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Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

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: von<br />

1<br />

AN 7JV17/JA-.V/<br />

are accustomed to overcome hearts, and to sway <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>of</strong> JIKM1."<br />

Tli Capuchin bowed an acknowledgement <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se praises,<br />

i lied by <strong>the</strong> affection <strong>of</strong> all ranks <strong>of</strong> sail<strong>or</strong>s which he had<br />

!, and said, " I f<strong>or</strong>got, my l<strong>or</strong>d, to give you <strong>the</strong> messages<br />

<strong>the</strong>se po<strong>or</strong> sail<strong>or</strong>s intrusted me with. "<br />

" I am ready to receive <strong>the</strong>m, reverend fa<strong>the</strong>r."<br />

"<strong>The</strong> two sail<strong>or</strong>s to whom I administered <strong>the</strong> last sacraments<br />

told me to express, in <strong>the</strong> most lively terms, <strong>the</strong>ir gratitude to<br />

yonr royal highness."<br />

" I only did my duty."<br />

"<strong>The</strong>y owe you, my l<strong>or</strong>d, a sacred debt. <strong>The</strong>y will pray<br />

God to pay it f<strong>or</strong> <strong>the</strong>m."<br />

' Brave men ! Do<br />

you hear that ?" cried <strong>the</strong> '<br />

Duke, glancing<br />

at <strong>the</strong> captain on his left. " You would have deprived me <strong>of</strong><br />

a great satisfaction if I had not been <strong>the</strong>re to give <strong>the</strong> <strong>or</strong>der<br />

which you refused to give. "<br />

"<br />

Faith, my l<strong>or</strong>d," said <strong>the</strong><br />

"<br />

captain, I will frankly tell you<br />

that I did not dare to take upon myself <strong>the</strong> responsibility <strong>of</strong><br />

a fleet in full Bail f<strong>or</strong> one sail<strong>or</strong>."<br />

stopping<br />

< iF S LIFE.<br />

" If <strong>the</strong> signal had denoted that <strong>the</strong> spiritnn 1<br />

our reverend fa<strong>the</strong>r was required f<strong>or</strong> an <strong>of</strong>ficer,<br />

nss'stance <strong>of</strong><br />

what would<br />

you have done ?"<br />

" I should have considered <strong>the</strong> matt r m<strong>or</strong>e attentively "<br />

" Very well ; if <strong>the</strong> same signal had said it was f >r . u ad-<br />

miral, f<strong>or</strong> a duke, f<strong>or</strong> <strong>the</strong> Duke de Beauf<strong>or</strong>t, f<strong>or</strong> iustanc-t?"<br />

"<br />

Ah, <strong>the</strong>n, my l<strong>or</strong>d," said <strong>the</strong> captain, "I slum'.d not have<br />

hesitated a quarter <strong>of</strong> a second."<br />

"You would immediately have given <strong>the</strong> <strong>or</strong>der which <strong>the</strong><br />

Fa<strong>the</strong>r desired ?"<br />

" No doubt, my l<strong>or</strong>d."<br />

' And you would have done right, just <strong>the</strong> same as you have<br />

done wrong, in refusing to a simple sail<strong>or</strong> what you would<br />

have granted to mn f<strong>or</strong> ; remember, sir, bef<strong>or</strong>e God, who is<br />

master <strong>of</strong> us all, <strong>the</strong> soul <strong>of</strong> a po<strong>or</strong> sail<strong>or</strong> is as precious as thai<br />

<strong>of</strong> an admiral, were he a prince <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> blood." After saying<br />

<strong>the</strong>se w<strong>or</strong>ds with a firm voice, <strong>the</strong> Duke rose, took his neighb<strong>or</strong>'s<br />

arm, and followed by his <strong>of</strong>ficers, went ou deck.<br />

Sh<strong>or</strong>tly aft T this incident <strong>the</strong> Duke perished bravely under<br />

<strong>the</strong> walls <strong>of</strong> Candia.

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