IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) h // C^. :/. t/i 1.0 Sri^ IM I.I 11.25 |3.2 us Hiotographic Sciences Lorporation U 11.6 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 145 JO (716) 872-4503 ,\ iV fiche 3 "COIM- "END"). ed at rge to be ilmed r, left to es as rate the Les images suivantas ont «t« reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition at da la nettet6 de l'exemplaire film6, et en conformit6 avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. Les axemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprim6e sont film-'is en commen^ant par le premier plat et en tem.inant soit par la dernidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, salon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont fllm6s en commen^ant par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — ► signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre film6s d des taux de r6duction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atra reproduit en un seul clich6, il est film6 d partir de I'angle supdrieur gauche, de gauche A drolte, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n6cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. 1 2 3 4 5 6 t "A' I. ^>. Whst, »' • -^K, V WI Thi *"'■ ' ^ss JN THE nimm of nuvm TUB Am-ENr,-nK,s op ., w,,n„NsTER BOY. J5Y Author iif Thu Vimn,r|. ., . ' tViliKl)t.utl,;"4c. s. :i n :4-m GLASGOW: BLACKIE & SON, Limzteo. TORONTO: WILLIAM BRIGGS 20 iq d .MlANy, UlUKo. 9 t„o»T St. Wto » r\ P^ ^^-f^S, w c^, u p s:«HSSp«i;ir^r-?i--n= P R E F A C^ E. Uy dear Lads, This time only a few words are needed, for tlie story speaks for itself. My object lias been rather t.j tell you a tale of interest than to impart historical knowledge, for the facts of the dreadful time when "the terror" reigned supreme in France are well known to all educated lads. I need only say that such his- torical allusions as are nccessai-y for the sequence of the story will be found correct, except that the Xoyades cat Nantes did not take place until a somewhat later period than is here assigned to them. Yoiu-s sincerely, G. A. HENTY. 1 CONTENTS. Chap. I. A Journey to Fr.wce, . ^"^^ • • • • • y II. A Mad Dog, . . 31 III. The Demon Wolf, ' 52 IV. The Clouds Gather, . 74 V^ The Outburst, • ... 92 VI. An Anxious Time, . 113 VII. The 2i) oe September 13/ VIII. Mauie Aruehtei) . ' 158 IX. Robespierre, . 180 X. Free, . . . . . 202 XI. Marie and Victor. . 232 XII. Nantes, . 258 XIII. In the Hands oe the Reds, 2/9 XIV. The Noyades. 304 XV. England, . . 327 I ILLUSTRATIONS. Tr ^. ''age Harry saves the Girls from the Mad Dog, Frontispiece. 44 The AIauihis ketl'uns to his Family gg The Wmx'K. oe the Marquis's Mansion, 114 Virrou i)E tliHoNs struck down by a friendly Blow,. . 153 KOBESl'IERUE SAVED FK(JM THE AsSASSINS, IQg ClTI/EN LeIUT TAKES MaRIE OUT OF PRISON, 229 The .I(huney to Nantes 264 Jeanne and Virginie rescued from the Massacre, , . 311 "«* IN THE BEIGN OF TERROR. CHAPTER L A JOURNEY TO FRANCE DON'T know what to say, my dear." "Why, surely, James, you are not thinklnff tor a moment of letting him rro ? " "Well, I don't know. Yes, I am cei'talnly thinki„(r of It, though I haven't at all made up my nnnd. n^ are advantages and disadvantages." "Oh, but it is such a long w^, and to live aruoriif hose French i>eople, who have been doing such dread ,1 Inngs. attacking the Bastille, and, as I have hoard\. ay, passmg a 1 sorts of revolutionary laws, and huldi,, J their kjng and queen almost as prisoners in Pari j" ^ V\ ell. they won't eat him, my dear. The French Ah. to be called, has ce.-tainly been passing laws limitL be power of the king and abolishing many of t ^^ rights and privileges of the nobility and clly Z you nmst remember that the condition of tto'v^! body of the French nation has been terrible. We hftv© 10 "HE JUST SCRAPES ALONG." long conquered our liberties, and. indeed, never even m the height of the feudal system were the mass of the Enghsh people more enslaved as have been the peasants of France. "We must not be surprised, therefore, if in their newly-recovered fieedom they push matters to an ex- cess at first; but all this will right itself, and no doubt a constitutional form of government, somewhat similar to our own. will be established. But all this is no re^son against Harry's going out there. You don't suppose that the French people are going to fly at the throats of the nobility. Why. even in the heat of the civil war here there was no instance of any personal wrong being done to the families of those engaged in the struggle, and in only two or three cases, after re- peated risings, were any even of the leaders executed 'i\o; Harry will be just as safe there as he would l|e here. As to the distance, it's nothing like so far as 1 he went to India, for example. I don't see any great chance of his setting the Thames on fire at home His school report is always the same-' Conduct fair- pro- gross in study moderate '-which means, as I take it that he just scrapes along. That's it, isn't it. Harry?" ' " Yes, father, I think so. You see every one cannot be at the top of the form." "That's a very true observation, my boy. It is clear that if there are twenty boys in a class, nineteen lathers have to be disappointed. Still, of course one would like to be the father who is not disappointed " "I stick to my work," the boy said; " but there are always fellows who seem to know just the right words I A WESTMINSTER BOY. 11 without taking any trouble about it. It comes to them, I suppose." "What do you say to this idea yourself, Harry?" " I don't know, sir," the boy said doubtfully. "And I don't know," his father agreed. "At any- rate we will sleep upon it. I am clear that the offer is not to be lightly rejected." Dr. Sandwith was a doctor in Chelsea Chelsea in the year 1790 was a very different place to Chelsea of the present day. It was a pretty suburban handet, and was indeed a very fashionable quarter. Here many of the nobility and personages connected with the court had their houses, and broad country fields and lanes separated it from the stir and din of London. Dr. Sandwith had a good practice, but he had also a large family. Harry was at Westminster, going back- wards and forwards across the fields to school. So far he had evinced no predilection for any special career. He was a sturdy, well-built lad of some sixteen years old. He was, as his father said, not likely to set the Thames on fire in any way. He was as undistin- guished in the various sports popular among boys in those days as he was in his lessons. He was as good as the average, but no better; had fought some tough fights with boys of his own age, and had shown en- durance rather than brilliancy. In the ordinary course of things he would probably m three or four years' time have chosen some profession; and, indeed, his father had already settled in his mind that as Harry was not likely to make any great figure in life in the way of intellectual capacity, the best 19 AN IMPORTANT LETTER thing would be to obtain for him a commission in his Majesty s service, as to which, with the doctors con- nection among people of influence, there would not be any difficulty. He luul, however, said nothing as yet to tne boy on the subject. The fact that Harry had three younger brothers and four sisters, and that Dr. Sandwith, who was obliged to keep up a good position, sometimes found It difficult to meet his various expenses, made him perhaps more inclined to view favourably the offer he had that morning received than would otherwise have been the case. Two years before he had attended professionally a young- French nobleman attached to the embassy. It was from him that the letter which had been the subject of conversation had been received. It ran as follows: — "Dear Doctor Sandwith.— Since my return from Pans I have frequently spoken to my brother, the Marquis of St. Caux, respecting the difierence of edu- cation between your English boys and our own. No- thing struck me more when I was in London than your great schools. Witli us the children of good families are almost always brought up at home. They 'earn to dance and to fence, but have no other exercise for their linibs. and they lack the air of manly indepen- dence which struck me in English boys. They are move gentu-I do not know the word in your languacre which expresses it-they carry themselves better they are not so rough; they are more polite. There are advantages in both systems, but for myself I like yours much the be.st. My brother is, to some extent, •"w 1.3 A COMPANION WANTED. a convert to my view Thpvo o..^ , , fathers and thp > ^''^""^^^ ^^'^ management of the is the^'itf in , '"' ^^''' """^ "*■ *''^<^ ^^-'^^^om which IS tne Gistinguishinc nninf nf +),« u i- i i study with thon, u„d„ tLir .Ltor! H n 'T'' ' f.o™ hi™. whi:7r„M\^™4T"T'zt,'T'r might also be usefu to him- bnt of n^n. n point which m, brother .esii-estl^L^XM ho;;iht::r'^"° i- '''^ "-^-^^ indepemL: ' thot^^^fc and action which distinguishes English boys Ha ymg arranged this much, I thought of you I Ivnow that you have several son^ Tf i ^ from fourtPPn f^ • 7 ^^'""^ ^^'"^^^ one of him to ta ) '' ^'^'''' "'^^^ ^°" ^•^"^d like nm to ta .e such a position for two or three years T looW r , "'^' ""^"^'^ y°" ^« "^« *I^e favour of ^ n^ 1 "^^^ -^^^^^^ or ir; :" that m^ brother authorises me to offer in hi" namo ^ audition fr. oil « ^'^ name, m ^ition to all expenses, two thousand francs a year ■J* n 14 DR. 8ANDW1TH DELIBERATES. to the young gentleiimn who will thus hcnofit his sons. I do not tliink that the political excitement which is ajxitatinL,' Paris noi-fl be taken into consider- ation. Now that f,'reat concessions have been made to the representatives of the nation, it is not at »i)l probable that there will he any recurrence of such popular tumults as that which brought about the capture of the Hastilo. Ihit in any case this need not weigh in the decision, as my brother resides for the greater part of the year in his cliuteau near Dijon in Burgundy, far removed from the troubles in the capital." The more Dr. Sand with thought over the matter the more he liked it. There were comparatively few Englishmen in those days who spoke the French lan- guage. It was, indeed, considered part of the education of a young man of good family to make what was called the grand tour of Europe under the charge of a tutor, after leaving the university. But these formed a very small proportion of society, and, indeed, the frequent wars which had, since the Stuarts lost the throne of England, occurred between the two countries had greatly interfered with contin j-.il Uav:il. Even now tht; .subjects of Franc^ and F." /"and we) e engaged in a desperate struggle ui xndic^, although there was peace between the courts of Versailles and St. James's. A knowledge of the French language then would be likely to be of great utility to Harry if he entered the army; his expenses at Westminster \/ould be saved, and the two hundred and forty pounds which r ■■ would acquire during his three years' stay in though 4 t -A "WHAT J)0 YOU THINK OF THrS?" 15 France wouM ho very u«uful to him on his first start in life. After breukiast next mornint,' Dr. Sanduith asked Harry to take a turn in the garden with him, for the holidays had just lu'gun. "Wliat do you think of this, Karry?" 'I have not thought much ahout it one way or the other, sir," Harry said, looking up with a smile 'It seemed to me hotter that y',u shoul.l do the thiukin.r for both of us." "I ndght perhaps he better able to judge whether It would be advantageous or otherwise for you t( accei.t the offer, but you must be the best judge as to whether you would bke to accept it or not." "I can't quite make up my mind as to that, sir. I hke school very much and I like beinrr at home I don't want to learn Frenchified ways, nor to eat fro^rs arid snads and all sorts of nastiness; still, it would be fun gomg to a place so diHerent to England, and hear- ing no English spoken, and learning all their rum ways and getting to jabber French." " It might be very useful to you in the army, Harry;" and th( II the doctor stopped suddenly. "Th<. army!" Harry exclaimed in a tone of as- tonished delight. " Oh, sir, do you really think of my going into the army? You never said a word about that before. I should like that immensely." "That slipped out, Harry, for I did not mean to say anything about it until you had left school; still if you go to Fiance I do not know why you should not keep tl.at before you. I don't think th^ avm- '•« a very good profession, but you do not seem to*' have .i# 16 "PLEASE, ACCEPT THE OFFER." any marked talent for anything else. You don't like the idea of medicine or the church, and you were almost heart-broken when I wanted you to accept the offer of your uncle John of a seat in his counting- house. It seems to me that the army would suit you better than anything else, and I have no doubt that I could get you a commission. Now, whenever we fight France is sure to be on the other side, and I thfnk that it would be of great advantage to you to have a thorough knowledge of French— a thing which very few officers in our army possess. If you accept this offer you will have the opportunity of attaining this, and at the same time of earning a nice little sxim, which would pay for your outfit and supply you with pocket-money for some time." "Yes, sir, it would be first rate!" Harry exclaimed excitedly. "Oh, please, accept the offer; 1 should like it of all things; and even if I do get ever so skinny on frogs and thin soup, I can get fat on roast beef again when I get back." "That is all nonsense, Harry, about frogs and starv- ing. The French style of cookery difiers from ours, but they eat just as much, and although they may not, as a rule, be as broad and heavy a.s Englishmen, that is simply a characteristic of race; the Latin peoples are of slighter build than the Teutonic. As to their food, you know that the Eomans, who were certainly judo-es of good living, considered the snail a great luxury, and I dare say ate frogs too. A gentleman who had made the grand tour told me that he had tasted them in Paris and found them very delicate eating. You may (881) I i I R." You don't like and you were u to accept the his counting- kvould suit you doubt that I never we figlit 3, and I think you to have a ig which very ou accept this attaining this, ice little sum, pply you with .ny exclaimed 1 should like r so skinny on 1st beef again )gs and starv- rs from ours, they may not, jlishmen, that in peoples are to their food, 'tainly judges t luxury, and 'ho had made sted them in g. You may (881) DiSCliaSING THE QUESTION, 17 not like the living quite at first, but you will soon get over that, and once accustomed to it you will like it quite as well as our solid joints. My principal objection to your going lies quite in another direction. Public o|,inion in Fiance is much disturbed. In the National Assembly, which is the same as our Parliament, there IS a great s})irit of resistance to the royal authority something like a revolution has already been accom^ plished, and the king is little more than a prisoner." I^But that would surely make no ditterence to me. sir!" " No, I don't see that it should, Harry. Still, it would cause your mother a good deal of anxiety." "I don't see it could make any difference," Harry repeated; "and you see, sir, when I go into the army and there is war, mother would be a great deal more anxious." " You mean, Harry," the doctor said with a smile, "that whether her anxiety begins a little sooner or later does not make much difference." "I don't think I quite meant that, sir," Harry said; "but yes," he added frankly, after a moment's thoucrht' "I suppose I did; but I really don't see that supposing there were any troubles in France it could possibly make any difference to me; even if there were a civil war, such as we had in England, they would not inter- fere with boys." " No, I don't see that it would make any difference, and the chance is so remote that it need not influence our decision. Of course if war broke out between the two countries the marquis would see that you were sent back safely. Well, then, Harry. I am to consider ( 381 ) ■"9 18 PREPARATIONS FOR A START. that your decision is in favour of your accepting this appointment." "If you please, sir. I am sure it will be a capital thing for me, and I have no doubt it will be great fun. Of course at first it will be strange to hear them all jabbering in French, but I suppose I shall soon pick it up." And so Mrs. Sandwith was informed by her hus- band that after talking it over with llar-ry ho had concluded that the proposed arrangement would /ciU} be an excellent one, and that it would bo a great pit) to let such an opportunity slip. The good lady was for a time tearful in her fore bodings that Harry would be starved, for in those days it was a matter of national opinion that oui neighbours across the Channel fed on the most meacrre of diet; but she was not in the habit of disputino her husband's will, and when the letter of acceptance had been sent off, she busied herself in preparino Harry's clothes for his long absence. "He ought to be measured for several suits, my dear," she said to her husband, "made bigger and bii-frei to allow for his growing." "Nonsense, my dear! You do not suppose that clothes cannot be purchased in France! Give him plenty of under-linen, but the fewer jackets and trousers he takes over the better; it will be iimch better for him to get clothes out there of the same fashion as other people; the boy will not want to be stared at wherever he goes. The best rule is always to dress like people round you. I shall give him money, and directly ttARRY SAYS GOOD-BYfi. Lccepcing this 1 be a capital ivill be great iiige to hear Jpose I shall by her bus- any ho had would rtall)' I a great pit) in her fore for in those ion that oui most meagre of disputing )f acceptance in preparing al suits, my 3r and bigirei luppose that ! (Jlive him jackets and much better iamo fashion be stared at to dress like and directly 19 he gets there he can get a suit or two made by the tador who makes for the lads he is going to be with. The English are no more loved in France than the French are here, and though Harry has no reason to be ashamed of his nationality there is no occasion ior hun to draw the attention of everyone he meets to It by going about in a dress which would seem to them peculiar." In due time a letter was received from Count Auguste de St. Caux, stating that the marquis had requested him to write and say that he was much gratified to hear that one of the doctor's own sons was commg over to be a companion and friend to his boys and that he was sending oft' in the course of two days a gentleman of his household to Calais to meet him and conduct him to Paris. On young Mr. Sandwith's arrival at Calais he was to go at once to the Hotel Lion d'Or and ask for M. du Tillet. During the intervening time Harry had been very busy, he had to say good-bye to all his friends, who looked, some with envy, some with pity, upon him for the idea of a three years' residence in France was a novel one to all. He was petted and made much of at home, especially by his sisters, who regarded him in the light of a hero about to undertake a strange and hazardous adventure. Three days after the arrival of the letter of the marquis Dr. Sandwith and Harry started by stage for Dover, and the doctor put his son on board the packet sailing for Calais. The evening before, he gave hira much good advice as to his behaviour. •» 20 GOOD AbVtca " You will see much that is new, and perhaps a good deal that you don't like, Harry, but it is better for you never to criticize or give a hostile opinion about things; you would not like it if a French boy came over here and made unpleasant remarks about English ways and manners. Take things as they come and do as others do; avoid all comparisons between French and English customs; fall in with the ways of those around you; and adopt as far as you can the polite and courteous manner which is general among the French, and in which, I must say, they are far ahead of us. If questioned, you will, of course, give your opinion frankly and modestly; it is the independence of thought among English boys which has attracted the attention and approval of Auguste de St. Caux. " Be natural and simple, giving yourself no airs, and permitting none on the part of the lads you are with; their father says you are to be treated as their equal. But, upon the other hand, do not be ever on the look- out for small slights, and bear with perfect good temper any little ridicule your, to them foreign, ways and manners may excite. I need not tell you to be always straightforward, honest, and true, for of those qualities I think you possess a fair share. Above all things restrain any tendency to use your fists; fighting comes naturally to English boys, but in France it is considered as brutal and degrading — a blow is a deadly insult, and would never be forgiven. " So, whatever the provocation, abstain from striking anyone. Should you find that in any way your position is made intolerable, you will of course appeal to the LANDING IN FRANCE. 21 I'haps a good s better for pinion about !h boy came Dout English 3oine and do I French and hose around polite and the French, ihead of us. our opinion e of thought he attention no airs, and )u are with; their equal. )n the look- ^ood temper , ways and be always )se qualities i all things s; fighting i'rance it is ' is a deadly om striking )ur position peal to the ■m marquis, and unless you obtain redress you will come home— you will find no difficulty in travelling when you once understand the language— but avoid anything like jjetty conipluints. I trust there will be no reason for complaints at all, and that you will find your position an exceedingly pleasant one as soon as you become accustomed to it; but should occasion arise bear my words in mind." Harry promised to follow his father's advice im- ])licitly, but in his own mind he wondered what fellows did when they quarrelled if they were not allowed to fight; however, he supposed that he should, under the circumstances, do the same as French boys, whatever that might be. As soon as the packet was once fairly beyond the harbour Harry's thoughts were efi'ectually diverted from all other matters by the motion of the sailing boat, and he was soon in a state of prostiation, in which he remained until, seven hours later, the packet entered Calais harbour. Dr. Sand with had requested the captain to allow one of his men to show Harry the way to the Lion dXJr. Harry had pulled himself together a little as the vessel entered the still water in the harbour, and was staring at the men in their blue blouses' and wooden shoes, at the women in their quaint and pic- turesque attire, when a sailor touched him on the shoulder: " No ,\r, young sir, the captain tells me I am to show you the way to your hotel. Which is your box?" Harry pointed out his trunk; the sailor threw it oo 22 THE LION D'oR. his shoulder, and Harry, with a feeling of bewilder- ment, followed him along the gangway to the shore Here he was accosted by an officer. " What does he say ?" he asked the sailor. "He asks for your passport." Harry fumbled in his breast pocket for the document wliich his father had obtained for him from the foreio-n office, duly viseed by the French ambassador, notifying that Heiuy Sand with, age sixteen, height five feet eight, hair brown, eyes gray, nose short, mouth large, was about to reside in France in the family of the Marcjuis de St. Caux. The officer glanced it over, and then returned it to Harry with a polite bow, which Harry in some confusion endeavoured to imitate. " What does the fellow want to bow and scrape like that tor?" he muttered to himself as he followed his guide. "An Englishman would just have nodded and said 'All right!' What can a fellow want more, I should ike to know ? Well I suppose I shall get accustomed to it, and shall take to bowing and scra[)ing as a matter of course." The Lion d'Or was close at hand. In reply to the sailor's question the landlord said that M. du Tillet was within. The sailor put down the trunk, pocketed the coin Harry gave him, and with a "Good luck young master!" went out, taking with him, as Harry felt, the last link to England. He turned and followed the landlord. The latter mounted a flight of stairs, knocked at a door, and opened it. " A young gentleman desires to see M. du Tillet " he said, and Harry entered. M. DU TILLET. 98 of bewilder- to the shore >r. he document I the foreion or, notifying ht five feet itli lavge,\va9 the Mcirqui.s r, and then .^hich Harry scrape like bllowed his nodded and )re, I should accustomed as a matter eply to the :. du Tillet i, pocketed 3rood luck, I, as Harry d followed ; of stairs, Tillet," he A tall, big man, whose proportions at once dlsftn- pointed Harry's preconceived notions as to the HinalU ness and leanness of Frenchmen, rose from the table at which he was writing. "Monsieur — Sandwith?" he said interrogatively; " I am glad to see you." Hai-ry did not understanu the latter portion of tlio remark, but he caught the sound of his name, " That's all right," he said nodding. " How do you do, M. du TilletV' The French gentleman bowed; Harry bowed; and then they looked at each other. There was nothing more to say. A smile stole over Harry's face, and broke into a fi-ank laugh. The Frenchman smiled, put his hand on Harry's shoulder, and said : "Brave gan/on!" and Harry felt they were friends, M. du Tillet's face bore an expression of easy good temper. He wore a M'ig with long curls; he had a soldier's bearing, and a scar on his left cheek; his com- plexion was dark and red, his eyebrows black and bushy. After a pause he said: "Are you hungry?" and then put imaginary food t© his mouth. "You mean will I en*^ anything?" Harry translated, " Yes, that I will if there's anything fit to eat. I begin to feel as hungry as a hunter, and no wonder, for I atu as hollow as a drum!" His nod was a sufficient answer. M. du Tillet took his hat, opened the door, and bowed for Harry to pri- cede him. Harr^ hesitated, but believing it would b© tb@ 24 "it's not so bad after all." polite way to do as he was told return^-d ih i went out. The Fr«r,«), returned the bow atid was placed before each oj L", " "^ '""■' »' '"■°"' sr;^ra:;^,---i-5-^:: a. yard long, placed on the table MduT,^;'^";'^ piece off and handed it to hin, He b!' '"^ '^ it into his broth a,.H f i , , ""''^ "^ P°^^'"n '^1' -s much n'Sr ;:' Sel"™ '' ^^'»^ ''• "-» U ail new and st™^: t hL"';;:.;t: r""T ^' '"»''»' ^tegavehi... u.e%h-.w,!:::i:t.,.t 1:^^17 '"; he was eatino- ^ "^^ ^^"a<^ i"eat worth the lot of it. 1 , 8°°'^ ''°"»' l-eef is the dishe «l no Cd ar: '-f '"' """'^^ ^'"^ °' ^I.ey were .nad^M /„ T i.troff '^'"^' "'-' wine which he tasted but sh ok t .."eStr l" """? I the bow and liand on his ther and took mion gave an 'ovvl of broth le thinness of -r witli a few ibles Hoatiny bread, nearly I Tillet cut a a portion of id it, that it to himself s no fear of n's example 'er of disheh ?ht nor his what meat "but what tlieir food T.st beef is y; some of new what him some it seemed me water, iched the du Tillet AT PARIS. 25 at once replied "Pain." which Harry repeated after Tlie ice thus broken, conversation began, and Harry ■soon learned the French for knife, fork, spoon, plate and various other articles, and felt that he was fairly on the way towards talking French. After the meal was over M. du Tillet rose and put on his hat. and •signed to Harry to accompany him. They strolled through he town, went down to the quays and looked at the hshmg-boats; Harry was feeling more at home now, and asked the French name for everything he .saw repeating the word over and over again to himself "Mtil he felt sur. that he should remember it, and then asking the name of some fresh object. The next morning they started in the post-wa^o-on for I an,s^ and arrived there after thirty-six hours' ravel. Harry was struck with the roads, which were ar bet er tended and kept than those in England llie extreme flatness of the country surprised him and. except in the quaintness of the villages and the anoty of he church towers, he saw little to admire r the niost part, back from the street, with high walls and heavy gates. " so DEOtMNINr, TO nXL AT H0M£ before a lar^e an. n.ossive gateway, su.mounted by a oat of an„,s w,th ..