and his ladies—I embark—Sea-fight—Paulet's second is killed—Capture of a brig of war—My Sosia—I change my name—Death of Dufailli—Twelfth-day—A frigate sunk—I wish to save two lovers—A tempest—The fishermen's wives.

Whilst giving us the scene of the recruiters, father Dufailli had drank at every sentence. He was of opinion that words flowed best when moistened. He might, to be sure, have used water; but he had a great horror of that, he said, ever since he fell into the sea, which was in 1789. Thus it happened, that, partly through drinking and partly through talking, he got drunk imperceptibly. At last he reached a point, at which he found it impossible to express himself, but with the utmost difficulty; his tongue became what we call thick. And then the forager and serjeant-major retired.

Dufailli and I remained alone: he was asleep and leant on the table, and begun to snore; whilst I coolly gave myself up to a train of reflexions. Three hours elapsed, and he had not finished his sleep. When he awoke, he was quite surprised to find any one near him; at first, he looked at me as through a thick fog, which did not allow him to distinguish my features, but insensibly the vapour disappeared, and he recognized me, which was all he could do. He stumbled as he arose; and ordering a basin of coffee, without milk, into which he emptied a salt-cellar, swallowed the liquid with small gulps; and having got rid of his short sword, he took my arm, dragging me towards the door. My aid was most needful to him; it was the vine twining about the elm. "You are going to