"We, we! mon Dieu, ah!" said the Frenchman.
"Ah, shure there ye are again. What would I be doin' wid de 'hole o' yees? It's the nager I want. Don't ye know that South Carolina don't allow the likes o' him to be comin ashore and playing the divil wid her slaves," continued Dunn, stretching himself up on his lame leg.
The clerk stepped up at this moment. "It's 'imself'll be telling yes all about it, for yer like a parcel of geese makin' a fuss about a goslin." Mr. Dunn had got his Corkonian blood up; and although the matter was explained, he saw the means at hand, and fixed his feelings for a stiff compensation. The clerk, after explaining to the captain, turned to John Paul and addressed him. As soon as he was done, John commenced to pack up his dunnage and get money from the captain, as if he was bound on an Arctic Expedition. Dunn's eyes glistened as he saw the money passing into Paul's hand; but he was not to be troubled with the dunnage, and after hurrying him a few times, marched him off. He went through the regular system of grog-shop sponging; but his suavity and willingness to acquiesce in all Mr. Dunn's demands, saved him some rough usage. There was this difference between John Paul and Manuel, that the former, not understanding the English language, mistook Dunn's deception for friendship, and moved by that extreme French politeness and warmth of feeling, which he thought doing the gentleman par excellence; while the latter, with a quicker perception of right and wrong, and understanding our language, saw the motive and disdained its nefarious object. For when Paul arrived at the jail he was minus a five-dollar gold-piece, which his very amiable official companion took particular care of, lest something should befall it. Poor John Paul! He was as harmless as South Carolina's secession and chivalry-two of the most harmless things in the world, not excepting Congressional duelling.
As soon as he entered the jail and found that the jailer could speak French, he broke out in a perfect tornado of enthusiasm. "Je serai charm de lier connaissance avec un si amiable compagnon," said he, and continued in a strain so swift and unabated that it would have been impossible for an Englishman to have traced the inflections.