„p,,„rt„„ carved in .tone work He rang at the beli, wbieh was opened by a porrer in Passing tlnougl, the doorway, JIa.vy f„„'., y,ij,lff„ a.spae,ous hall, decorated with ar.n.mr a,-,] „r„„ a" shorr "'Vl""''°''' "■ ''" '''■"'' '»'= '- hand and shook t heart.ly, .saymg, •■ Welcome!" Ha.ry under- ^^^ood^^the a,ct,o„. though not the words, and'nold, jolly iy™ a':'"" ""' "" '"'"""'^ '' *»y - "" - Then they both laughed, ,, ,| Harry looked round wonder.ng what was conn'ng next. "The narquis and his family are all away at their hand. We shall slay a day or two to rest ourselves after our journey, and then start to join then,." He led Harry into a great salon magnificently fur- n bed. pcntcd to the ehaii-s and looki°,g-glas.,es and pect of meeting so many strange faces ^ A meal was speedily served in a small and comfort- ab ly-furmshed apartment; and Harry concluded that ot his food It was really nice, and that there wa^ no fear whatever of his falling away in flesh. M dT 4 i as he halted nounted by a stone work. •y a porter in • M. du Tillet. t'l himself in I'l arms. As •lis hand and fairy under- and nodded, jy are all as oked round 'ay at their waving his it ourselves jm." icently fur- jlasses and coverings; imily were getting on I the pros- l comfort- uded that ;he nature there was h. M. dg HAIIRY ATTRACTS ArrKNTI(»N. 27 Tillet pressed him to try the wine again, and this he tound to be a vast improvement upon the vinta-e he had tasted at Calais. ° After breakfast next morning they started for o walk, and ilany was deljohted with the Louvre the lu.ler.es. the Palais Koyal, and other public buildimrs which he could not but acknowledge were vastly supe- rior to anything he had seen ih London. Then he was taken to a tailors, the marquis having connnissioned lus guide to carry out Dr. Sandwiths request in this matter. M. du Tillet looke.l interrogatively at Harry as he entered the shop, as if to ask if he understood why he was taken there. _ Harry nodded, for indeed he was glad to see that no tnne was to be lost, for he was already conscious that his dress dillered considerably from that of French boys. Several street gamins had pointed at him and niade jeering remarks, which, without understandincr the words. Harry felt to be insulting, and would, had he heard them in the purlieus of Westminster, have considered as a challenge to battle. He had not how- ever, suffered altogether unavenged, for upon one occa- sion M. du Tillet turned sharply round and cau-dit one offender so smartly with his cane that he ran howl- ing away. "They are awful guys!" Harry thought as he looked at the I rench boys he met. « But it's better to be a guy than to be chaff^ed by every boy one meets, espe- cially if one IS not to be allowed to fight." It was therefore, with a feeling of satisfaction i\m.i h. turned Uito the tailor's shop. The proprietor came up bowing. 28 A FUKSir OUTKrT. as Harry tIlou^^]lt, m a most crin^Mng sort of way to his companion. M du Tillet -ave some orders, and the tailor uni'ollo.l a variety of pieces of cloth and otlier niuteiials for llairy's inspection. Tlie lad sliooiv his liead and turned to his guide and, pointin^r to the goods, asked hin, to chooiTe the! tlnngs which were most suitahio for liini; M. du Tillet understood the appeal and ordered four .suits. Two of these were for ordinary wear; another was Harry concluded, for the eveiung; and the fourth foi' cei'einonial occasions. The coats were cut long, but very oDen in front, and were far too scanty to button; the waistcoats were long and embroidered; a white and ample handker- chief went round tlie throat and was tied loosely, with long ends edged with lace falling in front; knee- breeclies, with white stockings, and shoes with buckles, completed the costume Harry looked on witli a smile of amusement, and burst into a hearty laugh wlien the garments were fixed upon, for the idea of himself dressed out in these seemed to him ludicrous in the extreme. "How they wo(dd laugh at home," he thought to himself, "if they could see me in these thingsT The girls would give me no peace. And svouldn't'^there be an uproar if J were t(j turn up in them in JJeana Yard and march up .school!" Harry was then measured. When tiiis was done he took out his purse, which contained fifty guineas, for his father hod thought it probable that the clothes he would reiiuire would cost more than they would in '% I THE JOURNEY FKoM I'AUIS. 29 k of way to onions, and cloth and his guide, chooso tho ni; M. dn four suits, lother was, fourth i'oi' front, ami coats were i handker- !d loosely, out; knee- ;h buckles, nient, and ents were it in these houglit to ngs! The t til ere be 'tin's Yard ■s done lie ineas, for clothes he would in London, and he wished him to have a good store of poeket-nion.'y until he reeeived the first instalment of his pay. M. du Tillet, however, shook his head an.l motioned to him to put up his purse; and Harry sup- posed that it was not customary to pay for things in France until they were delivered. Then his companion took him into another shop, and pointing to his own ruffles intimated that Harry would recpiire some linen of this kind to be worn when in full dress. Harry signified that his friend should order what was necessary; and half a dozen sltirts, with deep ruffles at the wrist and breast, were ordered. This brought their shopping to an end. They remained three days in Paris, at tho end of which time Harry's clothes were delivered. Tho fol- lo\ying morning a carriage with the arms of the mar- quis emblazoned upon it came up to the door, and they started. The horses were fat and lazy; and Harry, ^vho had no idea how far they were going, thought that the journey was likely to be a long one if this was the imce at which they were to tra ol. Twelve miles out they changed horses at a post- station, their own returning to Paris, and after this had relays at each station, and travelle boys; they revcnt them- roc(![)tion of istuntly coin- t said sharply; arry, who, as [ stock of hia THE MESDEMOISELLES DE ST. CAUX. 33 "Good looking," he said to himself, "but more like girls than boys. A year in the fifth form would do them a world of good. I could polish the two off together with one hand." "My daughters," the marquis said, " Mesdemoiselles Marie, Jeanne, and Virginia" Three young ladies had risen from their seats as their father entered, each made a deep curtsy as her name was mentioned, and Harry bowed deeply in return. Mademoiselle Marie was two years at least older than himself, and was already a young lady of fashion. Jeanne struck him as being about Uie same age as his sister Fanny, who was between fourteen and fifteen. Virginie was a child of ten. Ernest was about his own age, while Jules came between the two younger girls. "Take M. Sandwith to the abbe," the marquis said to Ernest, "and do all in your power to set him at his ease. Remember what you would feel if you were placed, as he is, among strange people in a strange country." The lad motioned to Harry to accompany him, and the three boys left the room together. "You can go to your gouvernante," the marquise ' said to the two younger girls; and with a profound curtsy to her and another to the marquis, they left the room. Unrestrained now by their presence, the marquise turned to her husband with a merry laugh. •' But it is a bear you have brought home, Edouard a veritable bear—my fingers aclvj still—and he is to teach manners to my sons! I always protested against c 34 CONFLICTING OPINIONS. the plan, but I did not think it would be as bad as this. These islanders are savages." The marquis smiled. " He is a little gauche, but that will soon rub off. I like him, Julie. Remember it was a difficult position for a boy. We did not have him here to give polish to our sons. It may be that they have even a little too much of thio at present. The English are not polished, everyone knows that, but they are manly and indepen- dent. That boy bore himself well. He probably had never been in a room like this in his life, he was ignorant of our language, alone among strangers, but he was calm and self-possessed. I like the honest straightforward look in his face. And look at the width of the shoulders and the strength of his arms; why, he would break Ernest across his knee, and the two boys must be about the same age." " Oh, he has brute strength, I grant," the mar<]uise said; "so have the sons of our peasants; however, I do not wanu to lind fault with him, it is your hobby, or rather that of Auguste, who is, I think, mad about these English; I will say nothing to prevent its having a fair trial, only I hope it will not be necessary for me to give him my hand again." " I do not suppose it will until he leaves, Julie, and by that time, no doubt, he will know what to do with it; but here is M. du Tillet waiting all this time for you to speak to him." " Pardon me, my good M. du Tillet," the marquise said. "In truth that squeeze of my hand has driven all other matters from my mind. How have you fai-ed? I be as bad as oon rub off, I fHcult position > give polish to 'en a little too e not polished, Y and indepen- i probably had 3 life, he was strangers, but ke the honest i look at the li of his arms; knee, and the ' the marquise however, I do ! your hobby, ik, mad about ent its having jossary for nie ^'es, Julie, and lat to do with this time for the marquise has driven ail e you fared? M. hV TILLET'S IMPRESSION& 36 This long journey with this English bear must have been very tedious for you." " Indeed, Madame la Marquise," M. du Tillet replied "It has been no hardship, the boy has amused me -reatly- nay. more, he has pleased me. We have been able to say little to each other, though, indeed, he is quick and eager to learn, and will soon speak our language; but his face has been a study. When he is pleased you can see that he is pleased, and that is a pleasure, for few people are pleased in our dajs. Again, when he does not like a thing you can also see it. I can see that he says to himself, I can expect nothing better, these poor people are only French. When the gamins in i^aris jeered him as to his dress, he closed his hands and would have flown at them with his fists after the manner of his countrymen had he not put stron- re- straint on himself. From the look of his honest eyes 1 shall, when he can speak our language, believe im- plicitly what he says. That boy would not tell a lie whatever were the consequences. Altogether I like him much. I think that in a very little while he will adapt himself to what goes on around him, and that you will have no reason ere long to complain of his gaucheries " "And you really think, M. du Tillet, that he will be a useful companion for my boys?" thilww r'" .r^°" '"' for '.saying so, madam, I think that he will-at anyrate I am sure he can be trusted to teach them no wrong." "You are all against me,"°the marquise lau^rhed "And you, Marie?" «"o"eu. "I did not think of him one way or the other," the 36 THE MARQUIS SEES DANGER AHEAD. girl said coldly. "He is very awkward; but as he is not to be my companion that does not concern me. It is like one of papa's dogs, one more or less n)akea no difference in the house so long as they do not tread upon one's skirt." " That is tlie true si)irit of the French nobility, Marie," her father said sarcastically. "Outside our own circle the whole human race is nothing to us; they are animals who supply our wants, voila tout. I tell you, my dear, that the time is coming when this will not suffice. The nation is stirring; that France which we have so long ignored is lifting its head and muttering; the news from Paris is more and more grave. The Assembly has assumed the supreme authority, and the king is a puppet in its power. The air is dark as with a thunder-cloud, and there may be such a storm sweep over France as tiiere has not been since the days of the Jacquerie." "But the people should be contented," M. du Tillet said; "they have had all the privileges they ever possessed given back to them." "Yes," the marquis assented, "and there lies the danger. It is one thing or the other. If as soon as the temper of the third estate had been seen the kind's guards had entered and cleared the place and closed the door, as Cromwell did when the parliament was troublesome to him in England, that would have been one way. Paris would have been troublesome, we might have had again the days of the Fronde, but in the end the king's party would have woa " However, that was not the way tried. They began iij 3 EAD. 1(1; but as he ot concern me. or less niakea y do not tread ench nobility, atside our own bo us; they are at. I tell you, I this will not anc3 which we md muttering; e grave. The lority, and the air is dark as e such a storm jeen since the ," M. du Tillet ^es they ever there lies the ' as soon as the ;en the king's ce and closed arliament was II Id have been 3me, we might jut in the end , They began ;i "and so things drift on." 87 by concessions, they go on with concessions, and each concession is made the ground for more. It is like hIUU mg down a hill; when you liave once begun you cannot stop yourself, and you go on until there is a cmnU; then it may be you pick yourself up sorely womuhui and bruised, and begin to reclimb the hill slowly mui painfully; it may be that you are dashed to pieces, I am not a politician. I do not care much for the lif« of Paris, and am well content to live quietly hero cm our estates; but even I can see that a storm is gaihav- mg; and as for my brother Auguste. he goes about shaking his head and wringing his hands, his antJcN pations are of the darkest. What can one expect when fellows like Voltaire and Rousseau were permitted by their poisonous preaching to corrupt and inflame thy nimgination of the people? Both those men's hmiU should have been cut off the instant they began ty wri'e. "The scribblers are at the root of all the trouble with their pestilent doctrines; but it is too late now the mischief is done. If we had a king strong and defcer- mined all might yet be well; but Louis is weak in decision, he listens one moment to Mirabeau and the next to the qu-en, who is more firm and couiageouw And so things drift on from bad to worse, and fclie Assembly, backed by the turbulent scum of Paris are masters of the situation." For some time Harry lived a quiet life at the chateau He found his position a very pleasant -one, Ihe orders of the marquis that he should be treated as one of the family were obeyed, and there wm ao d8 ERNEST DB ST. CAtJX distinction made between himself and Ernest In the morning the two boys and himself worked with the abb^, a quiet and gentle old man, in the afternoon they rode and fenced, under the instructions of M. du Tillet or one or other of the gentlemen of the marquis's establishment; and on holidays shot or fished as they chose on the preserves or streams of the estate. For an hour each morning the two younger girls shared in their studies, learning Latin and history with their brothers. Harry got on very well with Ernest, but there was no real cordiality between them. The hau- teur and insolence with which the young count treated his inferiors were a constant source of exasperation to Harry. '' He thinks himself a little god," he would often mutter to himself. " I would give a good deal to have him for three months at Westminster. Wouldn't he get his conceit and nonsense knocked out of him!" At the same time he was always scrupulously polite and courteous to his English companion — much too polite, indeed, to please Harry. He had good qualities too: he was generous with his money, and if during their rides a woman came up with a tale of distress he was always ready to assist her. He was clever, and Harry, to his surprise, found that his knowledge of Latin was far beyond his own, and that Ernest could construe passages with the greatest ease which alto- gether puzzled him. He was a splendid rider, and could keep his seat with ease and grace on the moat fiery animals in his father's stables. When they went out with their guns Harry felt his A day's WOHK. dd !st In the id with the } afternoon 18 of M. du le niarquiHS ed as they state. For ;irl3 shared with their Ernest, but The hau- ant treated peration to 'ould often eal to have '^ouldn't he f him!" msly polite -much too )d qualities 1 if during of distress tvas clever, iowled(,'e of mest could vhich alto- rider, and 1 the most rry felt his inferiority keenly Not only was Ernest an excellent shot, but at the end of a long day's sport he would ronie in apparently fresh and untired, while Harry, although bodily far the most powerful, would be com- pletely done up; and at gymnastic exercises he could do with ease feats which Uai-ry could at tirst not even attempt. In this respect, however, the English lad in three months' time was able to rival him. His disgust at finding himself so easily beaten by a French boy nerved him to the greatest exertions, and his muscles, pi'actised in all sorts of games, soon adapted themselves to the new exercises. Harry picked up French very rapitlly The absolute necessity there was to express himself in that lancua-^'-e caused him to make a progress which surprised him- self, and at the end of three months he was able to converse with little difficulty, and having learned it entirely by ear he spoke with a fair accent and pro- mmciation. M. du Tillet, who was the principal in- structor of the boys in their outdoor exercises, took much pains to assist him in his French, and helped him on in every way in his power. In the evening there were dancing lessons, and although very far from exhibiting the stately grace with which Ernest could perform the minuet or other courtly dances then in fashion, Harry came in time to perform his part fairly. Two hours were spent in the evening in the salon. This part of his day Harry at first found the most tedious; but as soon as he began to speak fluently the marquis addressed most of his conversation to him, asking him questions about the life til i 40 NATIONAL CUSTOMS. of English boys at school and about English manners and custo.us. and Harry soon found himself chuttinu at his t'ii ". ° "The di linction of classes is clearly very linich less with you in Enolaud than it is liere," the marquis said one day when Harry had been describing a great fioht which had taken place b-tween a party of Westminster boys and those of the neighbourhood, "It seems ex- traordinary to me that sons of gentlemen should en- gage in a personal light with boys of the lowest class fc5uch a thmg could not happen here. If you were msulted by sucli a boy, what would vou do, Ernest?" '; I should run him through fhe body." Ernest said quietly. "Just so," his father replied, "and I don't say you would be wrong according to our notions; but I do not say that the English plan is not the best The English gentlen.an-for Monsieur Sandwith says that even among grown-up people the san.e habits prevail -does not disdain to show the canaille that even with their own rough weapons he is their superior, and ha thus holds their respect. It is a course way and alto- gether at variance with our notions, but there is much to be said for it." "But it altogether does away with the reverence that the lower class should feel for the upper," Ernest objected. "That is true, Ernest. So long as tliat feelincr generally exists, so long as there is, as it were, a wide chasm between the two classes, as there has always existed in France, it would be unwise perhaps for one WISE REFLECTIONS. 41 sh manners ilf chatting I much less uirquis said grt'at figlit 'estminster '> seems ex- should en- )we,st class, you were J, Ernest?" 'rnest said 'fc say you hut I do best. The I sa}'& that ts prevail even with )r, and ha and alto- e is much reverence r," Ernest t feelinor O ■e, a wide s always >s for one of the upper to admit that in any respect there could be any equality between them; but this is not so in England, where a certain equality has always been allowed to exist. The Englishman of all ranks has a certain feehng; of self-respect ami inrlependence, and the result is shown in the history of the wars which have been fought between the two nations. "France in early days always relied upon her chiv- alry. The horde of footmen she placed in the field counted for little. England, upon the other hand, rehed principally upon her archers and her pikemen, ana it must be admitted that they beat us handsomely.' Then again in the wars in Flanders, under the En the hound sprang at him with a short snarling howl. Harry threw his coat over its head and then grasped it round the neck. The impetus of the .spring knocked him over, and tliey rolled together on the ground. The animal ■struggled furiously, but Harry retained his gra.«n round Its neck. In vain the hound tried to free itself from Its blinding encumbrance, or to hite hi.s .as-sailant through it, and struggled to shake off his hold withUs 44 THE END Of THE STRUGGLE. legs and claws. Harry maintained his grasp tightly round its neck, with his head pressed closely against one of its ears. Several times they rolled over and over. At last Harry made a great effort when he was uppermost, and managed to get his knees upon the animal's belly, and then, digging his toes in the ground, pressed with all his weight upoi. it. There, was a sound as of cracking of bones, then the dog's struggles suddenly ceased, and his head fell over, and Harry rose to his feet by the side of the dead hound just as a number of men, with pitch-forks and other weapons, ran up to the spot from the stables, while the marquis, sword in hand, arrived from tho house. The gouvernante, too, paralysed by fear, had stood close by with her charges while the struggle was going on. Ernest had come up, and was standing in fronl of his sisters, ready to be the next victim if the dog had overpowered Harry. Less accustomed to running than the English boy, and for a moment rooted to the ground with horror at his sisters' danger, he had not arrived at the spot until the struggle between Harry and the dog was half over, and had then seen no way of rendering assistance; but believing that the dog was sure to be the conqueror, he had placed himself before his sisters to bear the brunt of the next assault. Seeing at a glance that his daughters were untouched the marquis ran on to Harry, who was standing pant- ing and breathless, and threw his arms round him. " My brave boy," he exclaimed, "you have saved my daughters from a dreadful death by your courage and •l OWN I HAVE BEEN WRONO." 46 :rasp tightly isely against ed over and vhen he was es upon the I the ground, les, then the ad fell over, of the dead h-forks and the stables, id from tho r, had stood 6 was going ng in front if the doff to running )oted to tho he had not t^een Harry een no way ;he dog was iself before ault. untouched ding pant- id him. 5 saved my jurage and devotion. How can I and their mother ever thank you? I saw it all from the terrace-the speed with which you sprang to their assistance -the quickness of thought with wliich you stripped off your coat and th -ew it o. • its head. After that I could see nothing except your rolling over and over in a confused mass. \ou are not hurt, I trust?" " Not a bit, sir," Harry said. "And you have killed it— wond ?ul!" "There was nothing in that, sir. I have heard my fatlier, who is a doctor, say that a man could kill the biggest dog if he could get it down on its back and kneel on it. So when I once managed to get my knees on it I felt it was all right." "Ah, it is all very well for you to speak as if it were nothing!" the marquis said. "There are few men indeed, who would throw themselves in the way of a mad dog, especially of such a formidable brute as that. \ ou too have behaved with courage, my son, and I saw you were ready to give your life for your sisters; but you had not the quickness and readiness of your friend and would have been too Ipte." " It is true, father," Ernest said in a tone of humility "I should have been too late, and, moreover, I should have been useless, for he would have torn me down in a moment, and then fallen upon my sisters. " M. Sandwith," he said frankly, "I own I have been wrong. I have tliouglit the games of which you spoke and your fighting, rough and barbarous; but I see their use now You have put me to «l,ame. When I saw that dog f ;]t powerless, for I liad not my sword with 46 A BRAVE GIRL me; but you— you rushed to the fight without a moment's hesitation, trusting in your strength and your head. Yes, your customs have made a man of you, while I am a boy still." "You are very good to say so," Harry said; "but I am quite sure that you would be just as quick and ready as me in most circumstances, and if it had been a matter of swords, very much more useful; but 1 am glad you see there is some advantage in our rough English ways." The marquis had put his hand approvingly upon Ernest's shoulder when he addressed Harry, and then turned to his daughters. The governess had sunk fainting to tlie ground when she saw that the danger was over. Virginie had thrown herself down and was crying loudly; wliile Jeanne stood pale, but quiet, beside them. The n)arquis directed one of the men to run up to the chateau and bid a female servant bring down water and smelling-salts for the governess, and then lifted Virginie up and tried to soothe her, while he stretched out his other hand to Jeanne. "You are shaken, my Jeanne," he sai.l tenderly, "but you hav^ borne the trial well. 1 did not hear you' cry out, though madame, and the little one screamed loudly enough." " I was frightened enough, father," she said simply, "but of course I wasn't going to cry out; but it was very terrible; and oh, how noble and brave he was! And you know, papa, I feel ashamed to think how often I have been nearly laughing because he was A PLEASANT CHANGE. 