A Winter Amid the Ice

clock on the 12th of May, 18 - to perform, according to h

n entered the sacristy, at once joyous and frightened. He was a sailor of some

said he, "stop a mo

y in the morning, Jean Co

y, to embrace you i

s at which you are g

ing. "Do you think you are going to say yo

?" asked the curé. "Explain yours

times today, monsieur the curé, for you have promised me that you will ble

then," said the

"Our brig was signalled from the look out at sunrise - our brig, wh

his chasuble and stole. "I remember our agreement. The vicar will take my p

y have to absolve him from the sins he may have committed between sky and water, in the Northern Ocean. I had a good idea, that the

arrange everyth

eur the curé.

e, which stood on the quay, whence could be seen

aused the brig "Jeune–Hardie" to be constructed at his own expense. Several successful voyages had been made in the North, and the ship always found a good sale for its cargoes of wood,

rcely twenty. She was a pretty Flemish girl, with some Dutch blood in her veins. Her mother, when she was dying, had confided her to her brother

on, from which Jean Cornbutte expected large profits. The "Jeune–Hardie," which had left three mo

the whole house alive. Marie, with rad

not arrive before we

tte, "for the wind is north, and she sai

s been told, unc

y ha

ry, and t

alone are keep

Clerbaut, an ol

as arrived at the very moment that the government has deci

ied Jean Cornbutte. "What

said Marie, "one thing only

ied Clerbaut. "But - in shor

Jean Cornbutte, interrupting the merchant,

rchase o

, Clerbaut. I have already informed everybody,

d await them on the

rnbutte. "We will defile, two by

whom they loved. Meanwhile Marie, kneeling down, changed her prayers to God into thanksgivings. She soon returned, lovely and decked out, to the co

ews of the ship's arrival had spread through the port, and many heads, in nightcaps, appeared at t

nd the sun seemed to take part in the festivity. A fresh north wind made the waves foam; and some fishing-sm

ted at its extremity, inhabited by the harbour-master. The wind freshened, and the "Jeune–Hardie" ran swiftly under her topsails, mizzen, brigantine, gallan

as if she had been rigged at Dunkirk! Not

r son, the capt

Why, he's at

run up his flag?

friend. He has a rea

arie, taking it from him. "I wa

my son, mad

answered the young girl, laughing, "and

upper sails had been reefed. The sailors who were among the rigging might be recognized. But ne

irst mate, André Vasl

Misonne, the carpe

an," said a third, sal

from the shore, when a black flag ascended to the

zed the party and the h

passed the end of the pier. Marie, Jean Cornbutte, and all their friends hurried to

nbutte, who could only

overed heads, pointed

anguish, and fell int

–Hardie," but Louis Cornbutte, Marie's be