Among his crew he had an English sailor who acted as carpenter, and, as
Leon often said, was worth two or three French sailors in a gale or an
emergency. He knew the Channel, too, as well as a pilot, and, indeed
often acted in that capacity; he was an honest, trustworthy man--at
least, so Leon thought; and as he rode over the hills to Carolles, he
decided to take this man into his confidence, and see if he could help
him; it was possible this Englishman knew of some of his own
countrywomen who would undertake the charge of the child.
Accordingly, when he reached his yacht, Leon called for John Smith, and
had a long conversation with him in English, which he spoke fairly well,
the result of which was the carpenter, after a little thought, declared
he knew of a shepherd and his wife in Sussex who, he felt sure, would
undertake the charge of the child; his only fear was that they might
have some scruples about keeping the matter a secret, and might want to
know who the child was; but if Leon would leave this to him to arrange,
he could, he thought, manage it so that the shepherd should have no idea
to whom the child belonged, nor why it was put into his care.
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