47 without a [•ength and e a man of aid; "but I quick and t had been ; but 1 am our rough ngly upon , and then liad sunk the danger n and was but quiet, run up to awn water lien lifted stretched tenderly, hear you screamed d simply, ut it was ) he was! link how 3 he was I feel so little now beside i\f:' awkward in the minuet, him." "You see, my dear, one must not judge too much by externals," her father said soothingly as she hid her face against his coat, and he could feel that she was trembling from head to foot. "Older peopl- than you often do so, and are sorry for it afterwards; but as I am sure that you would never allow him to see that you were amused no harm has been done. "SliuU I thank him, papa?" ■ Yea, presently, my dear; he has just gone off with r; jst to see them bury the dog." This incident caused a considerable change in Harry's position in the family. Previously he hlid been ac- cepted in consequence of the orders of the marquis. Although compelled to treat him as an equal the two boys had in their hearts looked upon him as an inferior, while the girls had regarded him as a sort of tutor of their brothers, and thus as a creature altogether in- different to them. But henceforth he appe*ared in a different light. Ernest acted up to the spirit of the words he had spoken at the time, and henceforth treated him as a comrade to be respected m well as liked. He tried to learn some of the English games, but as most of these required more than two players he was forced to abandon them. He even asked him to teach him to box, but Harry had the good sense to make excuses for not doing so. He felt that Ernest was by no means his match in strength, and that, with all his good-will, he would find it difficult to put up good-naturedly with being knocked about. He ?i^', !i*ii^' 48 GOOD FELLOWSHIP. therefore said that it could not be done without boxing- gloves, and these it would be impossible to obtain in France; and that in the next place he should hardly advise him to learn even if he procured the gloves, for that in such contests severe bruises often were given. " We think nothing of a black eye," he said laugh- ing, "but I am sure niadame your mother would not be pleased to see you so marked; besides, your people would not understand your motive in undertaking so rough an exercise, and you might lose somewhat of their respect. Be content. Count Ernest; you are an excellent swordsman, and although I am improving under M. du Tillet's tuition I shall never be your match. If you like, sometime when we are out and away from observation we can take oft" our coats, and I can give you a lesson in wrestling; it is a splendid exercise, and it has not the disadvantages of boxing." Little Jules looked up to Harry as a hero, and hence- forth, when they were together, gave him the same sort of implicit obedience he paid to his elder brother. The ceremonious habits of the age prevented anything like familiarity on the part of the younger girls; but Jeanne and Virginie now always greeted him with a smile when they met, and joined in conversation with him as with their brothers in the evening. The marquise, who had formerly protested, if play- fully, against her husband's whim in introducing an English boy into their family circle, now regarded him with real afiection, only refraining from constant allusions to the debt she considered she owed him because she saw that he really shrank from the subject. THE SITUATION OF AFFAIRS, 49 ut boxing- i obtain in lid hardly gloves, for ire given, aid laugli- would not Dur people rtaking so iiewhat of '^ou are an improving r be your fe out and coats, and a splendid [ boxing." and hence- L the same er brother, i anything [• girls; but him with a nation with id, if play- Dducing an V regarded m constant owed bim the subject. » The marquis shortly after this incident went to Paris for a fortnight to ascertain from his friends there the exact position of things. He returned depressed and angry. The violence of the Assembly had increased from day to day. The property of all the convents had been confiscated, and this measure had been followed by the seizure of the vast estates of the church All the privileges of the nobility had been declared at an end, and m August a decree had been passed abolish- mg all titles of nobility. This decree had taken effect m Pans and in the great towns, and also in some parts ot the country where the passions of the people were most aroused against the nobility; but in Buroundy It had remained a dead letter. The Marquis de St. Caux was popular upon his estates, and no one had ever neglected to concede to him and to the marquise their titles. He himself had regarded the decree with dis- dain. "They may take away my estates by force." he said, "but no law can deprive me of my title, any more than oi the name which I inherited from my fathers. Such laws as these are mere outbursts of folly." But the Assembly continued to pass laws of the most sweeping description, assuming the sovereion power, and using it as no monarch of France had ev°er ventured to do. ]\Ioderate men were shocked at the headlong course of events, and numbers of those who at the commencement of the movement had thrown themselves heart and soul into it now shrank back in dismay at the strange tyranny which wa-s called liberty. "It seems to me that a general madness has seized (38!) ^ 50 'THERE IS NOTHING TO BE DONE. I I I 3 all Paris," the marquis said to his wife on his return "but at present nothiiiy can be done to arrest it. I have seen the king and (jucen. His majesty is re- solved to do nothinL,'; that is, to let events take their course, and what that will be Heaven only knows. Thn Assembly has taken all power into its hands, the king is already a mere cipher, the violence of the leaders of these men is beyond all bounds; the queen is by turns hot and cold, at one moment she agrees with her husband that the uidy hope lies in conceding everything; at another she woidd go to the army, place herself in its hands, and call on it to march upon Paris. "At anyrate there is nothing to be done at present but to wait. Already numbers of the deputies, terrified at the a.spect of ail'airs, have left France, and I am sorry to say many of the nobles have also gone. This is cowardice and treachery to the king. We cannot help him if he will not be helped, but it is our duty to remain here ready to rally round him when he calls us to his side. I am glad that the Assembly has passed a law confiscating the estates of all who have emigrated." Although the marquise was much alarmed at the news brought by her husband she did not think of questioning his decision. It did not seem to her possible that there could be danger for her and hers in their quiet country chateau. There might be disturbance and bloodshed, and even revolution, in Paris; but surely a mere echo of this would reach them so far away. "Whenever you think it is right to gu up and take WINTER AMUSEMENTS. gi your place by tlie king I will go and take mine by tho queen she said quietly. "The children will hj mi'i, here; but of cour.se we niu.st do our duty " The winter pa,ssed quietly at the chateau; theru wm none of the usual gaiety, for a deep gloo.n hung ovm' all the noble fanulies of the province; still afc fci,„<« great hunting parties were got up for the chase of t lo vvolves anmng the forests, for, when the snow mm on the ground, these often came down into the vilku«« and committed great depredations. -^ u CHAPTER IIL THE DEMON WOLF. PON the first of these occasions Harry and Ernest were in high spirits, for they were to take part in the chase. It was the first time that Ernest had done so, for during the previous winter the marquis had been in attendance on the court. At an early hour the guests invited to take part in the chase began to assemble at the chateau. Many who lived at a distance had come overnight, and the great court-yard presented a lively aspect with the horses and attendants of the guests. A collation was spread in the great hall, and the marquise and her eldest daughter moved about among the guests saying a few words of \velcome to each. "Who is that young mat. who is talking to made- moiselle your sister, Ernest?" Harry asked, for since the adventure with the mad dog the ceremonious title had been dropped, and the boys addressed each other by their Christian names. " That is Monsieur Lebat; he is the son of the Mayor of Dijon. I have not seen him here before, but I sup- pose my father thinks it is well in these times to do MONSIEUR LEBAT 63 tlie civil thing to the people of Dijon. He is a good- "T'l\^°"i* ."^' ^'' ^^'^'^ ^* ^"'" ^^"T «^i^^ shortly. Look wha a cranging air he puts on as he speaks madame la marqui.se. And yet I fancy he coJld be nso ent when he hkes. He n.ay be good-looking, but it 1 no a style I admire, with his thick lips and his half- closed eyes. If I „,et him at home I should say the f^ellow was something between a butcher and a Jew " Well done, monsieur the aristocrat!" Ernest said laughmg. "This is your English equality! Here is a poor fellow who is allowed to take a place out of his station, thanks to the circumstances of the time, and you run him down mercilessly'" "I don't run him down because he is not a gentle- nan Harry said. "I run him down because I don't l^ke his face; and if he were the son of a duke instead ot the son of a mayor I should dislike it just as much. ifou take my word for it. Ernest, that's a bad fellow " Poor Monsieur Lebat!" Ernest laughed. "I daresay he IS a very decent fellow in his way." "I am sure he is not, Ernest; he has a cruel bad look 1 would not have been that fellow's fag at school for any money." " Well, it's fortunate, Harry, that you are not likely to see much of him, else I should expect to see you houni'^* "''^ ^"""^ strangling him as you did the Harry joined in the laugh. 64 THE DEMON WOLP. * I will restrnin inyselF, Ernest; and besides, be would be an awkward customer; tbere's plenty of strength in those shoulders of his, and he looks acvive and sinewy in spite of that indolent air he puts on; but there is the horn, it is time for us to mount." In a few minutes some thirty gentlemen were in the saddle, the marquis, who was grand louvetier of the province, blew his horn, and the whole cavalcade got into motion, raising their hunting caps, as they rode off, to the marquise and her daughters, who were standing on the step of the chateau to see them depart. The dogs had already been sent forward to the forest, which was some miles distant. On arriving there the mai-quis found several wood- men, who had been for the last two days marking the places most frequented by the wolves. They had given their reports and the party were just starting when a young forester rode up. " Monsieur le marquis," he said, " I have good news for you; the demon wolf is in the forest. I saw him making his way along a glade an hour since as I was on my way thither I turned back to follow him, and tracked him to a ravine in the hills choked with undergrowth." The news created great excitement. "The demon wolf!" the marquis repeated. "Are you sure?" "Quite sure, monsieur. How could I mistake it! I saw him once four years ago, and no one who had once done so could mistake any other wolf for him." " We are in luck indeed, gentlemen/' the marquis A TEltltlULE BEAST. 65 lie would reiigth in d sinewy I there is re in the sr of the cade got ' rode off", standing ,rt. Tlie e forest, al wood- king the ad given ng when lod news saw him as I was him, and ed with 1. " Are itake it! ffho had ' him." marquis said. "We will see if we can't brini; this fallow's career to an end at last. T have hunted him a score of times myself since my first chase of him, well-nigli fifteen years ago, hut he has always "iven us the slip." 'And will again," an old forester, who was standing close to Harry, muttered. " I do not believe the bulle't IS cast whicli will l.ring that wolf to earth." "What is this demon wolf?" Hurry asked Ernest. "It is a wolf of extiaordiuary size and fierceness. For many years he has been the terror of tlu; mothers of this i)art of France. He has been known to go into a village and boldly carry oil' an hdunt in mid-day. Every child who has been killed by wolves for years is always supposed to have been slain by this wolf. Sometimes he is seen in one part of the province, and sometimes in another. "For months he is not heard of Then there is slaughter among the young lambs. A child going to school, or an old woiuan oan-ying home a faggot from the forest is found torn and partly devoured, and the news spreads that the demon wolf has retiu-ned to the neighbourhood. Great hunts have over and over again been got up specially to slay him, but he seems to fead a charmed life. He has been shot at over and over again, but he seems to be bullet-proof. " The peasants regard him not as an ordinary wolf but as a demon, and mothers quiet their children when they cry by saying that if they are not good the (lemon wolf will carry them off. Ah, if we could kill him to-day it would be a grand occasion!" " Is there anything particular about his appearance ?" 66 ri!El'AlUN(J Fori TIIK HUNT. "Ndtliing except his size. Some of those who have seen him declare that lie is as big as three ordinary wolves; but my father, who has caught sight of him several tinies, says that this is an exaggeration, though he is by far the largest wolf he ever saw. He is lighter in colour than other wolves, but those who saw him years ago say that this was not thi^ case then, and that his liglit colour must be due to his gvrat age." The party now started, under the uuidance of the forester, to the spot where he had seen the wolf enter the underwood. It was the head of a narrow valley. The sides which inclosed it sloped steeply, but not too much so for the wolf to climb. During the last halt the mar- quis had arranged the plan of action. He liimself, with three of the most experienced huntsmen, took their stations across the valley, which was but seventy or eighty yairds wide. Eight of the others were to dismount and take post on either side of the ra- vine. " I am sorry, gentlemen, that I cannot find posts for the rest of you, but you may have your share of the work. Over and over again this wolf has slipped away when we thought we had him surrounded, and what he has done before he may do again. Therefore, let each of you take up such a position as he thinks best outside our circle, but keeping well behind trees or other shelter, so as to cover himself from any random shot that may be fired after the wolf. Do you, on your part, fire only when the wolf has passed your line, or you may hit some of ua" Waittno. 61 The two larls were naturally among those left out from the inner circle. "What do you think, Krn.'st; sliall we remain on our horses here in the valley or climb the hills T' "I should say wait here, Harry; in the first place, because it is the least trouble, and in the second, be- cause I think he is as lik*;ly to come this way as any other. At anyrate we ii« >;' as well dismount here, and let the horses rep that f-iece of fresh grass until we hear the horn ih",t .\ill te'l us when the dogs have been turned into the t^■'^;^v^'i to drive him out." It was half an hour before they heard the distant note of the horn, "They have begun," Ernest exclaimed; "wc had better mount at once. If the brute is still there he is just as likely, being such an old hand at the spoi't, to make a bolt at once, instead of waiting until the dogs are close to liim." "What are we to do if we see him?" Harry asked. • " We are to shoot him if we can. If we miss him, or he glides past before we can get a shot, we must follow shouting, so as to guide the rest as to the direc- tion he is takinrr." " My chance of hitting him is not great," Harry said. "I am not a very good shot even on my feet; but sit- ting in my saddle I do not think it likely I should get anywhere near him." A quarter of an hour passed. The occasional note of a dog and the shouts of the men encourao-incr them to work their way through the dense thicket could be heard, but no sound of a shot met their ears. j .1 111 III 68 "THAT IS THE WOLF." " Either he is not there at all, or he is lying very close," Ernest said. " Look, look!" Harry said suddenly, pointing through the trees to the right. " That is the wolf, sure enough," Ernest exclaimed. " Come along." The two lads spurred their horses and rode recklessly through the trees towards the great gray beast, who seemed to flit like a shadow past them. " Mind the boughs, Ernest, or you will be swept from your saddle. Hurrah! the trees are more open in front." But although the horses were going at the top of "their speed they scarcely seemed to gain on the wolf, who, as it seemed to them, kept his distance ahead without any great exertion. " We shall never catch him," Harry exclaimed after they had ridden for nearly half an hour, and the laboured panting of the horses showed that they could not long maintain the pace. Suddenly, ten yards ahead of the wolf, a man, armed with a hatchet, stepped out from behind a tree directly in its way. He was a wood-cutter whose attention being called by the sound of the galloping feet of the horses, had left his half-hewn tree and stepped out to see who was coming. He gave an exclamation of surprise and alarm as he saw the wolf, and raised his hatchet to defend himself. Without a moment's hesitation the animal sprang upon him and carried him to the ground, fixing its fangs into his throat. There was a struggle for a few moments, and then the wolf left its lifeless foe and was about to continue its flight. A DESPERATE STRUGGLE. 09 k "Get ready to fire, Harry," Ernest exelaiiued as the wolf sprang upon the man, " it is our last chance. If he gets away now we shall never catch him." They reined in their horses just as the wolf rose to fly. Harry fired first, but the movement of his panting horse deranged his aim and the haV -t flew wide. More accustomed to firing on horseback, Ernest's aim was truer, he struck the wolf on the shoulder, and it rolled over and over. With a shout of triumph the boys dashed forward, but when they were within a few paces the wolf leapt to its feet and endeavoured to spring towards them. Harry's horse wheeled aside 80 sharply that he was hurled from the saddle. The shock was a severe one, and before he could rise to his feet the wolf was close upon him. He tried as he rose to draw his hunting-sword, but befo'-c he could do so, Ernest, who had, when he saw him fall, at once leaped from his horse, threw himself before him, and dealt the wolf a severe blow on the head with his weapon. Furious with rage and pain the wolf sprang upon him and seized him by the shoulder. Ernest dropped his sword, and drawing his hunting-knife struck at it, while at the same moment Harry ran it throuo-h the body. So strong and tenacious of life was the animal that the blows were repeated several times before it loosed its hold of Ernest's shoulder and fell dead. "Are you hurt, my dear Ernest?" wa.s Harry's first exclamation. "Oh, never mind that, that's nothing," Ernest replied. I I ' * 60 IT IS A JOINT BUSINESS. "Only think, Harry, you and I have killed the demon Avolf, and no one else had a hand in it. There is a triumph for us." "The triumph is yours, Ernest," Harry said. "He would have got away had you not sto])pe ^ ->de over to meet the n, and when it was seen iw „ • a object slung A TRIUMPHANT PROCESSION, (|3 between the two horses was really the demon wolf here was a shout of satisfaction and pleasure. A^ain the notes oi the n.ort rang out through the woods.C 11 T '°,"^T""« ^^''^^^'i -onster. Ernest was W o< i.om las horse, for he was now reeling in the ^ a,^ could not have kept his seat rnau/n^in^ onger. His wound was carefully examined, and the nuajxiuis pronounced the shoulder-bone to be broken. A htter was made and four of the foresters hoisted hi.n upon the. shoulders, while four others carried the woL, still slung on its pole, behind the litter. While the preparations were being made Harry had given the nstory of the slaying of the wolf, sa ung tha he owed Ins life to the quickness and courage oi" Ernest And I owe mine to him," Ernest protested from the bank where he was lying. " The wolf would have killed me had he not slain it. I was lucky in stop. evenMY"^ °^^ ^'""" ^'"'^ ^^^^ '' ^^^^'^^^^ an thT d! ",7"^*i^°"^^^ «^ P"-«-g the hunt further that day. Ihe other two wolves were added to the procession, but they looked small and insicni'icant beside te body of that killed by the boys.° ":" learned that no one had suspected that they had gone in pursuit of .iie wolf. A vigilant look-out had Len kept all round the thicket, while the dogs hunf.d it from end to end, but no signs had been seen of it," and none were able to understand how it could imve slipped between the watchers unseen. ^^ -ill 64 AT HOME. After the ravine had been thorougbiy beaten tbo party had moved off to anotlier cc cr, Ou their wry there the inarciuis liad missed the two bovs. No one had seen tlieni, and it was supposed that they had loitered behirsd in,t!v; 'orest. Two ot* three notes of recall had been blown, and then no one had thou,'ht more of the iiintter until ti'ey rode into the glade when the second wolf had just been p tilled down by the pack. It was ft^ternoon when the hunting party arrived at the cliaceau. Before they started homewards tlie rx arqui-i had sent off two horses.: en; one to Dijon to bring a surgeon with all speed to the chateau, the other to tell the marquise that Eitest had been hurt, and that everything was to be got i'l readiness for him; but that she was not to make herself uneasy, as the injury was not a serious one. The messengers were charged strictly to say nothing about the death of the demon wolf. The marquise and her daughters were at the en- trance as the party arrived. The sight of the litter added to the anxiety which Ernest's mother was feel- ing; but the marquis rode on a short distance ahead to her. "Do not be alarmed, Julie," he said; "the lad is not very seriously hurt. He has been torn a bit by a wolf, and has behaved splendidly." " The messenger said he had been hurt by a wolf, Edouard; but how came he to put himself in such peril?" " He will tell you all about it, my dear. Here he ia to speak for himself." eaten the their way No one they had 3 notes of I tliOi.u;-ht ■■J :h.e glade dcv/n l»y r arrived ^ards tlie Dijon to teau, the een hurt, i for him; y, as the ;ers were th of the i the en- ihe litter ^vas feel- ce ahead ad is not ly a wolf, y a wolf, h peril?" ere he is THE WOUNDED AND THE SLAIN. "Bring up the wolf," the marquis saW •■„,„l if do you come here and stand byL e!r side ,. 7^' la marquise," he went on -M^ , ,, *'*''"" wolf! That i, ZTa ^ " ^^ "•»' «'™t my '■ ^nat IS the demon wo f which ho« f ' been the terror of the district, and t le are it! , ^""" Your son and M, Sandwith, they Id th T"' have reaped the dorv «,h;„u ^' ' ^ "'""<•' gundy h^ been so iZ " ; '™7 "P"'^"""' "' «»'- i" '"e 'orest,mil:sa:;;t':?,:htf' "'"^'"•'"'' slew this scourge of the pro "nc! " ' ""''"""^ ""•' He put his horn to his lins Tho ^lu similar instruments folltd I s etrje " Z"'' umphant traralira was blown ^..^'"'"'P'^- A tri. their huntin.-cans nS rh i ■"'"""" '*''' "'f their barking tT'^ltortr"' '"' "" '■""""^ "J''"-' at;"e\\-xfrr;:xz :ibrthrtt:\rar\-^'-^^^^^^^^^^^^^ „.„lf,,. '""- "'on^ have slain this dr««dW ;;ho:"i:\rd";:r:i:^^^ -™ with ;o.y,The;::;firtttrrt,;'T S^^^ 11-1 nest into bed as soon as possible. A mr- M I «J«f«-«^ ■*<*' 66 "TELL US ALL ABOUT IT.' messenger geon will be here very vshortly. I sent a on to Dijon for one at the same time I sent to you." The marquis stayed outside for a few minutes while the domestics handed round great silver cups full of spiced wine, and then bidding good-bye to his guests entered the chateau just as the surgeon rode up to the entrance. " Please tell us all about it," his daughters asked him when, having seen the surgeon set the broken bone and bandage the wound, operations which Ernest bore with stoical firnmess, he went down to the salon where his daughters were anxiously expecting him. "All about it, please. We have heard nothing, for Harry went upstairs with Ernest, and has not come down again. The marquis told the whole story, how the wolf had made his escape unseen through the cordon round his lair, and had passed within sight of the two boys some distance away, and how they had hunted it down and slain it. The girls shuddered at the story of the death of the wood-cutter and the short but desperate conflict with the wolf. " Then Ernest has the principal honour this time," the eldest girl said. " It is pretty evenly divided," the marquis said. "You see Ernest brought the wolf to bay by breaking its shoulder, and struck the first blow as it was flying upon Harry, who had been thrown from his horse. Then, again, Ernest would almost certainly have been killed had not Harry in his turn come to his assis- tance and dealt it its mortal blows. There is not much JEANNE FIRES UP. 67 d^ffe^rence, but perlmps the chief honours rest with sai7 'Tf ^''^ 1 that papa," Ma.lomoisolle do St. Caux sad It IS only nght the chief honour should be w. h your son and not with this English boy. He has I'ad more than his share already, I think " sister "V'"'^^ r?""^ '' '^ ^" ^'""^ '^'^'^ y°"r life, n! iT" r^'' ^" i'"PetuousIy. "It was very biave ot then, both to kill the wolf; but I think i^ wa ever, ever so n.uch braver to attack a great n.ad dog without weapons. Don't you think so, i^apa?" I don t think you should speak so warmly to your elder sister, Jeanne," the marquis said; "she is a grown-up young lady, and you are in the school-room bt. i. m answer to your question. I admit that the hase hked nothing better th.n to stand before that great wolf n.th my hunting sword in my hand; but a hough If I had been near you when the h^und attacked you I should doubtless have thrown myself before you I should have been horribly frightened and should certainly have been killed; for I should never have thought of or carried so prou.ptly out the plan which Harry adopted of muzzling the animal. But there is no need to make comparisons. On the present occasion both the lads have behaved with great bravery and I am proud that Ernest is one of the conquerors of the demon wolf. It will start him in life with a reputation already established for courage. Now come with me and have a look at the wolf. I don't 'think such ■^. beast was ever before seen in France. I ««, fl III iiitii 68 THJE ilARQUIS EXPRESSES HIS VIEW& going to have him stuffed and set up as a trophy. He shall stand over the fireplace in the hall, and long after we have all mouldered to dust our descendants will point to it proudly, Iflii'ijj h^w a lad of tlieir race, with another his own age, slew the demon wolf of Burgundy." Ernest was confined to his bed for nearly a month, and during this time Harry often went long rides and walks by himself. In the evening the marquis frequently talked with him over the situation of the country, and compared the events which had taken place with the struggle of the English parliament with th( king. "There was one point of difference between the two cases," he said one evening. " In England the people had already greot po.ver in the state. The pr:-liament had always been a check upon the royal authority; and it was because the king tried to overrule parliament that the trouble came about. Here our kings, or at least the ministers they appointed, have always crov- erned; often unwisely, I admit, but is it likely that the mob wou^d govern better? Tliat is the question. At present they seem bent on showing their incapacity to govern even them -Ives." The Marquis de St. Caux had, in some respects, the thoughts and opinions of the old school. He was a royalift pure and simple. As to politics, he troubled his head little about them. These wer^^ i matter for ministers. It was thei" ,usiness to find a reuiedy for the general ills. ^ s to the National Assembly, which represented only i ddle class and people, he re- garded it with co; 'em^ ., "Why, it was irom the middle class' he said, "that A MISERABLB PEoPLlt gg the oppressors of the people were drawn. It is they who were farmers-general, collectors, and officials of all kinds. It IS they who ground down the nation and enriched themselves with the spoil. It is not the nobles who dn-tied their hands with money wrun.^ from the poor. By all means let the middle class hax e a share m the government; but it is not a share they desire Ihe cleroy are to have no voice; the nobility are to have no voice; th king himself is to be a cipher. All power IS to be placed in the hands of these men the chosen of the scum of the great towns, the mere niouthpieces of the ignorant mob. It is not order that these gentry are organizing, it is disorder." Such were the opinions of the marquis, but he was tolerant of other views, and at the gatherings at the chateau Harry heard opinions of all kinds expressed Durmg his rambles alone he entered as much as he coul,^ mto conversation with the peasants, with wood- cutters, foresters, and villagers. He found that the distress which prevailed everywhere was terrible The people scarcely kept life together, and many had died of absolute starvation. He found a feeling of 'I'e I" Uijon as L„he r„ ' ™ ""'""" Ji^'-I^ance. and had take to ! , TT"" '""' ''^'=" f"™'"' -'"asen,ent oVthe ttn"'"!;! T^'f -'"-»' "^ the the n,avor, Jfon^ieurTebat. " ""' ""= "^ °' not like hinvllYrn, ■!•'"'" ^™'" '"'""• "I ''o n.unieation with the ,.S ■ . '' "' ""' "^ '» >=»"'- I an. bound to «.' t ' t. ""' ''''"'" ''" '''"'-' t-nt <"■ -.-vice to trf fa , : ^^{;;;r..:":rr--»- ^ ^ assures nie of h;. .i .• ^'^*^"''^^^ I see him :.o Madenioi: lie M ,fhe ;r°/'^ "'^^^"^ ^-^'^v. you need feel under no un' ""l '' """^^ ^^" ^'^^^ "'Ob in his h^n 1 V , ''''''T'"'' ^°" ^^^'-^^ ^^e J'^'ld the nis Hand, and would an«-pr f— ,•- fi, . hostile movement ^hnni.i v ^"--ei t^, j^ that no ^^^^ en.cnt should be n.ade against the chateau. >i Si 82 A USKFUL FKIKND. and in fact I know, for I have taken the precaution of buying the services of a man who is upon the coin- niittee, that Lebat lias actually exerted himself to heneiit us. " It has several times been urged by the most violent section that the mol) should be incited to attack the chateau, but he has each time successfidly opposed the proposition. He has declared that while no one is more hostile than himself to the privileges of scig- neury, ami while he would not only abolish tho nobles as a class but conhscato their possessions, he considers that in the case of the marquis nothing should be done until a decree to that elfcct is passed by the As- sembly. "Until that time, he argues, the people should di-scriminate. The chateaux of tyrants should bo everywhere levelled to the ground, but it would be -unworthy of the people to take measures of vengeance against those who have not notably ground down those dependent upon them, and that, as the marquis has not pushed the privilege of his class to the utmost, his chateau and proi)erty should be respected until the Assembly pass a decree upon the sul)iect." "I am sure we are much indebted to this IMonsieur Lebat," Marie said. "lie was here at the hunting party and seemed a worthy young man of his class. Of course he was out of ijla.-c among us, but for a man in his position he seemed tolerable." " Yes," Monsieur du Tiilet agreed, but in a somewhat doubtful tone of voice. " ^o far as assurances go there is nothing to be desired, and he has, as I said, so far s t ii i] tl d, SOlg- ( A MAiaUACIC DKFRURED 33 nt'l!r''^i^::.:';:rr--;7''™iao„„. iau2r '';::' 'i,'r '""■ n™?™'- '•" ■''""'■■ m-- every, ; "j ^' '"" ,"""«'" 'v l>ave a soo.1 w„r,I f„,. joung „mn, ,vl,„ „|,poa,., to l,u unhmitd by oxc.Il.nt WntMl.vilts loK-;i|-,ls us." •" "-"'""" o , oi J),;o„ „.o« becoming ,„o,o a,„l moro viob-nt tir. H . tl.c rHoro wroto to tbe „m,v|m.s ,„..,!