Part 17 (1/2)

”I aaoler, and can be answerable for no one,” was the reply, at which the captain shook his fist and rode off, exclai to receive the prisoners, the old gentleman treated them with a courtesy which seeard he entertained for them The two midshi+pmen were shown into one suards, into another In the room occupied by O'Grady and Paul, there was a table and chairs and a sofa, while the view froreen meadow and wooded hills beyond As far as accommodation was concerned, they had little of which to coan to complain that the old Frencho and shout and try to get so,” he cried out, but he found that the door was locked outside

The as too high froround to allow theht, and punished for attereed to stay where they were At length the door opened, and a bright-eyed, nicely-dressed girl came in with a tray covered with edibles, and a bottle of wine in her hands They stood up as she entered, and bowed She smiled, and expressed her sympathy for their misfortunes Paul had, hitherto, not let the Frenchmen know that he understood French

”I think that I may venture to speak to her,” he said to O'Grady ”She would not have said that if she didn't wish to assist us”

O'Grady agreed that it would be perfectly safe, and so Paul addressed her in the choicest French he could co home in a merchantman, and had been captured, and robbed of all they possessed, instead of being, as they had hoped, in a few days in the bosom of their families, with their mothers and brothers and sisters

”And you both have brothers and sisters, and they long to see you, doubtless,” said the little girl

”Oh yes, and we long to see the that he had hed ”Ah, I once had many, but they are all now in the world of spirits; they cannot come to me, but for their sakes I will try to serve you,” answered the girl

”Oh, thank you, thank you!” said Paul ”If you could help us to get out of this house, and to hide away till the pursuit is over, we should be eternally grateful”

She smiled as she answered--

”You are too precipitate If you were to escape from this house, my father would be punished Means icides, and owe theiance; but youto exercise; however, we are very ed to you,” said Paul

”Just ask her her name,” put in O'Grady ”Tell her we should wish to knohat to call one who for ever after this ht star in our memories, especially one who is so lovely and a speech to translate, and perhaps she won't like all those coh?” said O'Grady, who had seen rather more of the world than his companion; ”try her, at all events”

Paul translated as well as he could what Paddy had said, and as the latter stood with his hand on his heart, and bowed at the sa lady was not left in doubt as to as the originator of the address Paddy was re lady was in no way displeased, and replied that her nahter She had had two brothers, both of whom had been carried away by the conscription One had been killed in a battle with the Austrians, and the other was still serving in the ranks, though he ought long ago to have been pro,” she added; ”our rulers take away those we love best, and care not what beco with sorrow to the grave”

Rosalie soon recovered herself, and, wiping her eyes, told the ain when they had eaten their supper, and would in the meantime try and devise some means to enable the

”She's a sweet, pretty little girl,” observed O'Grady, after Rosalie had gone ”She'll help us if she can, and do you know I think that she is a Protestant, for I don't see any pictures of saints and such-like figures stuck about the walls as we do in most other French houses?”

”It is possible; but what difference can that make to you?” asked Paul

”Why, you see, Gerrard, I have fallen in love with her, and I' that if she helps us to make our escape, when the war is over, I'll cohed at his friend's resolve It was not at all an uncommon one for midshi+pmen in those days to entertain, whatever reed that they had not eaten anything half so good as the dishes they were discussing forday Rosalie ca over theit over with an old aunt--a very oman, fertile in resources of all sorts She advised that the young Englishmen should pretend to be sick, and that if the captain consented to leave them behind, so much the better; but if not, and, as wason as before, they should lag behind, and limp on till they came to a certain spot which she described They would rise for soht, with cliffs on one side, and a steep, sloping, brushwood--covered bank on the other, with a stream far down in the valley below There was a peculiar white stone at the side of the road, on which they were to sit to pretend to rest thee to slip behind the stone for an instant, they ht roll and scramble down the bank to a considerable distance before they were discovered They were then to h the brushwood and to cross the stream, which was fordable, when they would find another road, invisible froht, till they came to an old hollow tree, in which they were to hide themselves, unless they were overtaken by a covered cart, driven by a man in white He would slacken his speed, and they were to jump in immediately without a word, and be covered up, while the cart would drive on They would be conveyed to the house of solish, hom they would remain till the search for them had ceased, when they would be able to uise After that, they et across the Channel

”The first part is easy enough, if Miss Rosalie would give us the loan of a little white paint or chalk,” observed O'Grady; ”but, faith, the rest of the business is rather ticklish, though there's nothing like trying, and we shall have some fun for our money at all events”

”I wish that Reuben Cole could h if Miss Rosalie's friends would take care of him,” remarked Paul

”You can but ask her,” said O'Grady ”Tell her that he's been with you ever since you came to sea, and that you can't be separated from him”

Rosalie heard all Paul had to say, and proe ave Rosalie a slip of paper, on which he wrote: ”Follow the bearer, and coreat scholar, he hoped that he el,” exclaimed O'Grady, as Rosalie took the paper