„„ tbat vo„l, bo „.tt„ that tb„ fao.ily .'bouki " ove to iar,.,, who,.. tb,,v „„„l,l bo i„ „„ .iangor. J„ " ,y ho .oa.ls „„,o fit for tra" l!° "" ■'°°" "^ "'« About tbo sauie tiu.o Victor de Oisons receiyctl a ^nnraons tVo„, his father to join bin, in Pa,;, »a...ebaA,.o,.j;::.t^'a,:::;-™^^^^ tlut the nmrr.ago „,„„t be .still further postponed a :-r:rb^:uf„:f^T.-cnfyr'^ that surron.Kled the kin- A • '"""'^rs .J • • , , o- J^Ini'ie acnu esced in thp de i.,on, and bade her loyor adieu calndvand bra.-Cy li^ey are ,,„ito right, Victor; I have' felt for some p. ''nil ■ 71 1 ii 'iu t> V] <^ /2 / O'/^ .^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 1.25 |50 "'"^= "^ ISA WUI. ti 1.8 il 1116 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 /. ^ -.5^% •sj \ qv \\ ^\^ \ m 4> >?» '^ G^^ I ,.. Ep. !• ■1 r 1 :■ Hi r 1 84 A GLOOMY VIEW. time that when France was on the verge of a precipice it was not the time for her nobles to be marryinf. Noblesse oblige. If we wore two peasants we might marry and be happy. As it is we must wait, even though we know that waiting may never come to an end. I Iiave a conviction, Victor, that our days of happiness are over, and that terrible things are about to happen." "But nothing that can happen can separate us, Marie." " Nothing but death, Victor," she said quietly. "But surely, Marie, you take too gloomy a view. Death, of course, may separate all lovers; but there seems no reason that we should fear him now more than at other times, A few farmers-general and othei-s who have made themselves obnoxious to the mob have been killed, but what is that! There should at least be no hostility to our order. Many uf the nobles have been foremost in demanding reforms. All have cheer- fully resigned their privileges. There is no longer the slightest reason for hostility against us." "My dear Victor," Marie said quietly, "you do not ask a wild beast about to rend his prey, what is the reason for his actions. I hope I may be wrong; but at least, dear, we shall see each other again before long, and, whatever troubles may come, will share them. My mother in her letter yesterday said that she and the marquis had determined that we should join them in Paris; for that although the disorders have abated somewhat they are anxious at the thought of our being alone here, and in the present position of things it THE SUMMONS TO PARtS. 86 i they have no hope of being able to leave the king. She says my fatJier is very indignant at the preat emi- gration of the nobility that is going on. In the first place, he holds that they are deserting their post in the face of the enemy; and in the second place, by their assemblage across the frontier and their intrigues at foreign courts against France they are causing^the people to look with suspicion upon the whole class." "You have kept your good news till the last, Marie," Victor said. "Here have we been saying good-bye, and It seems that we are going to meet again very shortly." "I have been bidding farewell," Marie said, "not to you, but to our drean) of happiness. We shall meet soon, but I fear that will never return." "You are a veritable prophet of ill to-day, Marie," Victor said with an attempt at gaiety. " Some day, I hope, dear, that we shall smile together over your gloomy prognostication." "I hope so, Victor— I pray God it may be so!" A week later three carriages arrived from Paris to convey the family there; and upon the following day the v.'hole party started; the g^rls, their gouvernante, the abbL", and some of the female seivr.n^-.s occupying the carnages, Monsieur du Tillet, the boys, and several of the men riding beside them as an escort. They met with no interruption on the road, and arrived in Paris on the last day of April, 1792. Harry was glad at the change. The doings at Paris had been the subjec.'; of conversation and thought for nearly two years, and he had caught the excitement which per- vaded France. He was tired of the somewhat mono- ii !i'f i il);, hi r lit 86 iAVK IN PARIS. I V' tonous life it the country, and liad for some time leen secretly longing to be at the centre of interest, and to see for himself the stirring events, ol" which little more than a feeble echo had -eached them at the chateau. The change of 'ife was great indeed; the marquis had thrown himself into the thick of all that was going on, and his salon was crowded every evening with those of the nobility who still remained in Paris. But he was regarded as by no means a man of extreme views, and many of the leaders of the party of the (ju'onde with whose names Harry was familiar were also frequent visitors— Roland, Vergniaud, Lanjuinai.s, Brissot, Guadet, Lebrun, and Ct)ndorcet. Harry was struc-k with the variety of conversation that went on at these meetings. j\Iany of the youn-^' nobles laughed and chatted with the ladies with as much gaiety as if the former state of things were continuing undisturbed; an(^ equal inditiei-'ence to the public state of things w.... aown by many of the elders, who sat down and devoted themselves to cards. Others gathered apart in little groups and discussed gloomily and in low tones the events of the day; while others who were more liberal in their view.s gathered round the deputies of the Gironde and joined in their talk upon the meetings of the Assembly, and the mea- sures which were necessary to consolidate the woi'k of reform, and to restore peace and happine.s.s to France. The marquis moved fvom group to group, equally at home with all, chatting lightly with the courtiers, whispering gravely with the elders, or discussing with the tone of the man oi the world the views and opinions i DANGKRS TlllCKKN. 87 il of the doputies. Victor (]e Gisons was C(.nfttantly at tlie house, and strove by his checiruhicsH and gaiety to dissipate the shade of mehincholy which ntill hung over Marie. Towards the end of July the Marquis do Hi. Caux and the little body of royalists who still roiiiaitied faithtul to the king became more and moi'(! anxious; the position of the royal family was now nuwt precari- ous; most of tlic troops in Paris had been Kunt to the frontier, and those left behind were dis()r;,'iini/,oil and ready to join the mob. Two out of the thnu* Swiss battalions had been scuL away, and but one I'eniained at the Tuilcrie.s. Of the National Guard only tho bat- talion of Filles St. Thomas and part of the' batl/dion of the Saints Peres could be trusted to defend the king. The rest were opposed to him, and wfjuld certainly join the populace. On t^^e 14th of July a largo ninid)er of National Guards from the provinces had arrived in Paris; and the battalion from Marseilles, the most violent of all, had, immediately that it arrived in the city, cumo into collision with one of the loyal battalions. The royalists were wholly without organization, their sole aim being to defend the king should ho be in danger, and if necessary to die by his side. On the evening before the 10th of August the tocsin was heard to sound and the drums to boat to arnw. All day there had been sinister rumours circulating, but the king had sent privately to his friends that the danger was not imminent and that he had no need of them; however, as soon as the alarm sounded the nittriiuis i'll i 88 THE CALL TO ARMa snatched up a sword and prepared to start for the palace. He embraced Ins wife, wlio was calm but very pale, and his children. Ernest asked to be allowed to go with hnn, but the marquis said: "No my son, my life is the king's; but yours at present is due to your mother and sisters." It was twenty-four hours before he returned. His clothes were torn, his liead was bound up. and one of his arms disabled. The n.arquise gave a cry of delight as he entered. No one had slept since he left for every hour fresh rumours of fighting had arrived,' and tie sound of cannon and musketry had been heard in the early part of the day. "It is all over, wife!" he said. "We have done our best, but the king ^vdl do nothing. We cannot say we have lost the battle, for we have never tried to win if but it would be the same thing in the lon.u families are to be arrested." "°^^® The room was lit un a° --q,™ "■l'.-.t yo„r feel "''.??' '"^ "'" '' l"^^- ' ^now tl» oldest fa, i i Tt K ' ! T""y "'• --"g one of "And the cirs »t ,! °" '™"' I'O'-i^l'i-S-" ^e ine,,,dedN::t ro;^::rt::;^1.,!^--: of event,. U^ZT':^" ""'■' "^"'"8 "« cour.se nieee., „,,o ha •e'^a . ' d fr ''"J, "°" "^ ""•- °f ''-• better »„d a rl^ , -t. "; """"■^- ^■°" '-• -«. Von, HaC::;n;'on:r:e^ -;- Beside. m/^^tir^-rMr r",?^ '" "'^ -""■ hi, danger. He ,v 1 °l„l rm ,' "" "o"" "'" '» »ing tl,: count; ; I Z f'*"'"y onougl, i„ traver- that difficulty." '° ''"^■''' " "'"■'' """W a me in ■ veins, add to traver- wld to it loner "t AxM SORRY TO DISOREY YOU." 95 ago to have sent you l.on.e. and feel that I have acted wrongly m allowino- ^-ou to re.nain so lone I n us ms.st upon your accompanying n.y sons " ° "I amsony to disohc-y you, n.onsieur lo marquis" Harry sauI qu.etly hut linnly; " hut from the monont of your arrest I shall he n.y ou-n n.aster and can dis- pose of n,y actions. I a,n deeply sensible of all your good,^ss o me, but I cannot yield, for I feel thit I ..ay be ot son ,,i,ht use here. There are so many trano-ers n. Pans that there is little fear of my attrac- t.ng- any notice. A n.ouse n.ay help a lion, nfon " and xt may be that though hut a boy I may be able to be of service to mcsdemoiselles." "Do not urge hini further, Edouard," the marquise said, laymg a hand on her husband's arm as he wa agam about to speak. " Harry is brave and thouo-htf n beyond hrs years and it will be somewhat of a co^nfort to meto thmk that there is son.o one watchin. ov. our girls 1 thank you, Harry, for your oflb" and xeel sure that you will do all that can possibly be'.lone to protect my girls. You will be freer to do so than any our fronds, ^r they are likely to beco:'^^ vo edn.ourfae,whatexerthatmaybe. Marie, you wdl view our English friend as .joint guardian with ourseli over your sisters. Consult him should dim^ culty or danger arise as if he were your brother and .e guided by his advice. And no.' girls, come 'X lue to my room, I have much to say to you " "I am glad my wife decided as she did, Harry" the marquis said, putting his hand on his shoulder when his wife and daughters left the room, "for I too siialJ ^■f 96 U.ST INJUNCTIONS. tt'ri*'" n'" 'r'"""° '""' y™ "« ™'«l""g over With Monsieur du Tillet." <*^^an^ti After a prolonged tulk with M. du Tillet tl.e marouis sent for Krnest. As soon as he entered the ladl" "^ Oi eo.irse, sir, I shall obey your commands- but it en. to me an unworthy part for your son to jlly o be tiyn.g the country and leaving a stranger here to look after your daughters." ° "He is hardly a stranger, Ernest" ih^ ^ -plied "He h. been wUh u, irot „ "t .eXr,: for two years, and he risked hi., life for your sttf Yo„ o„„U not stay here without extreme rislcorlj your „.,„e ,s not already included in the w« Lt fo\ a rest . speedily win bo so, and when they one ta to Wood these wolves will hnnt down everv one „ u^ Ho, on the other hand, „,i,d,t proceed ope-nly w,rou!h the streets w.thout dauger; nevertheless, V would not have kept l,iu, if he would have gone- Ztl .ave no power of controlling hi„,, and a° I 'chool to devote i..u,self to us I thankfully accept hisde;! "And now, ,„y sou, it may be that after our partin., :Z17 "■"''"!' ""' '""'' "»'»'"■ '■» «»" -lo" e ta w? what fate js m store for us I l,nx„ ti, c serious advice to give you If am h T; 1 '°'°' voii «,;n T 1 ' anything happens to me 50U Willi know, never forget that you are he head of the fam.ly, and that the honour of a great name i ' }l atching over ;h to airano'e ' tlie marquis 3 lad said: ands; but it son to phy, ranger liere he marquis the family ^'our sisters. risk, for if \'arrant for '■ once taste one of us. ly trough > 1 would ne; but I lie chooses his devo- ur parting )ne knows fore, some 3ns to me, le head of ame is in it the in- mstances side that ERNKST l.s Sl/ltl'UISIiD 97 arrest. I ,^'Z.Z Z 'T'' '" '"^ "''^^ '- whatever will co„,e it hi ,T ""^ *'"' ^'""' iJ«=trtr:rip^^ri:':t-r-^"" aredevi.«,f„rgetti,„y„':.;:iir ™:^. '°'" "^^"^ which ha™ n„ ? , , 'P "•" ""^ '=''^'' distinctions wl.0 V i n,.f '" ''°™- ='f"'->' ■V"' listers to men n ' sVb ie,^!?" "»"\^'" ''^m- That thes^ snfflcient.' C' :,«r; -*™/ -ying; but t.^t is man of tlie rZhnT^V , , ''""'■° ''»'•" » S»ntle- charal;:rct„„r ,'■"='"'' f"™'' ■--• °' -Lose appro:^:f;!:!;r„^r::-;i,3-theoo..aia, itha°t:fef.:"hi:r""" r^^'^^'^^^-''^ '^^- werf:orcr:rf:rr„.t-i:"^4 approve of the match?" ^""^ """"^^ (381) m w M I , 9S IN DiSQUISa fear of s,d,"'oI , "'•,"', ^"='''""' "-- - ""le ehe^t;;:f ;:; .iiM:;,":'---- "■■ '''"'^' »'-»" "^«' Tliev «-o,-P " l""i'-"-'''J for the boys boy, I,a,r^ :,'■;'" """' '" '''"" '°''^'- I^«l' wox-se than useless i^ . ' ''"'^' "^^ ^^'""^^^ be short time wUk n,o ^/^"^'/^\"/^^'^"''« ''^ ^''-Vit for a guise!' ^ ' ^^'''' '' ^" ^^'^^t^^^-at in dia- II lest. In tlie ould wisJi no viiclunan, in ^lit view the ave said, in less marked "-'re is little tljat which iitored with •' the boys, lie sons of blouse and h on which and Ernest lime, M. du )JIet. Both 'laiig-e, and 'ted it was their haij- would bo ■i»"e unless I manners ^ht for a tion; but ite hands ^ disdain *vho met ' in dis- "YOU WILL DO, MY BOVS," 99 >™y; 1.01,1 ,.„„r „„.e in the ai'; , '^ "r,"".-' 'lowu over your forehoaj. and \U\,,,J' :, ' \ '""'' through that hole in your can To 1 ."'""■' °"' >- ou,ht toadare.jferi„;:La,t ::r ; ,::;r your tongue. See^t^h r% f hC: Tt? '"";; up. You wouKl take me for an idle ™t ^ ^ VZh man wherever you met me, I do not like i , , " \" have to d.guise n,y,elf, I try to do it tho,,'!,' y'.."" ' looked at them scrutinizingly, "» "i""]'"*. He ■You will do, my boys/'ho sai.l gravely ■• ( J . , ^>ve passed you in the .street witl^u tiovvi , '; l' anii:::'" ;i^r """ "-' '•-'■'^■' <- ^"''"-> • "uu hibteis. iJie sooner you are out nf tu\u i ot h,s canaille may present then.sclves " " Ihe partuig was a .sad one indce.1 hut it u,. at last, and Monsieur ,lu Tillet hu,"L t ,1 .7 ," "'' away ^ soon as their father returne:,' wit ,, *" ""'" Q^ biess you, Du Tillet!" the n,ar.,ui» sa ! 'a, h„ i(" Mi ;]/' ', ,1 100 iiakry's instructions. |l!| ll in ! II embracoa liis friend. " Should auglit happen to us you will, I know, be a father to them." "Now, Hariy," the marquis said when he had mas- tered the emotion caused by the parting, which he felt inight bo a final one, "since you have chosen to throw in your lot with ours. 1 will give you a few instruc- tions. In the first i^Jace, I have hi.Jden under a plank beneath my bed a bag containing a thousand crowns It IS the middle plank. Count an even number from each leg and the centre one covers the bag. "You will find the plunk is loose and that you can raise it easily with a knife ; but wax has been run in and dust swept over it, so that there is no fear of its beinrr noticed by any who may pillage the house, which thev will doubtless do after we are arrested. I have al- ready sent an equal sum to Louise Moulin. Here is her address; but it is possible that you may need money and may be unable to communicate with my dauo-hters at her house; at any rate do you keep the b°acr of money in your charge. " "You had best attire yourself at once in the oldest suit of clothes you have got. My daughters will be ready in a few minutes. They are already dressed, so that they can slip out at the back entrance. Should we be disturbed before morning I shall place them under your escort; for although I hope that all the servants are faithful, one can answer for no one in these times. I would send them off now. but that the sight of females moving through the streets at this time of night would be likely to attract attention on the part of drunken men, or of fellows returning fmn. 1 It ' >pen to us, e had maa- lich he felt n to throw JW instruc- ler a planlc nd crowns, mber from it you can run in, and f its being k'hich they [ have al- . Here is ed money, daughters le bag of the oldest :'s will be ressed, so Should ace them 't all the io one in that the 3 at this intion on ing from WtlJ, DO MY IJKST TO DlvSICiaiC it.' 101 I these rascally clubs, which are tlio centre and focus of all the mi.schief that is L'oin<^ on "1 can give you no further advice. You must be guided by circumstances. If, as I trust, the girls can live undisturbed and unsuspected with their mother's old nurse, it were best that thoy should remain there until the troubles are finally over, and France comes to her senses again. If not, I must leave it to you to act for the best. It is a great trust to place in the hands of a youth of your age; but it is your own choosing, and we have every confidence in you.'" '' I will do my best to deserve it, sir," Harry said quietly, "but I trust that you and madame la marquise will soon be able to resume your guardianship. I cannot believe that although just at present the popu- lace are excited to fury by agitators, they can in col.l blood intend to wreak their vengeance upon all the classes above them." " I hope you may be right," the marquis said; "but I fear that it is not so. The people are mad so far. All that has been done has in no way mitigated their suf- ferings, and they gladly follow the preachings of the arch scoundrels of the Jacobin Club. I fear that before all this is over France will be deluged with blood. And now, when you have changed your clothes lie down, ready to rise at a moment's notice. Should you hear a tumult, run at once to the long gallery. There my daughte :s will join you prepared for flight. Lead them instantly to the back entrance, avoiding, if pos- sible, any observation from the domestics. As these sleep on the floor above, and know nothing of the ■'!• if if mi 102 A NIGHT WATCH. H .1 q ncIJy and I trust tl.at you will bo able, to .„t out vthout bo,„g seen by any of them. I„ tlm°t el however closely questioned no one will b fbl to afford a clue by which yon can be traee.l," V\ hen he had changed his clothes Harry extinguished «11 the hghts ,n the salon, for the n.arquis ha^ W before oi-clered all the servants to retire to rest Then h^r^rctetir'str;:rr-'"r"^ was inipossible. '^ *"" '^"•™'"»"'nces the''hst''fet"? ''""^'' ■" """='" "'"' ""' --*» of the last few days. He was fully aware that the task tJlf "1"''°''™ ""="" ^" f"" °f danger; but tot Wealthy and active Kn^lLsh lad a .spice of da^.er is by no n,ea„3 a deterrent He could, of course have left LZl?""' TV'" '■"■"■'^ '»" their rteau but afte,h,s arrival ,„ Paris it would have been difflcul for h„n to have traversed the country and cross dtte t.-ont,er, and he thought that the danger whTch he „o v .■an was not n.uch greater than woufd hav been en taded by such a step. """ taimly of the nuu.pns; and the or.nes of the ,„„! 1-1 1 od bin, with such horror and'ds,. ,t a e «ould have risked "."eh tosave any ,ndort Itel a stranger, f™,„ their hands; and'las ' 1 e tit fasemafon of the wild excitement of the tine „„? congratulated hiu.self that he should see and Terhaps >ng the attention of the whole civilized world. \i a FLIGHT. 10.'} ' awake so to get out tliat case, be able to tingnislied i had long ?st. Then t and took uiii.stance.s events of '■> the task but to a Igor is by have left ' chateau ; n difficult Jssed the h he now been en- cl to the 'he mob that he ite, even felt the lies, and perhaps occupy- As he .sat there lie arr.angod his own plans. After seeing his cluiioe in sufety ho W(,u],| take a room in some quiet locality, all..gi„g that lie was the clerk of a notary, and would, in the dress of one of that class, or the attire of one of the lower onhns, pass his .lay.s in the streets, gathering every rumour and watchimr the course of events. Morning was just breaking when ho hear-l the .sound of many feet coming al«mg the street, an.l lookin-- out saw a crowd of men with torches, he;ided l.y two whose red .scarfs showed them to be oilicials. As they reached the entrance gate the men at the head of the proce,ssion stopped. Harry at once darted awav to tlie long gallery, and as he did so, hoard a loud knocking at the door. ° Scarcely had he reached the gallery when a door at the further end opened, and three figures, tlie tallest carrymg a lamp, appeared. The girls, too, had been keeping watch with their father and mother. They were dressed in the attire of respectable peasant c-irls Vn-ginie was weeping loudly, but the elder ■ A FRESH DAN(iKR. I he paused Tlmro «,„ hind. " ^^"^ ^'^»^^'n into the street be- " Quick, mesclemoiselles ! " he sn iV? •'.*!, to lose." "esaid, there is no time He took the kev onf nf n i l-ckcd it after l,i,7 Tlln , ■""'''""' "'"»<»' ""■' "•« sl.rub» ho took V,V ,,. r'",'' "'" ^'"y '""»"« strong Olio. ° ' "'' ™^ loitunatuly a "In liorc, i.iesde,„„isoi|a,_" bo sai.I t„ ir ■ '<- sonio ,,1„,,,„ o|,«„ to t ,0 nte ' , i'"'"' P""'"'"S there was a crasli, and a nu L! "^ ^^^"" '^^ '^'''^^'' -^d armed with n nsk ts a" >• '' """ "^^^> ^--I'-, was elingin. to Mnl T ^ "'' ^°"'"^ '''■ ^'i-inie ;i-n/.;a;o: ::::; :,;:^;^^^^^^^^^^ tW fuoitivo, ,,a'»'■ i. t. "iiig down c street be- is no time closed and <-T 'iiiioiitr J fcJie way innately a ', pointing ^vilJ rush y, and we strongly t- Tlieji 1 torclios, Virginie 9r to be 'I', while y, look- ii- there I which lerging 3 gate, on the WAITINo FOR DAY. 105 »f this ^e the jnob hero b,f„,, ,„„,, „, ^„„„,^ ^^.^,,__.^,^ ^ ^^_^^_ They hurried down the Inne, took the first turning Uosently they heard a number of footsteps elatterin- on te pavement; but fort,„,„tely thoy read.ed anot ^ and to d' ■; '""'^ """" ""■ '^'""^y "'™"J 'l»»'n anu tiien resumed tlieir way. "It is still too early tor us to walk throu-h the * ets without exeiting attention," Harry said," 'Wo had better n,ake down to the river and wait there i the town is quite astir." fo,md'r. T"""':,""'>' "■'"^'-'' the river, and Harry wZe th "" "' ""•■ '°°' "^ " P''« "'■ "'"ber H herto { "'m 7'' ""^' ^"-"""^J f"- "'^-■vation Hi heito the gnis ha,l not .spoken a w„„| sinee thev da on! 7 : "","" "' ""^ "'«'"■ ""'• had hur- ucd along ahnost n.eehaniealiy holding Marie's hand. Ma ,es bram was too full to talk; her thoughts we vw l> her father and n,„ther and with her absent love ■ She wondered that he had not eo,„e to her in spite of every hn,g. Perh„ps he was already a captive p„r hV. m obedie,>ee to his father's orders, I^ was' in h,d,ng, waiting events. That he could. e;.en hid h" father comn.anded hin,, have left I'aris a., a fu<.itive rlforj: ^"»-'-^.^..ot even occur re wl^'"' f'r' "'°°»'"' ""='•<' »«= ■"ingled a va^ne wonder at her own position. A few week's since petted Kit i I'll i I J I'll ml ill,' Hi 1 1.1. 1, 106 Marie's iMPnr.ssioNs. I It ■ and cared for as the eklest daup^hter of one of the noblest families of France, now a fngitive in the streets under tlie solo care of this En^^^lish boy. She had, the evening before, sih'iitly sided with Ernost. It had seemed to her wron. 'bat he should bo sent awa.y, an. I tlie assertion of Harry that he intended to stn y nnd watch over her and her sisters seemed at once ubsnrd and presumptuous; but she already felt that she had been wrong in that opinion. The decision and coolness with v.hich he had at once taken the command from the moment he met them in the gallery, and the quickness with which hu had seized tlie only motle of escape, had surprised and dominated her. Her own impulse, when on opening the door slie heard the attack that was being made on the gate, was to draw back instantly and return to the side of her j arents, and it was due to Harry only that she and Iht sisters had got safely awaj'. Hitherto, although after the incident of the mad dog she had exchanged her former attitude of absolute in- dirterence to one of cordiality and friendliness, she had regarded him as a boy. Indeed she had treated and considered him as being very much younger than Ernest, and in some respects she bad been justified in doing so, r-n- in his light-heavte.! i'lui, his love (»' n"tive exercise, and his entire alw .•• i; of M-iy assumption of age, he was far more boyish than Ernest. But although her thoughts were too busy now to permit her to analyse her feelings, she knew that she had been mis- taken, and felt a strange contidence in this lad who had so promptly' and coolly assumed th.e entire com- MORNING. 107 i 1 manfl of tlic party, and had pil.ited tlicin with such .steady nerve throuf^'h the daiiyer. As for Joanne, she felt no surprise and \mt little alarm. I lor confidonoe in her protector was unbounded. I'rcnipt and cool a.s he wa.s hini.solf, .she wa.s ready on the in.stant to ohey his orders, and felt a certain sensa- tion of pride at the manner in which her previous con- fidence in him was beinj,' justified. After placing the girls in their shelter Farry had left them and stood leaning againat the parai>et of the quay as if carelessly watching the water, but ii aintain- ing a vigilant look-out against the ajiproach of danger. The number of ])a.sser8-by increa.sed rapidly The washerwomen came down to the boats moored in the stream and began their operation of banging the linen with wooden beater.s. IMarket-women cauie along with baskets, the hum and stir of life everywhere com- menced, and Paris was fairly awake. Seeing that it was .safe now to proceed, Harry re- turned to his companions. He had .scarcely glance at them before, and now looked approvingly at their i i.s- guiscs, to which the mavcjui.se had, during the Ion ^ hoi. rs of the night, e had urged upon me, to make my escape from tlin country. And how about the ladies, how about Marie?" "The marquise was conveyed to prison with the marquis. The three young ladies are all safe with their mother's old servant, Louise Moulin; this is her address. They are in disguise as peasants, and no su.s- picion will, I hope, ari.^e as to their real position. Not that the marquis thought it probable tliey would be included in the order of arrest, but he said there was no knowing now to what lengths the mob might go and he thought it better that they sliould di^app^ar altogether for the present. Ernest and Jules went away in disguise with Monsieur du Tillet. After seeing the young ladies in safety this morning I went down to see what had happent . at your father's mansion, in order to a,ssuage Mademoiselle de St. Caux's anxiety respecting your safety, and found, as I expected, that the duke hud been arrested, and learned that a party were inside waiting to arrest you on your return." "I thank you indeed," Victor said, "and most warmly I do not know what to do. My father is most anxious that I should cross the frontier, but I cannot go so long as he and Marie are in danger." " If you enter Paris as you are," Harry said, " you are certain to be arrested. Your only chance would be kl for it. He ive induced sending nie afterwards, ,lready in»- ur<,'ed upon And how I witli the safe with tliis is her md no su.s- ition. Not would be there was might go, disappear ules went fter seeinof lent down 1 mansion, 's anxiety icted, that it a party turn." t warmly it anxious aot go so aid, "you would be I u Harry's advice 117 to do as I have done, nanioly to disguise yourself and take asmalllodging.where you might live unsuspected." "And in that way I can see Marie sometimes," Victor said. " You could do so," Harry agreed, in a somewhat hesi- tating way, " but it would greatly add to her danger, and, were you detected, miglit lead to the discovery of her disguise. Besides, the thought that you were liable to arrest at any time would naturally heighten the anxiety from which she is su tiering as to the fate of her father and mother." "But I cannot and will not run away and leave them all here in danger," Victor said passionately. "I would not advise y.-u to do so," Harry replied. " I would only suggest, that after seeing Mademoiselle de St. Caux once, you should lead her to believe that you have decided upon making for the frontier, and she will therefore have the happiness of believing that you are safe, while you are still near and watchin° over her." " "That is all very well," Victor said; "but what opinion would she have of me if she thought me capable of deserting her in that way?" " You would represent that you were obeying the duke's orders; and besides, if you did sutfer in her opinion it would be but temporarily, for when she learned the truth, that you had only pretended to leave in order that her position might be the safer ami that her mind might be relieved, she could only tliink more highly of you. Besides, if necessary, you could at any time again present yourself before her." ,;i m m 118 A I'LAN AUIlANOEl). " Your couiist'l is good, Monsieur Sandwitli, and I will, at anynito for a time, follow it. As you say, I can at any time reappear. Where are you lodging? I will take a room near, and we can meet and compare notes and act t()g(!ther." Hai-ry gave him his addro.s.s. " Y(n; have oidy to waliv upstairs to tlio top storey. My room is tlie one directly opposite the top of the stairs." "1 will call on you to-moiiow morning," Victor said. "I will ride my horse a few miles hack and turn him loo.se in some quiet i)lace, and buy at the first village a blouse and work)nan's pantaloons." " I think," Harry said, " that would be unwi.se, count; it would look strange in the extreme for a gentleman dressed as you are to make sueh a jjurchase. You might bo at once arrested, or a rejjort of the circum.stance might be sent into Paris and lead to your discovery. If you will wait here for half an hour 1 will go back and buy you the things you want at the Hrst ,sh(}p I come to and ]>ring tliem out to you. Then you can ride back and luo.'-e tlie horse as you i)ropose; but I should advi.se you to hide the .saddle and bridle, as well as tlie clothes you are now wearing, most carefully. Who- ever finds your horse will proba1>Iy appropriate it and will .say nothing about it, so that all clue to your move- ments will bj lost, and it will be suppo.sed that you have ridden to the frontier." " Penie, Monsieur Sandwith ! you seem to have a head ready for all emergencies. I know what a high opinion the manjuis had of you, and I perceive that it is fully A JJUIM'AL CROWD. 119 th, and I ou say, I Igitiif ? I compare )p storey. )p of the ctor said, turn liiui it village ic, count; intleiiiiin ou iniidit inistance iscovcry. go back >t shop I can ride I .should ill as the . Who- le it and jr move- hat you 8 a head opinion is fully i justified, and consider myself as roitunate indeed in having you for a friend in such a time as the prescnit." "We have need of ail oiu- wits," J lurry said quietly. "The maniuis was good enough to accept my oiler to do all that I coidd to look aiU-v the .sai'ety of mesdo- moLselies, and if I fail in my trust it will not, I hope, bo from any lack of care or courage." The meeting hud taken place at a point where it could not be observed from the gate, and the count withdrew a few hundreil yards farther away while Harry went back itito Paris. The latter had no difliculty in purchasing the clothes reipiired by the count and returned with them in little over a .luarter (jf an hour, and then, having seen De Gisons ride off, ho sauntered back into Paris and nuide his way towards the lieart of the city Crossing the river he found a vast crowd gatlicred in front of the Hotel de Villo. The news of th^o whole- sale arrests which had been made during the night had tilled the populace with joy, and the air was full of shouts of " Down with the Aristocrats!" " Vive Danton! Vive :\Iarat! Vive Robespierre!" Hawkers were selling, in the crowd, newspapers, and broadsheets filled with the foulest attacks, couched in the most horiible lan- guage, upon the king, the queen, and the aristocracy. At various points men, mounted upon steps or the pedestals of statues, harangued the mob, while from time to time the crowd opened and matle way for members of the city council, who were cheered or hooted according to their supposed .sentiments for or against the cause of the people. After remaining there ^ f 120 THE HiDING-PLACa f I m U for some time Harry made his way to the entrance tc the Assembly. A crowd was gathered here, and a tre- mendous rush was made when the doors were opened. Harry managed to force his way in and sat for some hours listening to the debate, which was constantly in- terrupted by the people in the galleries, who applauded with frenzy the speeches of their favourite orators, the deputies of the Mountain, as the bank of seats occupied by the Jacobin members was named, and howled and yelled when the (urondists ventured to advocate mo- deration or conciliation. It was late in the evening before the sitting was over, and Harry was unable to leave his place eirlier. Then he went and had supper at a wine-shop, and after sauntering on the Boulevards until the streets began to be deserted he again crossed the river and made his way to the mansion. Not a light wa.s to be Been in the windows and all was still and quiet The great door stood open. The work of destruction was complete, the house was stripped of everything that oould be carried away. Harry made his way up to the bed-room of the marquis. The massive bedstead still stood in its place having defied the efforts of destruction which had proved successful with the cabinets and other furniture Sitting down on the floor Harry counted the boards beneath the bed, and then taking out a strong knife which he had purchased during the day he inserted it by the side of the middle board and tried to raise it. It yielded without difficulty to his effort. As soon as it was lifted he groped in the cavity THE BAG OP MONEY. 121 below it, and his hand heavy bag. Tal> soon came in contact with the ing this out and putting it beneath his blouse he replaced the board and made his way down-stairs. He felt too fatigued to walk across Paris again, and therefore made his way down to the river and curled himself up for the nigl'it at the foot of the wood pile where the girls had found shelter in the morning, and. in spite of the novelty of his situation, fell instantly asleep. It was broad daylight when he woke, and an hour later he regained his lodgings, stopping by the way to breakfast at a quiet estaminet frequented by the better class of workmen. As when he had sallied out the day before, he was fortunate in meeting no one as he made his way up the stairs to his room. His first step was to get up a board and to deposit beneath it the bag of money. Then, having changed his clothes, he went°out and made a variety of purchases for housekeeping, as he did not wish to be obliged to take his meals at places where anyone sitting at the table with him might enter into conversation. His French was quite good enough to pass in the salon of the marquis, but his ignorance of the Parisian slang spoken among the working-classes would have rendered it difficult for him to keep up his assumed character among them, and would have needed the fabrication of all sorts of stories as to his birthplace and past history. Although in the position in which he was placed Harry felt that it would be impossible always to adhere to the truth, he shrank from any falsehoods that could possibly be avoided. \n ^ r.mm_ w « M i Mi !■ i I : ( ! h! 122 'WHAT IS THE NKWsf His first duty in order to carry out the task he had undertaken was to keep up his disi t _ ^ sguise, and tins mu.s be done even at the cost of telling lies as to his ante cedents; but he was determined that he would avoid this unpleasant necessity as far as lay in his power. At nine o'clock he made his way to tlie apartments of Louise IVFoulin. His entry was received with a cry of satisfaction from the o-irls. " What is the news, Harry ? " Jeanne e xclaimed. " We expected you here yesterday evening, and sat up till ten o'clock." " T wa.s over the other side of the river discharging a mission your father had conftded to mc, and did not get back till this morning." " I knew he was prevented by something," Jeanne said triumphantly "I told you so, Marie -didn't IV' "Yes, dear, I was wrong to be impatient; but you will forgive me, Harry? You can guess how I sutfered yesterday." "It was natural you sliould expect me, mademoiselle. I was sorry afterwards that I did not tell you when 1 left you that I should not be able to come in the even- ing, but indeed I did not think of it at the time." "And now for your news, Harry," Jeanne asked impatiently; "have you learned anything about our father and mother?" "I am sorry to say I have not, except that they, with many others, were taken to the prison of Bicetre. But I have good news for you, Mademoiselle Marie. After going first to the house and finding it in the possession of a hideous mob, who were plundering and drinking, I "YOU ARE A DKAU UOY!" 123 I went to see what had taken place at the hotel of the Due de Gisons. I found that he had, like youi- father, heen arrested in the night. I learned that the count was absent, and that a party were inside in readiness to arrest hiui on his return. Thinking it probable that he might have gone down to their e.state near Fontaine- bleau, I went out beyond the gate on that road and waited for him. I had the good fortune to meet him, to warn him of his danger, and to prevent his return- ing to the town. He rode away with a suit of work- man's clothes I had procured for hiiu, and was to enter Paris in that disguise in the evening. He is to call on me at ten o'clock, and I will then conduct him hither. I thought it best to come in before to let you know that he was coming." ]\rarie burst into tears of happiness at hearing that licr lover had escaped from the danger which threat- ened. Worn out by the fatigue and anxiety of the previous night, she had slept for some hours after reaching the shelter of the old nurse's roof, but she had lain awake all night thiidving over the danger of all those dear to her. She was now completely over- come with the revulsion of feeling. "You are a dear boy, Harry!" Jeanne said with frank admiration, while ]\Iarie sobbed out exclama- tions of gratitude. "You do seem to think about everything; and now Marie knows that Victor is safe, I do hope she is going to be more like herself. As I tell her, they cannot hurt father or mother. They have done no wrong, and they must let them out of prison after a time. Maimna said we were to be brave; h i 124 A STURDY CHAMPION. i ^'i and at anyrate I try to be, and so does Yirginie, though she does cry soniotiiues. And noAv I liope Marie will be cheerful too, and not go about the rooms looking so doAvncast and wretched. It seems to me a miserable thing being in love. I should have thouo-ht Mane would have been tlie last person to be downcast for no one is prouder of being a St. Caux than she is."' " I shall be better now, Jeanne," Marie said smilincr as she wiped away her tears. "You shall not have any reason to complain of me in future." "But do you not think, Harry," she went on with a return of her anxiety, "that it is very dangerous for Victor to come back into Paris ? I know that his father has long been praying him to make for the frontier." "I do not think it is very dangerous at present, mademoiselle, although it may be later, if this ra<^e against the aristocrats increases; but I hope that when he has once seen you, which is his principal object in returning to Paris, he will carry out his father's wishes and make for the frontier, for his presence here can be of no possible utility." "Oh, I hope so," Marie said, "for I am sure Victor would soon be found out, he could never make himself look like one of these canaille." "Why shouldn't he?" Jeanne said indignartlv 'Harry does, and he is just as good-looking as Victor" Mane burst into a fit of laughter. " What a champion you arerdiild, to be sure! But you are quite right. Clothes, after all, do go a long way towards making a man. Still, although I think that It IS dangerous for Harry, I think it will be more rage A FAIR RETORT. 120 \ dangerous for Victor; because, you sec, ho in aumn and he has the manner of his race, and would liiid it mote difficult to pass himself off as a workman than Harry, who has got something of English"— and h\w. lir,Hitated.' ^ "Roughness," Harry put in laughing. "You nvo rpiite right, mademoiselle. I can assure you that with these thick shoes on I find it quite natural for mo to Hlouch along as the workmen do; and it will bo much more difficult for the count, who always walks with IiIm head thrown back, and a sort of air of looking down upon mankind in general." Marie laughed this time. "That is a fair retort. Victor certainly hm the grand manner. However, I shall order hiui to go; and"if he won't obey his father's wishes, he will havo to give way to mine." "I think, mademoiselle, that it would bo wiHcr for Monsieur de Gisons to meet you elsewlxfro than liere. The arrival of three relations to stoj) with Madame Moulin is sure to attract some little attention among her neighbours just at first. You will bo tho Hiibjec^ of talk and gossip. My visit will no doubt bo n(;ticed, and it will be as well that there shouM not be more material for talk. The less we attract atti-ntion the better. No doubt many have esca[)ed arrent, and there will be a sharp look-out, for, as they will oall tia, sus- picious persons. I should propose, if you havo no objec- tion to such a course, that you should stroll out with your sisters and Louise through the fields to Ht. Denis. The count will be in my room in a few mirnjtoH, We can keep a look-out from my window and follow you : f I ill Sis; iln 1 1 1 . 1 . 126 II IT IS YOU, FRIRND IIAHRYl' at a distance Ti.itil we get clear from observation beyond the gates." Marie looked at Afadaiue Moulin, who nodded. That would be the best plan, my dear. What M isieur Saiidwith says is very true. The less give the neio^hb we iglibour.s to gossip about the better; for though your disguises are good, if sharp eyes are watchmg you they may note something in your walk- er air that may excite susi^icion." _ I' That being arranged then you must excuse me, for it IS just the time when the count was to arrive, and I fancy that he will be before rather than behind time." Indeed, upon reaching the door of his room Harry found the young count standing there. "Oh, it is you, friend Harry! I have been here ten minutes, and I began to be afraid that somethin.. nught have happened to you and to imagine all sorts of things." " Jt is still tlu-ee or four minutes before the time we agreed upon, Victor," Harry said in a loud voice, for at this moment one of the other doors opened, and a wo- man came out with a basket in her arms. "I have been looking about as usual, but without luck so far. I suppose you have had no better fortune 1.1 your search for work r' He had by this time un- locked his d(jor, and the two entered together. "I must call you by your Christian name, count, and will do so, if you don't mind, when alone as at other times, otherwise the title might slip out accidentally. Will you, on your part, call me Henri? As you know the marquis and his family called me Harry, wliich ia "CALL ME HKNHL" 127 sorts the ordinary way in England of calling anyone whose name is Henry, that is unless he is a soft sort of fellow; but I must ask them to call me Henri now, Harry would never do here.'" "Have you seen them?" was the count's first ques- tion. "I have just left them, Victor, and if you look out from that window into the street you will in a few minutes see them also; tliey are just going for a ram- ble towards 8t. Denis, and we will follow them. I thought it safer not to attract attention by going to the house, and I also thought that it would be more pleasant for you to talk to Mademoiselle de St. Caux out there in the fields, than in a little room with us present." "Much more pleasant, indeed, I was wondering whether I sh-ould get an opportunity for a few niiii" utes' talk alone with her." They both took tlieir places at the open window and leaned out apparently chatting and carelessly watching what was passing in the street. A quarter of an hour later they saw Louise Moulin and the girls come out of their house. "We had better come away from the window now," Harry said; "Virginie might look up and nod, we can't be too careful." They waited three or four minutes to allow the others to gei well ahead and then started out after them; they walked fast until they caught sight of the others, and then kept some distance behind until the party had left the town and were out among the fields m if J r ! 1 ' i I am 128 "I LIKE THIS TOO." f m ' if I i which lay between Paris and St. Denis. They then quickened their pace and were soon up with them. The greeting- between the lovers was a silent one, few words were spoken, but their faces expressed their joy at meeting again after the perils through which they had passed; there was a little pause, and then Harry, as usual, took the lead. "I will stroll on to St. Denis and back with Jeanne and Virginie; Madame Moulin can sit down on that log over there, and go on with her knitting; you, Victor, can ramble on with mademoiselle by that path th.-ough the field; we will agree to meet here again in an hour." This arrangement was carried out; Jeanne and Vir- ginie really enjoyed their walk; the latter thought their disguise was great fun, and, being naturally a little mimic, imitated so well the walk and manner of the country children she had seen in her walks near the chateau that her sister and Harry were greatly amused. "I like this too, Harry," Jeanne said. "It would not be nice to be a peasant girl for many things; but it must be joyful to be able to walk, and run, and do just as you please, without having a gouvernante always with you to say, Hold up your head, Mademoi- selle Jeanne; Do not swing your arms. Mademoiselle Jeanne; Please walk more sedately. Mademoiselle Jeanne. Oh, it was hateful! Now we might run, mightn't we, Harry?" "Oh, by the way, Jeanne, please call me Henri now; Harry is English, and people would notice directly if you happened to say it while anyone is near." m A RACE. 120 "I like Harry best," Jeanne said; "but. of course. I should not say it before the people; but may we run just for once?" ^ "Certainly you may." Harry laughed; "you and Vir- gmie can have a race to the corner of that wall." "Come on, Virginie." Jeanne cried as she started, and the two girls ran at full speed to the wall; Jeanne however, completely distancing her younger sister. Ihey were both laughing when Harry came up "That is the first time I have run a race," Jeanne said. "I have often wanted to try how fast I could i-un, but I have never ventured to ask mademoiselle- she would have been horrified; but I don't know how It is Virgmie does not run faster." "Virginie has more flesh," Harry said smiling. "She carries weight, as we should say in England, while you nave nothing to spara" ^^ "And she is three years older." Virginie put in. Jeanne is just sixteen, and I am not thirteen yet- it makes a difTerence." ' T "a^ .f r.^ ."^'^^ °^ difference," Harry agreed; "but J don t think you will ever run as fast as she does. Ihat will not matter, you know," he went on, as Vir- ginie looked a little disappointed. " because it is not likely that you will ever race again; but Jeanne looks cut out for a runner-just the build, you see-tall, and slim, and active." "Yes," Virginie agreed frankly, "Jeanne has walked ever so far and never gets tired, while I get dread- tiiikr f,vn^. mamma says sometimes I ior my age. quite a baby r?8i) I llIM :! ' ! i! r ^ 'J iU 130 "IT WAS HARD TO DECEIVE HER." 1} » "Here are some people coming," Harry said; "aa we pass tht'in please talk with a little patois. Your good French would be suspicious." All the children of the nuir(piis, from their visits, among tlie pea.-.unts' cottages, had picked up a good deal of the liurgundiaii patois, and when talking among themselves oi'teii used the exp-ressions current among the iieasantry, and they now dropped into this talk, which Harry had also acquired, as they passed a group of people coming in from St. ]Jenis, They walked nearly as far as that town, and then turned and reached the point where the party had separated, a few nunutes before the expiration of the appointctl hour. The two girls ran away to Louise Moulin, and chatted to her gaily, while Harry walked up and down iintil, a quarter of a. hour later, the count and Marie made their appearaiice. The paity stood ta'king to- gether for a few minutes; then adieus were said with a very pale face, but with firmness on Marie's part, and then the girls, with Louise, turned their facos to Paris, while Harry and Victor remained behind until they had got well on their way. " It was hard to deceive her," Victor said; " but you were right. She insisted that I should iS,o. I seemed to resist, and urged that it was cowardly for me to ru)i away and to leave her here alone, but she would not listen to it. She said it was a duty I owed to my father and family to save myself, and that she should be wretched if she thought I was in Paris in constant danger of arrest. Fnially, 1 had to give way to her, i I \ •it is liETlEH SU." 131 but It went against the grain, fur .sen wl.ile she was urging me «ho n,u..t have fdt in her heart it woul.l be cowanliy .,f n.e to go. J|„u-ever. she will know some 'li'.V that \ ictor (le (Jison.s is no coward." " I am sure it is Letter so," Hurry said "She will I'ave anxiety enough to hear as to her father and "x.ther; it is well that her mir.d .should beat ea,se con- cerning you." "In reality," \'ictor said, •' 1 sliall he safer here than 1 should be journeying toward.s the frontier. The papers tins morning «ay that in conse-iuence of the escape ot suspected persons, and of the emigration of lie nobles to join the enemies of France, orders have heen sent that the strictest scrutiny is to be exercised on the roads leading to the frontier, over all strar -ers who may pass through. All who cannot give a per- ectly satLsfactory account of themselves and produce tlieir papers en regie, are to be arrested and sent to 1 ans. Iherefore, my cliance of getting through would be small indeed, whereas while remaining in Paris there can be little fear of detection." _ "Not much risk, I hope," Harry agreed; • but there IS no saying what stringent steps they may take as time goes on." Victor had taken a lodging a few houses from that ot Harry, Every day the excitement in Paris increa.sed every day there were fresh arrests, until all the prison.s became crowded to overflowing. It was late in Aucrusf the Prussians were advancing and had laid sie-e to' ^erdun.aud terror was added to the emotions which e.\citea to uiftdnoss the population of Pans, jjiack tl i ul r 132 flags PRESH ALARMS. ign l*r were hun|,r from the steeples, and Daiitr his allies skilfully used the fear inspired l.y the lux ci. enemy to add to the general hatred of the Royalists.' " We Kepuhlicans," he said in the rostrum of the Assembly, "m-e expos.Ml to two parties, that of the enemy without, that of the Royalists within. There w a Royalist directory which sits secretly at Paris and corresponds with the Prussian army. To frustrate it we must terrify the Royalists." The Assendily decreed death against all who directly or indirectly refused to execute or hindered the orders given by the executive power. Rumours of conspiracy agitated Paris and struck alarm into i)eople's minds while those who had fri.nds within the prison walls became more and more alarmed for their safety. On the 28th of August orders were issued 'that all the inhabitants of Paris were to stay in their houses in order that a visit might be made by the delef^ates of the Commune to search for arms, of which Da°nton had declared there were eighty thousand hidden in laris. and to search for suspected persons. As soon as the order was issued, Harry and Victor went to their lodgings, and telling their landlords that they had obtained work at the other end of the town paid thoir rent and left the ity, and for the next two' days slept in the woods. They passed most of their time discussing projects for enabling their friends to escape, for from the strin- gency of the steps taken, and the violence of the Com- mune they could no longer indulge in the hopes that m a short time the prisoners against whom no serjo-uq lU. I p Plans ok AdiioN. charge could he l.ioii-ht, would be released. At 133 ,. , . the same time they could l.urdly persuade themselves that even sucli men as those who m)w held the supreme power in their hands, could intend to take extreme measures a-ainst so vast a number of prisoners as were now in custody. Victor an tinht ;„ iu extinguished. ° "'" "PP" '°<"» '"«» .noveVI^v.''"'^''" ""^ ''^''"■" '^'""»- ""<• »» thoy aZtJ ^\, ^^™ '"'■ "' """ ™''n i" tl-e wine shop told „,,, there .s an old woman who coolcs for hhn and It IS much more difficult to seize two people without an alarm being given than one." ^^ .somehot "Vv; "T' "^'""''' "'"" " •"« ' •>" done Ind thol' ^'^TV"^ "»"'=« g'-o" more threatenin.- and those bands of .scoundrels from Marseilles have nn°t e«n brought all this way for nothing. ^ wit c s m to be ever alone from early morning „„til ,ate a night Supposing we did somehow get the order of re lea^e from him at night we could not present t till tht ainve and discover him fastened up, and mi^ht tlu to dipair hII"^ "™"''" ^-"'- »=--"■ "I begin " AVe must not do that," Harry reioinPf] « v we thought it impossible before «1. S:' gavl^u! Z ' Id a. Ihere must be some way out of it il we col only h. upon it. Perhaps by to-morrow momingt \?t u°T; '; """ "' "• ^"^ '"'"= "^ anoth™ L^ t would bff' "' "f ' P"""^ •'"^"'-^ *« them" it wou d be of no use whatever getting them out unles not do for them to go to Louise Moulin'a. She has three visitors already, and the arrival „f mor- to -tav With her would b, sure to e«ite talk among th;^^! m ii! SI. 'i • m I -M ■ill Hi: 142 A FRESH IDEA. i ^11 * \p -I bours. The last orders are so strict about the punishment ot anyone givin- slielter to enemies of tlie republic that people who let roo.ns will all be suspicious. The only plan will be to get them out of the city at once. It will be difficult for them to make their way throu-h iMance on foot, for in every town and village there's the strictest look-out kept for suspected persons. Still that nuist be risked; there is no other way." " Yes, we must see about that to-morrow, Henri- but I do not think the marquise could support such a jour- ney, for they would have to sleep in the fields. More- over she will probably elect to stay near her children until all can go together. Therefore I think that it will be best for lier to come either to you or me. We can take an additional room, saying that our mother is coming uj) from the country to keep house for us." ' Yes, that would be much the best plan, Victor And now here we are close home. I hope by the time we njeet m the morning one of us may have hit upon some plan or other for getting hold of this scoundrel " " I have hit upon an idea, Victor," Harry said when tliey met the next morning. "I am glad to hear it. fol- though I have Iain awake Hi night I could think of nothing. Well, what is your idea i A\ ell you see, Marat often goes out in the mornin-. alone. He is so well known and he is so much regarded by the lower class that he has no fear of any assault being made upon him during the day. My plan is that we should follow him till he gets into some street with few people about Then I would ru.sh upon him, sei^9 Ilk, 'IT WOULD BE A FRIGHTFUL RISK," 143 Mm, and draw a knife to strike, shontin- 'Die vil- lain!' You should bu a i up and strike the knii'e out of niy 1 ow puces behind, and should the run land, nuinaidnrr at 1 same moment tv imnhh over Marat and fall with lim to the gj-ound. That would give me time to bolt. I would ha\e a bet --, «w^ ..wiin.1 jiu,vc my Other clothes under the blouse. I would rush into the irst doorway and run up stairs, pull off my beard, blouse, and blue pantaloons, and then walk cpuetly ut the Assuinl.ly lacked firu. y tlay ^'tiined in power, urrost were prepared a<'uin.st tl 'i H oo restless to early h'ndcrs of tl le lu iiioveiueiit. "••'•y a-.;;u fu k theii .Just as ,hoy arr^ed th iv.iiaii. in the Asse.nhly. Victor and stops to the Hotel de Villi twenty-four persons, of rom ere priests, were hrou-ht out f whom tMr^n- ,-two t]>e prisoner the V.,i,ie by a party of M ' '-'"''^ ^he Abhaye!" These ruM shout aiseillais, who I-nsoneis into coaches standin.. at the d \ ou will not ai-rivo at tl iaiis pusheil the oor, shoutiiiiT: waitinn- to tear yuu in pi,.fes. on silently in sullen apathy I'lison; the people an liut tl le peojilo loo ked You see them," the Marseillais si louted. "There ou are about to nuuch to Venlun. They ler your wives they are. only wait for your dei-arture to butd and children." tl JStiJl the crowd did not le people had no si move. The great mass of la '•e in the bloody deeds of the KevoUuio,, t„.e .ore the Zr^T^ ^Z^^ A few shoub were raised I.ere an,l there of ■■Dow,, ■th the pnesrsl" B„t ,„ore of the crowd oined l.e shout. wh.ch X-ictor a„ savage claimed. y night- It those , sodden jxulting and to «I.AUUHTEK OF THE I'KIESTS. 1 ;= i tMnk that those creatu,-., are the castors of F.ance Wha -""1 "'"' '"" """' "f '' '" '!>« future; What IS going to take place now ?» " Organized massacre, I fear, Victor. What seemed ..credible, nnpossihle. is going to take place; tteet to be a massacre of the prisoners " the Carme htes, now converted into a prison. Here a large n,m,ber of priests had been collected. The mL - I«.s entered, and the prisoners were called by nam; to assemble in the garden. First the Archbi'shop of Aries was murdered then the • fell npon tbe others and hewed the own T B..S lops of .Saintes and Beauvais were among the slain and the a,.sass,„3 id „ot desist until the laft pri,so" . h Ur„,„,,tes ad been hacked to pieces. ' Grave ha. ah,.^dy been dug near the Barrier .Saint Jacqne, and carts were waiting to convey the corpses tZ, .owing how earefnily the preparation, fo the n a!' sacre ha.l been made. Then the llarseillais returned to the Abhave an.l with a crowd of followers, entered the gr^L hall Hore the bailifl' Maillanl organised a .sort of t, b™a of men taken at random from the crowd. Som „ ho.se were paid hirelings of the Commune, some were errified workmen or sn.all tradesmen who had, mcTcK foin curiosity, joined the moK The Swi.ss officers "m hatred to the mob, were first brought out. Thev were spared the farce of a trial, they we're ordered to m" "h out through the doors, outside which the Mar.seiLt w rl i t ir j ^i HI 1 1 152 MASSACRE OF THE SWiSa were awaiting them. Some hesitated to go out, and cried for mercy. A young man with head erect was the first to pass through tlie fatal doors. He fell in a moment, pierced with pikes. The rest followed liim, and all save two, who were, by some caprice of the mob, spared, shared his fate. The mob had crowded into the galleries which surrounded the hall and applauded with ferocious yells the murder of the soldiers. In the body of the hall a space was kept clear by the armed followers of the Commune round the Judges' table, and a pathway to the door from the interior of the prison to that openin^r into the street. ° When the Swiss had been massacred the trial of the other prisoners couniienced. One after another the prisoners were brought out. They were asked their names and occupations, a few questions followed, and then the verdict of " Guilty." Jne after another they were conducted to the door ..id there slain. Two or three by the wittin-ss of their answers amused the mob and were thereupon acquitted, the acquittals being greeted by the spectators as heartily as the sentences of death. Victor and Harry were in the lowest gallery. They stood back from the front, but between the heads of those before them they could see what was going on below. Victor stood inmiovable, his face as pale as death. His cap had fallen off, his hair was dank with perspiration, his eyes had a look of concentrated horror, his body shook with a spasmod= b Idering. In vain Harry, when he once saw what .^i ^ ng to take place, ) out, and it to pass t, pierced save two, id, shared ies which ious yells :he hall a rs of tlie thway to b opening ial of the »ther the :ed their wed, and her they Two or used the cquittals ' as the r. l^iey heads of foing on pale as nk with [ horror, In vain iQ place, If m h li: vKioR PE ciso.Ns srir - ,> "V A IKIKNI.l.V ULOW. .-'*pj victor's fkenzy. 153 ULOW. ■rged lum m a whispor to leave. Ke did not appoar ™ 1 " , '"' '°"""' """""y "neon-scious. Harry «as greatly alarn.ed. and (oared tliat every r„on,ent his co«.^pa„.„„ would betray l,i„«lf by .cne^errible „„" po ed of a ta I aud stately n.an was brought into the tile ,nn„l wh.ch re.gned, burst from Victor's lips He threw hnaself with the fury of a ,„adman up™ hose ,„ front of hi,,, and in a ,„oment would have bounded ,n o the hall had not Harry brought the heavy s jek he ea,-ried with all his foree down ^pon hi head^ V,etor fell like a log under the blow. "^ ^Vhat,s,t; What is it?" .shouted tho.,e around. Uy touua.le has gone out of his niiud," Harry said ha ,ed for the e,,e,a,es of Franee has turned his head. I have been watching hi,„. and had I not knocked hnndown he would have thrown hhn.self head-flnost off the gallery and broken his neck." The explanation see„,ed natural, and all we . too nterested n, what was passing i,, the hall be ow o pay further attention to so trivial an incident It tl for ; :,° "I"' ™' P'-<^l'a.-ed for the out- hreak for ,t wa, the Due de Gisons who had thus a I t1h'e" '°m";T'"'; """^ ''■■^S-'»J ^'-'°' '«" agamst he wall behn.d and then tried to lift hin, i will lend you a hand," a tall man in the dress of .« Ill 'II Iff ft 151 J'il HI "VOU CAN TUUST Jlli" a meclmnic, who had been stand..^ „«;,, and, liiting Victor's body on to his should way to the top of the stairs, Harry ing next to him, said, or, made his •eceding him and I anothc minute opening » way mrougii the crow they were in the open air. "Thank you greatly," Harry said. "I do not know how I should have managed without your ai 1 H you put hnn down here I will try and bring hin. ; I live not far from here," the n.an said. "I will take hun to n.y room. You need not be afraid " he added as Harry hesitated, " I have got my eyes open you can tiust me." J J*^» open, So saying he made his way through the crowd gathered out.side. He was frequently .iked who was carryn^g, for the crowd feared lest any of th prey should escape; but the man's reply, given w th a rough kugh-" It is a lad whose stomal l not Ion, enough to bear the sight of blood, and I tell you t s pretty hot in there "-satisfied them ^ Passmg through several streets .^e man entere.l a small house and carried Victor to the attic and laid stcrahgt'"^^"'^^-^^""^^^--^^'-^-^^^^^^ " You .struck hard, my friend." he said as he exa- .n".od V,c.ors head. "Ma toi, I should uot have l.S such a blow u,y.self, but J don't blau.e jou. Vou were bettei a hundred t.mes a knock on the head than tho,o p cs o„ts,de the door. I had my eye on him, and! ^uie he would do .something rash, and I had intended A I'HIKND IN NKKI). 155 }ou to be so fool.sh as to be tliero^" "We had frien.Is in the prison, and we thou.d.t we n.ght do .so.nethin, to save then," Hany an.wer d or he saw tl.at it wouhi be Ins best policy [o be fr^k 'It was h,s father who.n they bro,,,ht out/' It was rash of you, yonn. sir. A kid might as well t.y to save h.s n.other fro.n the tiger who has laid its paw ui^on her as for you to try to rescue any one fro t e elu ches of the n.ob. Mou Dieu! to think tha «e early daj-s was fool enough to go down to the mistake. A\ hat has it brought us?-a ruined trade an empty cupboard, and to be ruled by the ruflians .f 'tbe :::::, T V^ '-g.theclergy.and theuppe lasses I was a brass- worker, and a good one. thou h ay It inyselt and earned good wages. Now for the last n.onth I haven't done a stroke of work. Who slot to'ni7 Tt^r' "'"" '''''' ''' "'---- --1 si ops to pillage? And now. what are you going to do? My wi e IS out. but she will probably be%aclc soon! VVe will attend to this young fellow She is a good riii" ^'" ' ''"' ''' ^^''" --' ^" -- -^ do "You don't think I have .seriously injured !dm?" Harry said in a tone of dismay. "No no; don't make yom-self uneasy. You have stunned him, and that's all; he will soon'get over that I hav. seen men get worse knock.s in a drunken row and be at work agam in the morning; but it is different heie. I r.aw lu« face, and he was pretty nearly mad Iff Ih I.»6 "YOU Sl'KAK UKU A MAX OF HKART." When you struck luni. I d..ubt vvliothor he will l>o in his n^rlit senses when he conies round; but never fear we will look aftpv i-Mi well. You can .stay if you like- hut if you want to go you can trust him to us. I see' you can keep your head, and will not run into daiK^er as he did." ^ '• I do want to go terribly," Harry said, "terribly; and 1 teel that I can trust you completely. You have saved his hfe and mine alnady. Now you will not be hurt at what I am going to say. He is the son of the Due de Olsons, the last man we saw brought out to be mur- dered. We lave plenty of money. In a bolt round his waist you wi'l find a hundred louis. Please do not spare them. If you think he wants k ,,rgeon call him in and get everything necessary for your household. U ale you are nursing liim you cannot go out to work 1 do not talk of reward; one cannot reward kindness like yours; but while you are looking after him you and your wife must live." ^^ "Ag.eed." the man s.id, shaking Harry by the hand. You speak hi ■ a man ,.f heart. I will look after him Yon need be Uuder no uneasiness. Should any of my comrades come in I shall say: 'This is a youn.. work- man who got knocked down and hurt in the° crowd and whom, havi.,g nothing better to do, I have brouc^ht in here. " * " If he should , cover his senses before T come back " Harry sain nleaso do not let him know it was I who struck hi,. He ill be well-ni.). heart-broken that he could nc; haru twe fate of his father. Let him think that he waa knocked down by some one in the crowd " Iff "JACQUES MEDART IS NO FOOL." lf,7 " W " ''"t^\ ^''"".^ '■' ^'^'^y n^anuged/' the n.an said. Jacques Medarfc is no fool. Now you had best be off for I «ee you are on thorns, and leave me to bathe his' head. It you shoulchi t come back you can depend upon ; I will look after him till he islble to go about again. " w^uuk ''^^' III ■.tm ■m m ffi III ^i^^ CHAPTER VIIL MARIE ARRESTED. |N' le«.i„g Victor in tl,e care of the „,„„ «h„ I ""' f pr„v„Ic.ntially co,„e to hi, ai.I. Har.y hu,ri„l .low,, the street town,-,ls the Abbave ■en he .stoppe,] to tl,i„k-.sh„„l,i he ret.,,., ^,ere „r ;alin" Iton ITf •'"' ter. were absent. The ca;non.:tr:l f t'™: ^^l THE AlTirOIlS OF TIIK CRIMK. I59 SOun,l..I perpetually. There was no ,seor..t as to whit was ^.uzno. o„. The Con.n.une luul the insolnJ^ iuiK r.s to tlie bar of the A8.soiiihJv to st«f.. tl..,f the Pood (> u i«Iin,i t . i 1 •••■'ij' 10 .state tluit I top c N Kshed to break open tlie door.s of tlie n.-i A .loputation indeed went to the Abbaye to trv to persuade the murderers to desist hui M ^ /I.. . 1 • . ^'•-> fu uesi.st, l)ut tl)eir voices worn fJrowned in tumultuous cries Tl.n ( - of his ord(>i-« «ni /"^••'"pei intend the execution f , °''^'''' ""'' prouused the executioners twenfv four francs a duv The ron.r,, *■ v ., twentj- v>i 1 -^ leceipt for the payment nf fl.Ja .tint ;!:',;',: vi ^''™' "■^'■"' ""' ""■ » f, ui iiuf)e tnat tlie massacre would nnf «v The bloody work was still c^oina on and tt . "™^' ol tlie victims and the yells of the crow.f A sucklen thought struck hin,a„d h'e wental LZ , ;;:;""■ " "•°"'™ -- "' of a house. He .an" u^ to ■•Madan," he said, "I have the most ur,vent need of » hounet and sha.l. Win 3,,, ,,„ „„ u,~ l^ on Jhe s ops are all shut, „r I would no t ouh llyyoJ "■■' ™'^ '° ""'"^ ^°- P"-. »od took po.sses.sion o£ thel.a I ItT °/ *' ^'°'"'™"* niitted none to ,..,./f .1 " ™trance and per- and so handing th^n,!. ° for it 1';"™? '" '""'=''^> tried to penetrate into t e t^ Hj t, ™i" ""^ was roughly repulsed hv il '^ " P'"°"- He and at Lt fl^di,; tha^ '^^„"!^" S'^'ding the door; forced his way o,tUt in „','"=' '""''' ^^ '^™^. '« ingawayforsorne ikT . °P'" "'■■• "^ ^"0- the "::;: ^:.:i:z,n^:v'' "'^ ^^^^ ^^ ^ foundhi„ina.;at:ofl JtL'^f--; «« a.a.n the scene in the Ahhaye,cu:l:?r Jut r; I. lifl! in h I 162 A BAD REPORT. executioners, and cryinn; out ho would die with his iatlier. " What does the doctor tliiiik of him?" he asked the wonian who was sitting by Victor's bed. "He did not say niucli," the woman replied. "He shook his head, and said there had been a terrible mental shock, and that he could not answer eitlier for his hte or reason. There was nothiny to do but to be patient, to keep his head bandag-ed with wet cloths, and to give him water from time to time. Do not be afraid, sir; we will watch o\er him carefully." "I would stay if I could," Harry .said; "but I have others I must see about. I have the terrible news to break to some young la.lies of the murder of their lather and mother." _ "Poor things !-poor things !" the woman said, shak- ing her head. " It is teirible! My husban.l was tell- ing me what he saw; and a neighbour came in just now and .said it was the same thing at all the other pri.sons. The priest, too-our priest at the little church at the corner of the street, where I used to go in every morning to pray on my way to market- he was dragged away ten days ago to the Carmelit.vs an.] now he IS a saint in lu.u en. How is it, ,sir, that (Jod allows such things to be /" " We cannot t.,.ll," Harry .said sadly. " As for myself I can hardly believe it, though I .saw it. The^ say there are over four thousand people in the prisons, and they will all be murdered. .Such a thing wa.s never Ijoard of. I can hardly believe that I am not in a uream now." "THEY FACED THE JUDOES BDAVELY." 1C3 DieakUst and nuiie. It ,s iust re-i.lv iv + i mouthful before you iro out TW i " • ''^'' '" „. 1 "i^jougoout. iliatandapiece of brpq,] a..d a cup of red wine will do yo,, good." he wa,'T,Z "" "'" ""'"' <■' '■'■'f"-'!"g; l-'t he felt tl.at keep up l„s strength. Her husband, therefore took her pl.ce by Victor's bedside in read i, ess t, ho d ut down should ho try to get up in his ravines wl e u°: tir::" ""f r' ^ '-'''" -' "- ^-''"-"i ac' d H- fl M ,7" ""■ ^"■"" "'"» °" "-table. fr^m'th! t ' rf '^ ''""''" "■ ■"" "■''«" ho rose iron he table he already felt the benelit of the n.eai lliank you very much," ho .said. " I feel stron.rer iiut I n ust make quite certain before I „o to tlieso poor gn-ls that their parents were killed." Thre " tour were spared at the Abbaye I'os iblv it have been the .san,e thing .>t the Rectrc"' ' '""' until the bloody work was over; but found on .,„es. tlie thi St lo, blood had increased with killin. „nd "Ma foi:» the man wbou, he was speaking to said- but the.se accursed aristocrats havj cour^^e. M ,' and wonien were alike; there was not one of the hut aced the .judges hmvely and went to their , „,h a. calmly as if ^ dinner. There was a mar ^i „, d K Hi ^ ! !i; H niiijill I H 164 "THKY KNOW HOW TO DIE, THESE PEOPLR." his wife-the Marquis de St. Caux they called him They brought them out together. They were asked whether they had anything to say why they should not be punished for tlieir crimes against France The marquis laughed aloud. "'Crimes!' he said. 'Do you think a Marquis de fet. Caux IS going to plead for his life to a band of murderers and assassins ? Come, my love.' ''He just gave her one kiss, and then took her hand as It hey were going to walk a minuet together, and then led her down between the lines of guards with his head erect and a smile of scorn on his face. She did not simle but her step never faltered. I watched her closely She was very pale, and she did not look proud, but she walked as calmly and steadily as her husband till they reached the door where the pikemen were awaiting them, and then it was over in a minute and they died without a cry or a groan. They are vyretches the aristocrats. They liave fattened on the ite-blood of the people; but they know how to die these people." Without a word Harry turned away. He had told himself there was no hope; but he knew by the bitter pang he felt now that he had hoped to the last Then he walked slowly away to tell the news. There were comparatively few people about the streets, and these all of the lower order. Every shop was closed. Men with scared faces stood at some of the doors to g'ather the news from passers-by, and pale women looked timidly from the upper windows. When he readied the house he could not summon couraj^e '•you Must break it to tiikm," 10,5 to enter it, but stood for a Ion,, time „„t,i<,„, „„t„ ',, window. He succoeJed m catching her «yo, „„,! ,,|„ci„„ 1..S finger on h,s hp, signed to her t« ,Lo down X m.nute later she appeared at the door, "Is It all true. Monsieur SanJwith ? Thcv wv thev are murdering the prisoner. 8urel, it ..,Z U!aZ Ihey could never do such a thin""' "It is true Louise. I have .se^n it ,„yH„lf. 1 „ent w-thad,sg„,.,e to try and rescue our d,.«r lady, ITn her-the wretches have murdered then, l,„H, " Oh, my dear lady!" the old „„,„an cri„d' hurstin.. .nto tea.-s; "the pretty babe I nursed. To think "lef murdered; and the poor young things „„ .J^^ I shall I do!-what shall I do, Monsieur .S,„d.vith!" You must break ,t to then,, Loui.se. \,„ tb,.v know how great the danger is?" ^ ^ "No. I have kept it from them. They ram see from the wmdow that s„„,ething „„„sual VIoTZZ that the Pruss,an.,vvere advancing. They are «„xi„„I -very a„x,ous-but they are <,„it« „„p,ep„„„ f„, "Break it gradually, Louise. Tell them firsi th„t there are rumours that the prisons have ten attacked Come down again presently as it to p-t ,„„„ „„„., and then tell them that there are rtport: / X "But will you not coine up. Monsieur Umdmih- ii'lf -rf LI , I .1 ,!, *; 166 "it has been dreadful." li il Your presence will be a they trust in you so much ? support to them." " I could do nothing now," Harry said sadly. "God only can console them. They had best be by them- selves for awhile. I will come in this evening. The first burst of grief will b, over then, and my talk may aid them to rouse themselves. Oh, if we had but tried to get them out of prison sooi^er. And yet who could have foreseen that here in Paris thousands of innocent prisoners, men and women, would be mur- dered in cold blood!" Finding that she could not persuade Harry to enter, Louise turned to perform her painful duty; while Harry, thorouglily exhausted witli the night of horrors made his way home, and throwing himself on the bed' fell asleep, and did not wake until evening. His first step was to plunge his head into water, and then, after a good wash, to prepare a meal. His sleep had restored his energy, and with brisk steps he made his way through the streets to Louise Moulin. He knocked with his knuckles at the outer door of her apartments. Ihe old nurse opened it quietly. " Come in," she said, "and sit down. They are in their room, and I think they have cried themselves to sleep. My heart has been breaking all day to see them. It has been dreadful. Poor little Virginie cried terribly, and sobbed for hours; but it was a°lon.r time before the others cried. Marie fainted, and when I oot her round lay still and quiet without speaking. Jeanne was worst of all. She sat on that chair with her eyes staring open and her face as white as if she were dead "TKLL US ALL AllOL'T IT." 1G7 She did not soom to hear anything I said; hut at la.st, wlien Virgiiiie's sobs were stopping, I began to talk to her about lier niotlier and l)cr pretty ways when she was a cliild, and then at last Jeanne broke down, and she cried so wildly that I was frightened, and 'then Marie cried, too; and after a while I persuaded thein all to lie down; aney will be are marked out as the next victim.,. They say Danton haa denounced them at the Jacobin Club."^ At aivrS SI-HEAD OP THE TERROR. 1G9 It viU be better to get everything in readiness for «ight, so that we can leave at once if we hear of any tresh measures for a search after suspects." Harry was pleased to find that his suggestion an- swered the purpose for which he nuide it. The -iHs began to discuss the disguises which would be required and the best route to be taken, and their thoughts were for a time turned from the loss tliey had lus- ta:ned After an hour's talk he left them greatly benefited by his visit. For the next few days Harry spent his time for the most part by the bedside of Victor de Gisons. The fever was still at its height, and the doctor gave but small hopes of his recovery. Harry determined that he would not leave Paris until the issue was decided one way or the other, and when with the girls he dis- couraged any idea of an immediate flight. This was the more easy, for the news from the provinces showed that the situation was every where as bad as it was at the capital. The Commune had sent to all the committees actincr in connection with them in the towns throughout the country the news of the execution of the enemies of 1^ ranee confined in the prisons, and had urged that a similar step should at once be taken with reference to all the prisoners in their hands. The ord-^r was promptly obeyed, and throughout France massacres .similar to those in Paris were at once carried out. A carnival of murder and horror had commenced, and the madness for blood raged throucrhout the wholp country, buch being the case, Harry found it by no Mifi M-f^ 170 TEKHlCLE NEWS It ;' "•cans difficult to ,li.«„ado the ..iris horn ,.,);„ ■ ■stant .top., toward, ,„ai,e..te.i,,ie.,„.^ "uiM one ot tlio men sliouting them for s-.1p in j 'Htil he gave a start and a low cry Under th;! l^lict- aristocrats arrested, August loth in the act of endeavouring to leave France Tn dis^uis;- For son.e time Harzy sat as if stunned." He had It had been as a read v in P'nn-i.,,, i , , -^^ Du Tillet. i^ngland, under the charge of t'lUKNDS LOST. IVl He had thought, that if they had been arrested on tlie way lie should liave been sure to hear of it; and he had such conlidenco in f .a-ncity of Monsieur dn 1 diet that ho had k)oked it as nln.ost certain he vvould be able to lead bi.s two charges through any lithculty and danger which might beset them? And now he knew that his hopes had been ill IV.nndod- that his friends hud been arrested when almost within .sight of the frontier, and had been murdered as soon as tlie news of the massacres in Paris had reacheil Lille He felt crushed with the blow. A warm aflectiim had si.rung up between him and Ern.st, while from the first the younger boy had attached himselC to him; and now they were dead, and the girls were alone in' the world, save for himself and the poor youno- fellow tossnig with fever: It was true that if his friends had reached England in safety they could not liave aide.l hnn in the tusk he had before him of getting the girls aw^ay; still their deaths somehow seemed to add to his responsibilities. Upon one thing he determined at once, and that was, that until his charges were safely in England they should not hoai' a whisper of this new and terrible misfortune which had befallen them. In order to afford the girls some slight change. and anxious at their pale faces, the result of grief and of their unwonted conlin. ment, Louise Moulin"had per- suaded them to go out with her in the early mornino-s when she went to the markets. The fear of detection was small, for the girls had now become accnstonied to their thick shoes and rough dresses; and indeed she Hill 'Hi 1:; !i| IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) V J/. < % % %*4t % /. 1.0 I.I Ii25 ill 1.4 2.5 2.0 1.8 1.6 riiumgi'dpiilC Sdences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ?V V ''"''is O^ ^^■^ ? V ,^ U.A 1?2 it lEhAt i thouglit that it would be safer to go out for fl.. ' cions of her neighbours might be excited 'f tb • T^'" niained secluded in the house nf ^ ^'^''^' "'" them soon after th.v « ! fi , '^ generally met their walk ^ '"^' '"^^ ^^^°"'Panied them in On- morning he was walkind ^0 and' """"'='' "" '"^'■"^. ">ey away I ea»e"lr I CdZ" vlt^ "^^ ^" '-"-^ then made up ,„y mi^d 1^77 o"" """*' ""'' come on home J&Xr '"' ^''"'"""' ''^ too® If you had not r "'if " y°" h-d been taken looked ftran'ofhellrturir "' ^"-ir "^'^ thatyou would not terUh;r;£:Ti:ed'^"™«'' No, mdeed," the old woman said ■ TW „• .. ?rmrrtoVhr.rr's;fr^^t?^ found out somehow for ^^iH they might have havepuh,i.hedt:vtr:;2t7;iVwrtrTi:h a descnntion of ino ti xi . '^aKen, with ^ J^tion ot me. Then the neighbours -^ould have lllll lil' 1 1 (i illU ■!IT I III !i ! I .1 178 •'HE IS MUCH QUIETKR." said, 'This description is like Louise Moulin, and she is missing;' and then they would have talked, and the end of it would have been you would have been dis- covered. Will you come home with us, Monsieur Sand- with?" " I will come after it's dark, Louise. The less my visits are noticed the better." "This is awful!" Harry said to himself as he turned away. " The marquis and his wife massacred, Ernest and Jules murdered, Marie in i^rison, Victor mad with fever, Jeanne and Virginie with no one to trust to but me, my people at home in a frightful state of mind about me. It is awful to think of. It's enough to drive a fellow out of his senses. Well, I will go and see how Victor is going on. The doctor thought there was a change yesterday. Poor fellow! if he comes to his senses I shall have hard work to keep the truth about Marie from him. It would send him off again worse than ever if he had an idea of it." "And how is your patient to-day, madame?" he asked, as Victor's nurse opened the door to him. " He is quieter, much quieter," she replied. "I think he is too weak to rave any longer; but otherwise he's just the same. He lies with his eyes open, talking sometimes to himself, but I cannot make out any sense in what he says. The doctor has been here this morn- ing, and he says that he thinks another two days will decide. If he does not take a turn then he will die. If he does, he may live, but even then he may not get his reason again. Poor young fellow! I feel for him almost as if he were my son, and so does Jacques." HARUY TAKKS HIS TURN. 179 "You are both very good, ..«adan.e." Harry sai.l and my fnend is fortunate indeed to l.ave fd en into -oh good hands. I will sit with hiu. for t ale or u^ hours now. and you had better go and get a litti: frl "That I will, monsieur. Jacques is asloon W^ ",. with hh„ „„ last „i,,„t, and / „ad a^ 7„,Vh T would liave it so." '"o'lt. lie ".y turn." -lo-'orrow nyht I will take CHAPTER IX. I'. M ROBESPIERRE. |FTER dark Harry presented himself at Louise ' Moulin's. " Have you thought of anything, Harry?" was Jeanne's first question. She was alone, for Louise was cooking, and Virgiuie had lain down and cried her- seJt to sleep. " I have thought of a number of things," he replied, for while he had been sitting by Victor's bedside he had turned over in his mind every scheme by which he could get Marie out of prison, "but at present I have fixed upon nothing. I cannot carry out our ori- ginal plan of seizing Marat. It would require more than one o carry out such a scheme, and the friend whom I rehed upon before can no longer aid me " de Gisonsr '^'" "^'^""^ ^^^'^^ '^"''^'^- "'^^ '^ ^^°*^°'' "What! bless me, Jeanne!" Harry exclaimed in sur- prise, how did you guess that?" "Ifeltsureit wasVictorallaIong,"thegirl said. "In the first place. I never believed that he had gone away Mane told me she had begged and prayfd him to ^ use JEANNE'S OPINION. jg. go. and that he had nr.),r -™ed to t k ;„"^,5°"V° f'T ''"■ «'- didn't 0,i„k ,„. A ,!.!,.' " "'"■"''' «"■ '■">■ > "ndloave anyone htlfkT,""'"'' """ "'" "™y I' wa,, not li^,,; \!^;l ''"'"'->. even if h1„ t„l,| Mnl risking you,. lifV f„/f; ™; ■" 7 y™ staying l,„,.e „„.| you and l,ave „o Z2 m ° "" "'•" '"" '"'•"■»' '" Victor run awa/f B „Tm ^'"'- '*'"' '""^ -^""'d "■ink he was safe I,a , l! r"""' P''*^"! to '»d gone, and s^'ne da . ,^ '""f "" ' '''"'"■'' ''" "I'ould novo,, have oktl.'tV"" 'T """■'''"'• ' I felt sure he ,vouM„"t do 7 "',' ""' » '"■""'"'•• '<"' ;«"■ Ti.en. again ': d' oT'; , tu" "^^ "' '^'"■^" fnend who was ww-kin,- Ju\ , f """"= »' "'" ■nust have scne rea o n'i ', ^""T' ' ''"" »"^« y"" «« two things to.ethe ? "'?"'- ^°' l"""ng Wl-t has ha;pe„: :'hi „~° "' " ™" ''^"^ "No, he is iwt in n-r \ "' P'''™" too?" he is ve,y ia"t\r If """»•'• """■>■ ■^-<'. " '-t of Victor's fever I H " ""= "■''°''= '^'^'''nstance.s fer having hit hi,„,„ hard 7 '"^^'^ ^"''''">' "' H^^t bat the doctor s^ wt ', f" '™>' ^-I'Pose. Jeanne; that Victor's del iu : "dt V^'" "" '"*"""'«• ""■' notinanyw^t^,," '™^'o«"^ """'»' *ock and "°t like your-;*:ertt rit''"^"'- ''"' ' ^'-'•^ have guessed the truth f^ ' ; ""' "'7 S'°d you things over with you." " ""'"f'"'' 'o talk noveX!':tutH™ThT;" 'I'"' "" ■•' "'=» »'- -a. .ept her^;' 7nd '^ e'l^n^'f -'^"^ ^^^- c;o„,d X not take Vietor's'l LranftV;:: H ' Hijtl I'! 1 1 llil 182 "YOU MUST NOT DO THAT." Ir, If' III 1 1 so.^e Marat? I an. not stron. you know; but 1 could hold a kn.fo. and tell l.i.n 1 would kill hhu if ho cried out I don'c think I could, you know, but ho wouMn t know that." "I an. afraid that woul.h.'t do. Jeanne," Harry said with a shght ,s...ile. shaking his head. " It was a des- p.'mte enterprise for two of u.s. Deside.s, it would neve.' do lor you to run the risk of beh.g sepa.ated f.^oir, V i.g.nie Re,..en.ber you ave father and mother andi der Sister to her now. The next plan 1 thought of was to try and get appointed as a warder in the prison but that seems full of difiiculties. for I know no on. who could get me such a be.th. an.l certainly thev would not appo.nt a fellow at n.y age u,.less by so,... extraor.hna.y .nduence. Then 1 thought if I let out J was Lnghsh I n.ight get a.-rested and lodged in tho s^une p..son, and n.ight help her to get out then. Fro... what I hear the prisoners are not separated, but al.1 Jive together. " No. no. Harry," Jeanne exclaimed in a tone of •sharp pain. " you must not do that of all thinrr.s Wa have only you. and if you are once in prison you mi-d.t never get out again; besides, there are lots of other prisons, and there is no reason why they should send you to La force rather than anywhere else. No I will never consent to that plan." ;i thoijght it seemed too doubtful myself." Harry -d. " Of course, if I knew that they would send n.e to La I orce I might risk it. I could hide a fde and a steel saw about me. and might cut through the bars- but. as you say. there is no reason why they should "WE TIIOltJIIT OF THAT MiluKi:." ]gj k t at vUlam who a.n.ste.l lu.-tl.e sc.un.lrel. thlt . l1 *; '""' '^' "" ^'"•^t---l>"fc I onth. What her brother is like I don' know, but if he is like her he would. I think bets the man to help you." ' ^ ^ She^r« '^'"'T' "T^"-^' "^ ^'^'"'^ ^^^^"^^ °f Martha She IS a good soul and would do her best, I an, "Thank you both," Harry said; "but I do not wish } ou to rtm any risks. You have already incurred the you haza d your lives farther. This woman may as you say, be ready to help us, but her brother S I. •! i i i lie was in r; should, no laged?" first place ridor Ma- >nd, to le< to learn, in chargd 3t' feelino hould, oH e doesn'li ; can sec loints." ! of thd whothcii nod out inie.s sho broihei', get ou( I don'i be just Vlartlia, , I am )t wish fed the tiot let lay, as niirrht A LUT'llCU. 187 betray tlie whole of us, and screen his sister by sayinc she had only pretended to enter h.to the plot in order to betray it. ^ rn^^T ^^It''"^ """" ^''''' "''"''y "^''y'" Jacq^ies said q" ot y. I am sure we can fust Martha, and she w.l know whether she can rely completely upon her brother If she can, we will sot her to sound hin.. Ehse will go and see her to-day. and you shall know M'hat she thmks of it when you come this evening for your night's watching." Greatly pleased with this unexpected stroke of luck Harry went off at once to tell J.unne that the outline ot a plan to rescue Marie hud been fixed upon ihe girl's pale face brightened up at the news, ''lerhaps," she said, "we may be able to send a etter m to her. J should like so to send her just a line to say that Virginie and I are well. Do you think it can be done?" "I do not know, Jeanne. At anyrate you can rely tha , If It IS possible and all goes well, she shall have It; but be sure and give no clue by which they mioht find you out, if the letter falls into wrong hanl it." " I agree with you there," Harry said, " and I am really glad that he did not remember me, Tor had he done so the past might have come back at once and, feeble as he is, tliut would have completely knocked him over." Upon the receii)t of Marie's note Harry at once started off at full speed and soon had the satisfaction of handing it to Jeanne. She tore it open. "Do you not know what it is, Harry?" "How could IV Hany replied. "As you see the letter is addressed to you. Of course I should not think of looking at it." "Why not? You are as much interested in it as I am. Sit down between me and Virginie and let us read it together. Why, it is quite a long epistle." It was written in pencil upon what was evidently a fly-leaf of a book, and ran as follows: " My darling Jeanne and Viiginie, you can imagine what joy I felt when I received your little note to-day and heard that you were still safe. I could hardly believe my senses when, on opening the little ball of paper which one of our guards thrust into my hand, I found that it was from you, and that you were both M: fli ! IS Hi I 11 ' £ i! 192 AN INSOLENT OFFER. safe and well. I aia writing this crouched down on the ground behind Madame de Vigny, and so hidden from tlie sight of our guards, but I can only write a few lines at a time, lest I should be detected. Tell our good friend that I fear there is little chance of escape. We are watched night and day. We are locked up at night, three or four together, in little cells, but in the day we are in a common hall. ' It is a strange mixture. Here are many of the best blood in France, together with deputies, advocates, and writers. We may talk together as much as we like, and sometimes even a joke and a laugh are heard. Every day some names are called out, and these go and we never see them again. Do not fret about me, my dear sisters, we are all ia dod's hands. If it is his will, we shall be saved ; if not, we nmst face bravely whatever comes. " It is a day since I wrote last. A strange thing has happened which will make your blood boil, Jeanne, as it has made mine. I M^as called out this morning to a little room where questions are sometimes asked us, and who do you think was there? M. Lebat, the son of the Maire of Dijon— the man who denounced and arrested me. What do you think the wretch had the insolence to say? That he loved me, and that if I would consent to marry him he could save me. He said that his influence would suffice, not only to get me free, but to obtain for me some of our estates, and he told me he would give me time to consider his offer, but that I must remember that nothing could save me if I refused. What do you think I did, Jeanne? Some- down on so hidden y write a Tell our of escape, ked up at ut in the f the best cates, and i we like, d. Every ) and we , my dear ( will, we whatever ;hing has eanne, as irninor to isked us, <, the son iced and had the ;hat if I me. He y to get ites, and his offer, save me ? Souie- ADIEUX. 193 thing very unladylike, I am afraid. I made a step closer to him. and then 1 gave him a slap on the face which made my fingers tingle, then I made him a deep curtsy and said, 'That is my answer. Monsieur Lebat,' and walked into tlie great liall again. ■' But do not let me waste "a Mno of this last precious letter Imt I may be able to write to you by sayin.^ more about this wretch. I can see no possible way of escape, dears, so do not buoy yourseh-es up with hope I have none. Strange as it may seem to you we are not ^-ery unhappy here. There are many of our old friends and .some of the deputies of the Gironde, who used to attend our salon. We keep up each other's courage. We talk of other things just as if we were m a drawing-room, and when the list is called out of a morning those who are named say good-bj^e bravely: there is seldom a tear shed. "So do not think of me as wretched or unhappy in these last days. And now, n.y sisters, I must say adieu. You must trust yourselves entirely to our brave English friend, as you would trust a brother. He will do all that is possible to take you out of this unhappy land and conduct you to England, where you will f^nd Victor, Monsieur du Tillet, and your brothers who have, I trust, weeks ago arrived there in safety.' Ihank our friend from me and fiom our dead parents for his goodness and devotion. That your lives may be ^appy, my dear sisters, will be the last prayer of your loving Marie." ^ Inside the letter was another tiny note addressed Z^' " ^"''^^'•" ^^^^^"^' '^^^ the other Jeanne (381) ^ 11 i I ( !j 194 JEANNES NOTE. took the little note and walking to the wintlow opened it. As she did so a burning flush of colour swept across her face to her very brow. She folded it carefully again and stood looking through the window silently . for another quarter of an hour before she came back to the table. "AVhat is it, Jeanne?" Virginie asked; "have you been crying, Jeanne dear? you look so flushed. You must not fret. Harry says we mu.st not give up hope, for that he believes he may hit upon some plan 'for saving Slarie yet. He says it's only natural that she should thiidc there was no means of getting away, but it was only what he expected. It is we who must invent something." " Yes, dear, we will try," Jeanne said with a (luiver in her lip, and then she suddenly burst into tears. " You mustn't give way, Joanne," Harry said, when she recovered hevself a little. " You know how much I trust to your advice; if you were to break down 1 should lose heart. ])o not think of Marie's letter as a good-bye. I have not lost hope yet, by a long way. Why, we have done wonders already in managing to get a letter in to her and to have her repl}'. I consider half the difTiculty is over now we have a friend in there." "I will tiy not to break down again," Jeajine said; "it is not often T give way, but to-day I do not feel ([uite my.self, and this letter finished me. You will see I shall be all rioht to-morrow." "I hope so," Harry said as he rose to leave; "but I think you had better aslc Louise to give you some- cheeks your quite ; s A BAD BUSINKSS. lOfl Hushod ami you look to mo as if you were fevorish "I do liope Jt..„no is not goin- to break down." ilariy sa.d as h, walked toward. Ins lodgin^^ " If sl.u wore to net laid „,, now that wonld l.o tl.: Ilnishin.r ouch to . ,v hole a.i;U., la>t peH.^ yl I^^nll n^ht m the morning. No doul.t in that note A ane wrote as if she were sure of dyin.^ and ■such a le ter as that would be enough to upset any 'irl oven «uch a p]ueloiiis, scarce noticing where he was going It seemed to liim that there must be some way of ..ettin<. Mane out if he could only hit upon it. He turned over ni his mind every escape he had ever read of but in most of these the pris.jner had been a man, capable oi usmg tools passed in to him to saw through iron bars pierce walls, or overcome jailors; some liad°been saved by female relatives, wives or daughters, who went in and exchanged clothes and places with them, but this was not feasible liere. This was not a pri.sou where relatives could call upon friends, for to be a relative or triend of a prisoner was quite sufficient in the eyes of the terrorists to mark anyone as being an enemy of the republic. He was suddenly roused from his reverie by a cry and beneath the dim light of a lantern, suspended over the narrow street, he saw a man feebly defendinc. him- self agamst two others. He sprang forward iu.:t"as the man fell, and with h.s stick struck a si ari) bio.. , n the uplifted wrist of one of the assailai.ts.' sending the knife he was liolding flying thiough the air The other turned upon hnn, but he drew the pistol which he always carried beneath his clothes, and the two me.n at once took to tlieir heels. Harry replaced his iaslo. and stooped over the fallen man. Are yoi! -Pd!y hurt?" he asked. " No, I taink not, but I do not know. I think I II ■V :\tm K'lliKMMKKKK SAVKl) FRoM •,„,. A ssass:ns. 1 u u i; 1 ■» 'PI [!■ I hi ''' ill triE RESClTEt) MAi*. 197 slipped down; but they would have killed me had you not arrived." '^ ''Well, let me get you to your feet." PTarry said, holding out his hands, but with a feeling of some dis- gust at the abject fear expressed i,i the tones of the mans voice. He was indeed trembling so that even when_Harry hauled him to his feet he could scarcely "You had better lean against the wall for a minute or two to recover yourself," Harry said. "I see you have your coat cut on the shoulder, and are bleedin-. pretty free y, but it is nothing to be frightened about It you will give me your handkerchief I will bind it up lor you. Harry unbuttoned the man's coat, for his hands shook so n.uch that he was unable to do so, pulled the arm ou of the sleeve, and tied the bandage tightly round the shoulder. The man seemed to bebng to the bourgeois class, and evidently was careful as to his a tire, which was neat and precise. His linen and the uffles of his shirt were spotlessly white and of fine material Ihe short- waisted coat was of olive-green cloth with bright metal buttons; the waistcoat, exten- ding tar below the coat, was a light-buff colour, brocaded with a smal pattern of flowers. When he had bound «ie wound Harry helped him on with his coat again. He was by this time recovering himself. hate^mer''' ''"'*°''^^''" ^" "'"inured, "how they The words startled Harry. What was this? Hp had not interfered, as he had supposed, to prevent the m ;' iiif 108 AN INSIGNIFICANT FIGURE. robbery of some quiet citizen by tlie ruffians of the streets. It was a political assassination that had been attenipted-a venrroance by Royalists upon one of the men of the Revolution. He looked more closely at the person whose life he had saved. He had a thin and insignificant figure— his face was pale and looked like that of a student. It seemed to Harry that he had seen it before, but where he could not say. His lir.st thought was one of regret that he had interfered tc save one of the men of the 2d of September; then the thought fiashed through his mind that there mio-ht be some benefit to be derived from it. ° "Young man," the stranger said, "will you give me your arm and escort me home. You have saved my hie; it is a humble one, but perhaps it is of some value to France. I live but two streets away. It is not often I am out alone, for I have many enemies but I was called suddenly out on business, though I have no doubt now the message was a fraudulent one, deshmed snnply to put me into the hands of my foes." The man spoke in a thin hard voice, which inspired Harry, he knew not why, with a feeling of repulsion- he had certainly hoard it l,ofore. He offered him his' arm and walked with him to his door. "Come up, I beg you," the stranger said. He ascended to the second floor and rang at the bell A woman with a light opened it. " Why, my brother," she exclaimed on seeincr hi« face, "you are ill! Has anything happened?" ° " J have been attacked in the street," he .said "but I am not hurt, though, had it not been for this citizen it ms of tlie - had been 3ne of the iely at the thin and )oked like it he had His first irfered tc ; then tlie miglit be i give me saved my >nie value It is not i<\s, but J - have no designed inspired epulsion; him his the bell, sing his 1, "but I itizen it would have gone hardly with n.e. You ha^•o to thank lum tor having saved your brother's life " They had entered a sitting-room now. It was plHinly but very neatly furnished. There were son^e buds m cages which, late though the hour was, hopped on their perches and twittered when they heard the masters voice and he responded with two or three words of grcetmg to them. ■'Set the supper." he said to his sLster; "the citizen VMll take a meal with us. You know who I am, J suppose?" he said to Harry. "No," Harry replied. " I have a recollection of your face and voice, but I cannot recall where I have met " I am Robesi)ierre," he said. Harry gave a start of surprise. This man whom he had saved was he whom he had so often execrated- one of the leaders of those who had deluged France ..h blood the man who, next only to llarat, wl .atod and feared by the loyalists of France. Hi^ first teel.ng was one of loathing and hatred, but at the ■same moment there Hashed through his mind the tl^ought that chance had favoured^him beyond hi hopes^ and that the con.edy which he had planned ^^ itli \ ,et,.r to carry out upon the person of Marat had co.ne to pass without premeditation, but with Robes- pierre as the chief actor. But so surprised and so delighted was he that for a minute he sat unable to say a word. Robesi>ierre was gratified at the effect which his name had produced His was a strangely-mixed character-at once timid 'I » if li ■ m Iff !|f! If U I f) 1 »■»(-, 200 'YOU AKE SURPIUSED, YoUNO MAN. and bold, shrinking from personal danger, yet ready to urge the extrenicst measures. Simple in his tastes, and yet very vain and greedy of applause. Domestic and affectionate in his private character, but ready to shed a river of l)lood in his public ca])acity. Pure in morals; passionless in his resolves; incorruptible and inflexible; the more dangerous because he had neither passion nor hate; because he had not, like Danton and Marat, a lust for blood, but because human life to him was as nothing, because had he considered it necessary that half France should die for the benefit of the other half he would have signed their death-warrant without emotion or hesitation. "You are surprised, young man," he said, "but the ways of fate are inscrutable. The interposition of a youth has thwarted the schemes of the enemies of France. Had you been but ten seconds later I should have ceased to be, and one of the humble instruments by which fate is working for the regeneration of the people would have perished." While Robesjjierre was speaking Harry had rapidly thought over the role which it would be best for him to adopt. Should he avow his real character and ask for an order for the liberation of Marie as a recompense for the service he had rendered Robespierre, or should he retain his present character and obtain Robespierre's confidence? 'J'here was danger in an open appeal, for, above all things, Robespierre prided himself upon his incorruptibility, and he might consider that to free a prisoner for service rendered to himself would be a breach of his duty to France. He resolved, therefore, A DIPLOMATIC REPLV. 201 fco keep silence at present, reserving an appeal to Robes- Pierre's gratitude for the last extremity. "Pardon me, monsieur," he said, after ho lia T' ''■''""""™ °" ">" Con'oiittee ot 1 ubi c .Safety oi the province of Burgundy and one of the most extromo of the frei.uenter,, rf the Jacobin Chib. He did not recog„i.e Harrv, wliom he v'lT'n "f'"'' P"'-"""'-'-'? "■> tl.e occkon of hi., V sit, tie chateau, and who, in the somewhat tliread- bare bla^k suit which he ha,l assumed instead of the workman's blouse, wrote steadily at a table apart Wung apparently no notice of what wa. going on in the apartment. * But Hany's time was not altogetlier thrown away and .sort he letters and lay them in piles upon the able used by Robespierre himself, and he managed ej^ry day to shp quietly into his pocket several of Ihe tetters of denunciation a.oainst person.^ - • ■ di sguhse or as behxr m inspected of hostility to the Com o 210 HARllY nOKS SOME GOOD WOUK. !i u lit j mune. When Robespierre left him to go to the Club or the Assembly Hivrry would write short notes of warning in a (iisguised hand to the persons named, and would, when he went out, leave these at their doors. Thus he had the satisfaction of saving a con- siderable number of persons from the clutches of the revolutionists. He would then, two or three days later, slip the letters of denunciation, very few of which were dated, among the rest of the correspon- dence, satisfied that when search was made the persons named would already have shifted their quarters and assumed some other disguise. February had come and Harry was still working and waiting, busy for several hours each day writing and exauiining reports with Robespierre, striving of an evening to keep up the courage and spirits of the gii'ls, calling in for a few minutes each day to see Victor, who, after passing through a long and terrible fever, now lay weak and apparently unconscious alike of the past and present, his mind completely gone; but the doctor told Harry that in this respect he did not think the case was hopeless. "His strength seems to have absolutely deserted him," he said, "and his mind is a blank like that of a little child, but I by no means despair of his gradually recovering; and if he could hear the voice of the lady you tell me lie is engaged to, it might strike a chord now lying dormant and set the biain at work again." But as to Marie, Harry could do nothing. Do what he would, he could hit upon no plan whatever for get- TIIR KING IN VniSON. 211 the Club notes of s named, at their ig a con- is of the ree days ' few of )rrespon- 3 persons iters and working { writing ing of an the girls, 36 Victor, ble fever, ke of the ; but the act think deserted that of a gradually ;e of the strike a I at work Do what r for get- tnig her out of prison; and he could only wait until some change in the situation or the ai)pearance of her name ni tlie fatal list might atiord some opportunity tor action. It was evident to him that Lebat was not pushing matters forward, but that he preferred to wait and leave the horror of months in prison to work upon Marie's mind, and so break her down that she would be willing enough to purchase her life by a marriage with him. There had been some little lull in the work of blood for in December all eyes had been turned to the spec- tacle of the trial of the king. From the lOth of August he had remained a close prisoner in the Temple, watched and insulted by his ruffian guards, and passing the time in the midst of his family with a serenity of mind, a calmness, and tranquillity which went far to redeem the blunders he had made during the preceding three years. The fol- lowing is the account written by the princess royal in lier journal or the manner in which the family passed their days: — "My father rose at seven and said prayers till eight- then dressing himself he was with my brother "till nine, when he came to breakfast with my mother. After breakfast my father gave us lessons till eleven o'clock; and then my brother played till midday, when we went to walk together, whatever the weather was. because at that hour they relieved guard and wished to see us to l^e sure of our presence. Our walk was con- tinued till two o'clock, when we dined. After dinner my father and mother played at backgammon, or rather 1 li 11 :i , i !i i I 212 THE TRIAL. li pretended to play, in order to have an opportunity of talkinjj together for a short time. "At four o'clock my mother went up stairs with us, because the king then usually took a nap. At six o'clock my brother went down, and my father gave us lessons till supper at nine. After supper my mother soon went to bed. We then went up stairs, and the king went to bed at eleven. My mother worked much at tapestry ana made me study, and frequently read alone. Aly aunt said prayers and read the service she also read many religious books, usually aloud." But harmless as was the life of the royal family, Danton and the Jacobins were determined upon having their lives. The mockery of the trial commenced on the 10th of December. Malesherbes, Tronchet, and Deseze defended him fearlessly and eloquently, but it was useless — the king was condemned beforehand. Robespierre and Marat led the assault. The Girondists, themselves menaced and alarmed, stood neutral; but on the loth of January the question was put to the Assembly, " Is Louis Capet, formerly King of the French, guilty of conspiracy and attempt against the general safety of the state ? " With scarcely a single exception, the Assembly re- turned an affirmative answer, and on the 17th the final vote was taken. Three hundred and sixty-one voted for death, two for imprisonment, two hundred and eighty-six for detention, banishment, or conditional death, forty-six for death but after a delay, twenty-six for death but with a wish that the Assembly should revise the sentence. THE EXECUTION OP THE KINO. 213 Sentence of death was pronounced. After a sittincr which asted for thirty-seven hours there was anothe^ struggle between the advocates of delay and those of instant execution, but the latter won; and after parting with noble resignation from his wife and family, the king, on the 21st. was executed. His bearing excited the admiration even of his bitterest foes France looked on an.azed and appalled at the act for Louis had undoubtedly striven his best to lessen abuses and to go with the people in the path of reform It was his objection to shed blood, his readiness to give way h,s affection for the people, which had allowed the Revolution to march on its bloody way without a check It was the victims-the nobles, the priests, the delicate women and cultured men-who had reason to complain; or it was the king's hatred to resistance which left them at the mercy of their foes. Louis had been the best friend of the Revolution that slew him Ihe trial and execution of the king had at least the good eftect of diverting the minds of Jeanne and Virgmie from their own anxieties. Jeanne was pa.s- sionate and Virginie tearful in their sorrow and in- dignation. Over and over again Jeanne implored Harry to try to save the king. There were still many Royalists, and indeed the bulk of the people were shocked and alienated by the violence of the Conven- tion; and Jeanne urged that Harry might, from his connection with Robespierre, obtain some pass or docu- ment which would enable the king to escape. But Harry infused to make any attempt whatever on m I rrl ti 214 HARRY DECLINKS TO lNTl5nVl!;NI<:. I' > It ■ " In tlie first place, Jeanne, it would be absolutely impossible for the king, watched as he is, to escape; and no pass or permit that Robespierre could give would be of the suiallest utility. You must remember, that although all apparently unite against the king, there is a never-ending struggle going on in the Con- vention between the various parties and the various leaders. Robespierre is but one of them, although, perhaps, the most prominent; but could I wring a pass from him even if only to see the king, that pass would not be respected. "In the next place, Jeanne, 1 have nothing to do with these struggles in France. I am staying here to do what little I can to watch over you and Virginie, for the sake of your dear parents and because I love you both; and I have also, if possible, to rescue Marie from the hands of these murderers. The resi)onsibility is heavy enough; and could I, by merely using Robes- pierre's name, rescue the king and queen and theii children and pass them across the frontier, I would not do it if the act in the slightest degree inter- fered with my freedom of action towards you and Marie." " But Virginie and I would die for the king!" Jeanne said passionately. "Happily, Jeanne," Harry replied coolly, "your dying would in no respect benetit him; and as your life is in my eyes of a thousand times more consequence than that of the king, and as your chances of safety to some extent depend upon mine, I do not mean to risk one of those chances for the sake of his majesty. Be- ; ibsolntely to escape; ould give 'erneiTiber, the king, the Con- le various although, ing a pass ass would ing to do ig here to Virginie, ise I love cue Marie lonsibility ng Robes- md their , I would fee inter- you and ! " Jeanne y, "your I as your ^sequence safety to in to risk .sty. Be- "MY INTEN'riONS AUE GOOD." gift sides, to tell you the truth, I have a gooi;actisiN(j a sionatuue. I! I and that did ho do so he might forfeit the opportunity he now had of learning what was going on. Another month passed before the name appeared on the fatal list. In the meantime Harry had corresponded regularly with Marie by means of the warder, and had even once seen her and exchanged a few words with her, having been sent by Robespierre with a letter to the governor of the prison. Marie was greatly changed: her colour had faded away, the former somewhat haughty air and carriage had disap])eared, and there was an expression of patient resignation on her face. Harry had only the op[)ortunity to whisper to her "Hope always, all is not lost yet." He had spent hours each day in his lodging imitating the signature of Robespierre, and he had made up his mind that, should all other etibits fail, he would boldly present himself at the prison with an order for Marie's release, with Robespierre's siirnature foro;ed at the bottom. He thought he could write it now plainly enough for it to pass; his fear was that the prison authorities would not act upon it unless presented by a well- known official personage without first sending to Robespierre to have it verified. Still but little change had taken place in Victor de Gisons' condition. He remained in a state almost of lethargy, with an expression of dull hopelessness on his face; sometimes he passed his hand wearily across his forehead as if he were trying to recollect sonie- thinor he had lost; he was still too weak to stand, but Jacques and his wife would dress him and place him tortunity eared on jsponded and had irds with letter to ad faded carriage jssion ol only the ys, all is ly in luH e, and lie er efforts le prison espierre's y enough uthoritics ' a well- ading to Victor de almost of ssness on ily across ect some- itand, but )lace him A DIFFICULT QUKsTI0^f. 219 on a couch which Harry purcliasod for his use. The worthy couple ran no risk now, for the sharpest spy would fail to reooi^niize in the bowed-down invalid with vacant face, the once brilliant Victor de Gisons. Hairy hail many talks with Jeanne concerning' him. " What should we do, Harry," the girl said over and over again, "if we could get Marie away and all get safe together to iuigland, which I begin to despair now of our ever doing, but if wo should do it what should we say to Marie? She thinks Victor is safe there. Only the other day, as you know, she sent us out a letter to liim. What would she say when .she learned on her arrival in England that Victor has all this time been lying broken down and in sufi"erin<' in Paris?" To this question Harry, for a long time, could give no answer. At last he said, "I have been thinking it over, Jeanne, and I feel that we have no right to take Marie away without her knowing the truth about Victor. His misfortunes have come upon him because he would stop in Paris to watch over her. I feel now that she has the right, if she chooses, of sto])ping in Paris to look after him." "Oh, Harry, you would never think of our going away and leaving her!" "I don't know, Jeanne, if it would not be best. She could stay in the disguise of a peasant girl with Jacques and his wife; they would give out that she was Victor's sister who had come to nurse him. I have great hopes that her voice and presence would do what we have failed to do, namely, awaken him from his I }' 1 ] • M 1 ^ B '! f i i ( i 1 220 A DOUULE SHOCK. ' [! I sad state of letlmrgy. Tliey could stay there fur months until these evil days are over. Jacques' workmen friends are aceustonied now to Victor being with him, and there is no cli'ince of any suspicion arising that he is not what he seems to be, a workman whom Jacques picked up injured and in.sensible on that terrible night. It would seem natural that his sister or his fiancee — JMarie could pass for whichever she chose — should come and help take care of him." " Then if she can stop in Paris vv'ith Victor, of course we can stop with Louise?" "I am afraid not," Harry said. "Every day the search for suspects becomes stricter; every day people are being seized and called upon to produce the papers proving their identity; and I fear, Jeanne, there is no hope of permanent safety for you save in flight." It was just a month from the mock trial, at which Marie had been found guilty an ' sentenced to death, that Harry received a double shook. Among the letters of denunciation was the following: "Citizen, I know jhat you watch over the state. I would have you know that for more than seven months two girls have been dwelling with one Louise Moulin of 15 Rue Michel; there were three of them, but the eldest has disappeared. This, in itself, is mysterious; the old woman herself was a servant in the family of the ci-devant Marquis de St. Caux. She gives out that the girls are relatives of hers, but it is believed in the neighbourhood that they are aristocrats in dis- guise. They receive many visits from a young man of whom no one knows anything." THE CRISIS. 221 •r inont/hs Workmen vith him, sing that m whom on that his sister levcr sho n. of course he searcli 30ple are 16 papers lere is no lit." at which to death, he letters , I know lave you firls have 15 Rue Idest lias the old y of the out that lieved in 3 in dis- ung man Harry felt the colour leave his cheeks, and his hand shook as ho hastily abstracted the note, and he could scarcely master the meaning of the next few letters he opened. This was a sudden blow for which he was unpre- pared. He could not even think what was best to be done. However, saying to himself that he had at any- rate a few days before him, he resolutely put the matter aside, to be thought over when he was alone, and pro- ceeded with his work. After a time ho came to the list of those marked out for execution on the following day, and saw with a fresh pang the name of Marie de St. Caux, So the crisis had arrived. That night or never Marie must be rescued, and his plan of forging Robes- pierre's signature must be put into eflect that day. He opened the next few papers mechanically, but steadied himself upon Robespierre asking him a question. For a time he worked on; but his brain was swim- ming, and he was on the point of saying that he felt strangely unwell, and must ask to be excused his work for that day, when he heard a ring at the bell, and a moment later Lebat entered the room. " I have just come from the tribunal, citizen," he said, "and have seen the list for to-morrow. I Jiave come to you, as I know you are just, and abhor the shedding of innocent blood. There is among the number a young girl, who is wholly innocent. I know her well, for she comes from my jirovince, and her father's chateau was within a few miles of Dijon. Although liur father was a furious aristocrat, her heart I h <'n 223 M. i,ki!At's UKgiysr. I wns always witli tlio people. She was good to the poor, ami was hcloved by nil tlio tcimnts on the estate. It is not just that she should die for the sins of her parents. Moreover, henceforth, if pardoned, she will he no longer an aristocrat. 1 respond for her; for she has prouused to marry nie, the delegate of Burgiuidy to the Conununo. 'J'he young woman is the daunhter of the man called the Mai'(|uis de St. (.'aux, who met his de.served fate on the rid of Septendjcr.' "You are willing to respond for her, citizen?" Robespierre said. "1 am. The fact that she will be my wife is surely a guarantee?" "It is," Robespierre said. "What yon toll me con- vinces me that I can without damage to the cause of the people grant your request. I am the more glad to do so since luy secretary has also prayed for her life. But though he rendered me the greatest service, and I owe to liim a debt of gratitude, 1 was obliged to refuse; for to giant his roipiest would have been to allow private feeling tij interfere with the justice of the people; but now it is different. You tell me that, except by birth, she is no aristocrat; that she has long been a friend of the people, and that she is going to be your wife; on these grounds I can with a good con- science grant her release." Lebat had looked with astoni.shment at Harry as Robe.spierre spoko. "Thank you, citizen," he said to Robe.spierre. "It is an act of justice which I relied upon from your well-known cluiractcr. I promise you that your cleuj- "HE SAVKI) MY LIKK." :)d to the he estate. MS uf lier , she will r; for slic ■^iirLrunilv daughter lo met liis citizen?" is surely I me con- ! cause of lore glad 1 for her it service, )b]iij'ed to 3 been to justice of me that, ! has long >ing to be jood con- Hariy as rre. "It ■om your 9ur clem- ency will not be misplaced, and that she will become a worthy citizen. May I ask," he said, "how it is that your secretary, whose face .seems fandliur to me, is in- terested in this young woman alsoT' "it is siiu[)le onougli," Kobesj.ierre replied. "He was in the service of her father." "Oh, I remember now," bobat .said. "He i.s Engli.sh. I wonder, citizen, tliat you should give your confidence to one of that treachijrous nation." "He saved my life," Robespierre rei>lied coldly; "a somewhat good ground, you will admit, for placing confidence in him." "Assuredly," Lebat said hastily, seeing that Robes- pierre was otlended. " And now, citizen, there is an- other matter of importance on which I wish to confer with you." Harry rose. "Citizen, I will as! ,u to excuse me from further work to-day. My htad aches badly, and I can scarce nee what I am writinir." " I thought you were making some confusion of my papers," Robespierre said kindly. "By all means put aside your work." On leaving the room Harry ran up to the attic above, which he had occupied since he had entered Robespierre's service, rapidly put on the blue blouse and pantaloons which he had formerly worn, pulled his cap well down over his eyes, and hurried down stairs. He stationed him.self some distance along the street and waited for Lebat to come out. Rapidly thinking the matter over, he concluded that the man would not f i r! 11 a!:| ! M; 224 ON lebat's track. i i present liimself with the order of release until after dark, in order that if Marie struggled or tried to make her escape it would be unnoticed in the street. Lebat had calculated, of course, that on tlie presentation of the order the prison officials would at once lead Marie to the gates whether she wished it or not, and would, at his order, force her into a vehicle, when she would be com- pletely in his power, and he could confine her in his own house or elsewhere until she consented to be his wife. A quarter of an hour later Lebat came out of the house and walked down the street. Harry followed him. After walking for some distance Lebat came to a stand of hackney-coaches and spoke to one of the drivers. When he had gone on again Harry went up to the man. " Comrade," he said, "do you wish to do a good ac- tion and to earn a couple of gold pieces at the same time?" " That will suit me admirably," the coachman re- plied. " Let one of your comrades look after your horse, then, and let us have a glass of wine together in that cabaret." As soon as they were seated at a small table with a measure of wine before them Harry said: " That deputy with the red sash who spoke to you just now has engaged you for a job this evening?" " He has," the coachman said. " I am to be at the left corner of the Place de Carrousel at eight this even- ing." I i after dark, make her Lebat had ion of the [arie to the lukl. at lii.s Id be coin- her in his to be his out of the y followed it came to )ne of the y went up a, good ac- i the same chman re- our horse, ler in that ble with a ike to you ning?" be at the this even- A BARGAIN. 225 "He is a bad lot," Harrv siirl- <<\.^ • • . r^ff « • , -LLttny saia, he is gomff tocarrv nage but of course we kuow better than that She he trets h^,. „ k, 7 . '° ""^^' ''"- ™d "hen off and t ; t ' "' ^'" '°'iS'"g I »'>"" J-'mp ZtTl^ll"^ °""™ '"'^ " ""-"^'"ng a, will put a stop to h,., gallivanting for some ti,„e, I I ZJ " °™™ '°' *^ "^^ " y""' 'oaoh for"" peMe Lf ,w' "" r'"' P'-'^"'-"' '» ^ f^-ds of the laulwn J """£" """''If "'^ '™ '" '"'P'" Han-y said au ning. Ihere are others besides myself who will not see our pretty Isabel wronged " ••And where shall I get ,„y coach again?" ^etrrnt"ii"thi— be .nany „i„n,es later. Her Ss a ou s" r Tli"^ Ctih:pi'r Tr "'^" ' "'»"=- p'-s With';: up'™ t;i;"^''"""^ --'■-- -"^ "you may rely (381) P f ^ 226 THE PLAN OF ESCAPE. i • 1 J Harry now hurried away to his friend Jacques, and rapidly gave an account of what hud taken place. " In the first place, Jacques, I want your wife to see her friend and to get her to take a note instantly to the warder, for him to give to Mademoiselle de St. Caux. It is to tell her to make no resistance when Lebat presents the order for her release, but to go with him quietly; because if she appeals to the warders and declares that she would rather die than go with him, it is just possible that they might refuse to let him take her away, saying that the order was for her release, but not for her delivery to him. I don't sup- pose they would do so, because as one of the members of the Committee of Public Safety he is all-powerful; still it would be as well to avoid any risk whatever of our scheme failing. I will drive to the Rue Montag- nard, which, a^; you know, is close to La Force. It is a quiet street, and it is not likely there will be any- body about at half-past eight. Will you be there and give me a hand to secure the fellow?" "Certainly I will," Jacques said heartily. "What do you propose to do with him?" " I propose to tie his hands and feet and gag him, and then drive to the Rue Bluett, which is close by, and where there are some unfinished houses. We can toss him in there, and he will be safe till morning." " It will be the safest plan to run him through at once and have done with him," Jacques said. "He will be a dangerous enemy if he is left alive; and as he would kill you without mercy if he had a chance, I don't see why you need be overnice with him." acques, and I place, wife to sec nstantly to 3elle de St. tance when I to go with k'arders and ) with him, to let him a,s for her ' don't sup- ,e members l-po\verful; t whatever le Montag- orce. It is ill be any- 3 there and " What do i gag him, s close by, I. We can Drnincj." through at . "He will and as he I cliance, I m." JACQUE? IS NOT CONVINCED. 287 «hom'°l T V '"'""''■»'. ••">'" one of a ha„« K™ Montagnard. and Ha" V ™?" ^?™^'' "" "^ —•J ^fcing thJ ri'tr'-""^^^'"*^^- •'"'«■« "^-k-d onto, in a zeToit '°" ^"' ""-'"' *" '"^ "'"^- -'<- " ^ ™' niy fare. There is a cabaret only inst ahead oJi^ir^rLettrT;::;:^^^^'-^'-- Don t you speak in that way to me, citizen " Harrv .a.1 hoarsely "One .nan's a» «„„d as Another in th ,e days, and ,f y„„ talk like that to n,e I will break your head in spite of your red sash." ^ With an exclamation of rage Lebat sprang fron> the coach, and a, his foot touched the ground H^ny Lew b.s arms round him; but as he did so he trod uZ o,ne of the «Uh which .so thickly littered the thorou'X fare, and shpped Lebat wrenched hi.nself free and '■f iS, 230 "oh, HARllY, IS IT YOU?" i W |i .1 drew his sword, and before Harry could have regained his feet he would have cut him down, when he fell himself in a heap from a tremendous blow which Jacques struck him with his sword. " Jump inside," Jacques said to Harry. " Wt may have some cue out to see what the noise is about. He will be no more trouble," He seized the prostrate bod^ , threw it up on the box and taking his seat di-ove on. "Marie," Harry said as he jumped in, "thank God you are safe!" " Oh, Harry, is it you? Can it be true?" And the spirit which had so long sustained the girl gave way and leaning her head upon his shoulder she burst into tears. Harry soothed and pacified her till the vehiclo again came to a stop. "What is it, Jacques?" Harry asked, putting hi.<» head out of window. " Just what we agreed upon," the man said. " Hero are the empty houses. You stop where you are. I will get rid of this trash." Harry, however, got out. "Is he dead?" he asked in a low voice. " Well, considering his head's cut pretty nigh in two, I should think he was," Jacques said. " It could not be helped, you know; for if I hadn't struck sharp it would have been all over with you. Anyhow it's better as it is a hundred times. If you don't value your neck, I do mine. Now get in again. I sha'n't be two minutes." He slipped off the red sash and coat and waistcoat PUECAUTIONS. 231 'e regalncc! len he fell low which " Wb may ibout. He )n the box hank God And tho gave way, burst into he vehiclo Jtting his i "Hero re. I will of the dead man, emptied his trouser pockets and turned them mside out. then lifting the body on his sel7^.T H " "^y^,^^"^^ ^^'^^0 5'e i«/' he said to him- ^elt. In tins neighbourhood the first comer will take his shn-t and trousers. They will suppose he has been kd ed and robbed, no uncomn.on matter in these days and Ins body will be thrown into the public pit. and no one be any the wiser. I will burn the coat and waistcoat as soon as I get back." ■"^^ ■ -a H tii'n't value I shan't waistcoat i m :i Vi ii ! liii t> u CHAPTER XL MARIE AND VICTOR. |RE you taking me to the girls, Harry?;" " No," Harry said. " It would not be safe to do so. There are already suspicions, and they have been denounced." Marie gave a cry of alarm. ■'I have managed to suppress the document, Marie and we start with them in a day or two. Still it will be better for you not to go near them. I will arranc^e tor you to meet them to-morrow." "" " Where am I going, then?" "You are going to the house of a worthy couple who have shown themselves faithful and trustworthy by nursing a friend of mine, who has for nearly six months been lying ill there. You will be perfectly sate there till we can arrange matters." ; But if Robespierre has signed my release, as they said,^^ I am safe enough, surely, and can go where I like. "I think you will be safe from re-arrest here in Paris Mane,_ because you could appeal to him; but outside 1 aris It might be different. However, we can talk •t it be safe nons, and it, Marie, ill it will 1 arrange 7 couple, jtworthy eai-ly six perfectly I as they where I in Paris, outside an talk AT THEIR DESTINATION. 233 nl^'sr:'..'"""""''- ""^ ^°" ->- ''"O « good Harry ,|id „„t think it necessary to .,ay, tl,at when that heTa,'"r" " :"'"•" P™'""''^ ''o ascertained tnat he was ast seen ieavmg La Force with her and be sought for However, Marie said no ,„„..« on Tetan to "'™f """' '"' ""'""'" '""t, and she now began to ask ail sorts of questions about her sisters and so passed the ti,ue until they were closl to t^e' Place de Carrousel then Harry eliled it:;!";: ourTodT 'fr «"'■ °'"' M"™' ^J «-ait with our good fnend here tiii I return. I slmll be h Jk » five nunutes. I have to hand the ooach"ove; t^its downT '^r^'^""""'' '^"'^"^ "'<" l"» a™ and got .ntlthe pT ^'- """^ '""^ '"' ^''at and drove .nto the Place, where he found the coachn.an awaiting " Have you njanaged the job !" a,,,!?"' Tl'"'"'" """^ '"'''•' "If« has had a lesson and Isabel |,as gone off to her friends a^in T^ Me g„l, I hope it will cure her of her°d,Vhtinr Iz;::^' -"^^ ^-^ ^°'"- ---y. -y ^'&tz inJ lis" bl: """i"'. T'ri' "- <'"™'- -d, mount. ■n„ his box I wish I could do as well every dav but these are bad times for us, and money is pfecioTj scarce, I can tell you." pieuous f-^l ,M ' , , : l^H • (i jl ( ; j 1 i 1 t ..Itl ; .-I ■ f 234 Marie's trials. Harry soon rejoined Jacques and Marie. There were but few words said as tliey made their way through tlic str(,ets, for Marie wa.s weakened by her ong imprisonment, and shaken by what she had gone through. She had not asked a single question as to what had become of Lebat; but she liad no doubt that he was killed. Sl^e had grown, however, ahuost in- different to death. Day after day she had seen batches ot her friends taken out to execution, and the retri bution which had fallen upon this wretch .^ave he. scarce y a tliought. except a feeling of tl..ud. i your Wen.l will !« hero in ™od tin , " -a t,.en ,„,. can talk „::rCi: :; 1 ii,;:.?!;!;' "She will be asleep in five minutes," she said when she rejoined her husband and Harry " lie 3 w^ out with excitement, but a niol.fs rest willT T for her Tlo.,'* x ^'"^ '^ "^^^t w ill do wonders not disturb her till she .ak.s of hTrseir ""' ' ^™"" 1 Will be here ni, nin^^ " Harr • ' -t i -nd before that and tell he^^tr'C^:;;:^ 'Pii ^^[^f '• H , i|i 11 i ! I I 236 "HAVE YOU TOLD US ALL?" wondering they have seen nofchin^. of me in r1.. u * I was afraid to tell them until it LZuleT T^^l anxiety would have been too great for t W ^'^ the^z LT t:r Ttr ^^"^ ^"^ -^^ - wiYxijg moining to attend a nipefJnrr q+ +i " /clnt? "' ^""^ ■ " '^™"' ^^"='""^■1 "« he entered i can see you have news. What is it » » "?:Vhrrut::Tj-«''"'>««-^eo„tr. oniytX;::?'"'" ™^' «"^^'" ^-«'- -•'ed; "not "A sure, certain way," Harry replied ■■ Ya,. „ . have no n,ore tear; Marie will eertaLy be Wd ■.""" Ihe two g„.Is stood speechless wUh d iwit It h:':;oirer:Lrnt'»^^^^^ "Have you told us all Havnr?" t minute ktP.- In i • «airy? Jeanne asked a imute Jatei, looking earnestly in his face "Onr. ■, be ?-is she really out already r' ^''- ^^" '^ fre'J"'" ""'"^ '"'' ""^^"^ «°^' ^--. your sister is -f;^::^:L^Sdl;~^ exuberance of her li- m,-nocc t • 7 ^^ ^"^ over her head an. hfT . ^°"^«« ^^^^'^^ her apron While .a„nr;ttrt:drhXldrnS^^^^^^^^^ ll r to-day, but over. The a." ut early on ng at the e necessity At eight he entered. news, but J out?" kedj "not S^ou need eed." light. It I'ds when asked a "Can it sister is lim, and Q in the Jr apron fulness ' said: "MARIE WILL NURSE HIM." 287 "Oh, Harry how can we ever thank you enough iot all you have done for us?" Six months back Jeanne M-ould probably have acted as V rgmie did, but those six months had changed her greatly; zndeed, ever since she received that note from Mane which she had never shown even to Viminie there had been a shade of difference in her mar.ner to Harry, which he had more than once noticed and won- ciereci at. It was some little time before the girls were suffi- ciently composed to listen to Harry's story "But why did you not bring her here, Harry?" Virginie asked. "Why did you take her somewhere "For several reasons, Virginie. I have not told you before, but there is no reason why you should not know now, that Victor is still in Paris." Virginie uttered an exclamation of wonder "He stopped here to look after you all, but he has had a very bad illness, and is still terribly weak, and does not even know me. Marie will nurse him. I have great hopes that he will know her. and that she "my be able in time to effect a complete cure. In the next place I think it would be dangerous to bring her here, for we nust leave in a very few days." "What, go without her?" "Yes I am afraid so. Virginie. I have learned, Louise, that some of your neighbours have their sus- picions, and that a letter of denunciation has already been sent, so it will be absolutely necessary to make ft moye. I have suppressed the first letter, but the In Pi m 238 "BUT WE ARE TO SEE HER?" witl out delay. You cannot cl.ange your lodffin r Tc u,a I z z r:r' ''"■"' '"''="^ -^ »» «.i/ iiu one would dare receive vou until f]iP conn™ tee of the district I.avo e.xan,incd you a d 1 perfectly ,at.,i„d. TLorotWo, I tl.ink we n ul go a one Jlane ,., wanted Jane, and I tl.ink .he will be tar afer nu«n,g Victor than .she would be with u, be ,des n„w »he has been -freed by KobesnLel' orders I do not think there is any fear of h r Z' even .i her Identity were discovered Lastly itluTdbe ««fer to travel tlnee than four. Three gids tlv Unl t'tttir"":^ T; "I-:."" "™''' ^-"^ '-S attention. It wdl be difficult enongh in any case but .t won,d certainly be worse with hot- witl, u^ ' But we are to see her, Harry ?" Jeanne said.' "Surely we a.-c not to go away without seeing Marie-" ^ Certandy not, Jeanne; I am not so cruel as that This evening, after dark, we will „eet in the gardens of the ruileries. Louise, will you bring then! do™ and be with them near the main ent.ance" f^ Mane wa .,p and dressed when Harry arrived and was sitting by the (ire in the little kitchen. ' I Mve just left your sisters, Uurie," Harry said, op, and may we must go 'ur lodging, ides, at the jers are so u until the 'ou and are 'e must go she will be 'e with us; ibespierre's her arrest it would be travellinir to attract Y case, but 8." I. "Surely !" d as that, e gardens em down ? I will t must be ctor is in tell hei- t after u ved, and y aaid; "WELL, WHAT IS ITl" 239 "and you may imagine their delight at the news I gave them. You are to see them this evening in the gardens of the Tuileries." "Oh. Harry, how good you are! How much you have done for us!" Harry laughed lightly. "Not very much yet; besides, it has been a pleasure as well as a duty. The girls have both been so brave and Jeanne has the head of a woman." "She is nearly a woman now, Harry," Marie said gently " She is some montlis past sixteen, and thou-h you tell me girls of that age in England are qufte chddrcn, It IS not so here. Why. it is nothing uncom- mon tor a girl to marry at sixteen." " Well, at anyrate.' Harry said, "Jeanne has no time for any thought of nmrrying just at present. But there is another thing I want to tell you about I have first a confession to make. I have deceived you " "Deceived me!" Marie said with a smile. "It can be nothing very dreadful, Harry. Well, what is it?" "It 13 more serious than you think, Marie. Now you know that when the trouble began I felt it quite out of the question for me to run away, and to leave you all here in Paris unprotected. Such a thine, would have been preposterous." ° "You think so, Harry, because you have a good heart; but most people would have thou-ht of them- selves, and would not have run all sorts of risks for the sake of three girls with no claim upon them." "Well, Marie, you allow then that a '--r-on -•^'^^ a gooa heart would naturally do as I did," '■■ iJi ■m m I ' M i. 5 £ "f IH III 240 hi i III ill m 1 ! ' "DO NOT SAY HE I? DEAD!" ;; Well, supposing I do. Harry, what then?" lou must still further allow fl,nf „ good heart -.nd „,. I ^ ^ P'''"'°» ^^^h a a su^iojon of the t™«. flashed' upon L.' ^"'^ " eCettratron^rr::-^-^^^^^^^^ leave you here?" awayliKe a coward and ^".Inelltt''" *" '""■ '^^' »" «-^ ^' •>■■■» with to him? Oh Hirvv .1 r ,'^":^<^'""g happened " Tt! • 1 , 7' ^ "°*^ '''>' ^^^ ^-^ dead I" He IS not dead. Marie, but he has been very very ill He was with me at La Force on th.f f ^^'7^'y'^^- and saw his father b........ 'f, '^'^ ''']''' ' °%1^*. 1 , . — -- vrn^c yju mail tern. and saw his father brought out to be murd ^ Th. shock near y kill.^d him TTo 1,„ i , "" ."^- ^ ^he has been a/death^ i . A " tf" '^"V"" but very very simviv ti , '^ ^ " """d'"?, »e,bnt^'.j.t^;t/t\trrn;;:;z?:i;; do wonders for him " ' Presence will eC hlnl'ldX ^r j;rer ^^ "'" co,o„ had flown, .-rake mrtol,-;:" JIT, r"'" °' 1?" irson with a jreat claim, ct you." your sup- tie paler as nd I hope IS he has a could you oward and him with me ! Is it happened f, very ill. ■0 night, ^ The ever, and mendinif, not even 3nce will )od with astige of I have sed and "CERTAINLY IT IS MY DUTY." V him, when yo se ] "^'' ^°" "^'^""'^ «I""^'< *« -'«tprep2:;2::;r^rrrt:fr"'^^- a^-e wrec, so changed that y^.^;: -;-- mmd more tlnn iij. 1 i xi - l^^o^^ssing. Xt m Im h. o I *" ^°''^ *^^'^*^ needs curin.r n ,„«„ the'^;;™,." ■'°"''"-" "^™ ™'^- "B"t what about for the sea-ahtrraX'Toir^ ^ f' 1" '^ ° p.eions have been aroused; tLTha™ Sl'l ?""" denouneed and „,ay be arrested Val t! e ^h^?" fore It 13 absolntely nocessarv th.t ^"y "'"«■ Ihore- the bettei-." "^ '^"*'*»'e ar© "Cei^tainly it is „y j^ty,,. jj^,.^ ^^.^ ^.^_^^^ ^™ wdl be perfectly safe here under th; car. ot !l« i ! I i ml 242 "EVERYTHING WILL COME RIGHT." ^i f li "I ' ■ * Jacques and his a ife. They have ah-eady given out to their neighbours that Yicior's fiancee is coming to help nurse him, and even if by any possi) ility ., ^aspiciun of your real position arises, yon have Robespierre's par- don as a protection. This state of things cannot last for ever; a reaction nust come.; jud then if Vi, tor is "ured, you will be able to escape together to England." "Leave me a few miiiutes by uiyseif, Harry. All this has come ^o suddenly upon me that I feel bewil- dfcied" " (.'artolDly," Harry said. "It is best that you should think things over a Lttle. No wonder you feel bewil- dered end shaken with all the trials you have gone through."' Marie went to her room and returned in a ^ .uarter of an hour. "I am ready now," she said, and by the c«lm and tranquil expression of her face Harry felt that she could be trusted to see Victor. " I have a feeling," she went on, " that everything will come right in the end. I have been saved almost by a miracle, and I cannot but feel that my life ha.s been spared in order that I might take my place here. As to the girls, it was a shock at first when you told me that fresh danger threatened them, and that I should not be able to share their perils upon their journey; but I could not have aided them, and God has marked out my place here. No, Harry, God has pro- tected me so far, and will aid me still. Now I am ready for whatever may betide." "One moment before you enter, Marie. You are ^ivcn out to nin;;' to help h suspicion pierip's pai'- cannot last if Yi. tor is Knifland." Tarry, All feel bewii- you should feel bewil- bave gone <|uarter of i calm and t that she everything /ed almost iy life has place here. 1 you told id that I pon their J God has I has pro- I^ow I am You are "VICTOR, I HAVE COME TO VOU." 243 Prepai;ed I know, to see a great chanoe in Victor but nevertheless you cannot but be shocke.Fat «r f 1 ) go up to hi.n or attract his attentio t , 3 ou Ive :,•" Marie nodded. " One mnm<>n+ " u • 1 Lerself up wuh a little gesture that re„,i„dfd iia rv ot old t,mes, and then with a swift .step pa Jd throu h e o„r „,to Vietors roo,.,. Whateve' '.h ,t I tt -gilt ot the wasted figure lying list|e,,ly with ha ' o«.d eye, on the couch, it only showe/ its ' t „ svvdt expression of pain which passed for a ,non,fnt across her face and then was 4G Vt.ASS ^On FLIGHT. \s ■ I II Jlariy had now hopes thiit ho would do well said '-r" "'! '"rf '""' '''^'"" ™'»'"^-'' H""7 ti.ins to ..tt.e, id „„„ ;,ew ho„.s t I^ i:''^, .S1.0U hice, if p„s,iUo, that wo .should not co,e back .ore th„ evening after you have once loft the hoi II n,a„ who denounced you will expect that »o",t' tl.. .g would he done to-day, and when he s-es that r'h^'io:,"'"'' °';^' '-"" -^ "-y ^^ ""--4 to tlie local conmuttco, and they would send men at once to arrest you. No doubt ho only wrote t^ mZt;„ r-f"'""'™' '"' ™"" getirra,^ cause. Lut if Louise thin...s tliat it cannot Dossihiv 1. "lanagod, I will write a letter at on, ,■ to U^At p.erre s name, saying that his letter has been noted and your movements will be closely watched, and «11 , ' imn for his zeal m the public service." "No. I thiul; we are ready," Jeanne said. "Of coui-se wo have been talking io over for weeks, and agr^ was better to be in readiness v .enever you .Id u wa, tune to go. r,ou.. will tc, you alllbout it.' miry looked towards Louise. "Tile disguises r.r- all ready, Monsieur '^indwitl,. and yesterday wnen you said that my dearl^d ' "o-"o could not go with them, I .. ttL, H y^^to not see any objection, to go with ..„ dear children" .HI, ul. , ™''^ Sla