ship before the tide turns."

"Waits at the foot of the stairs?" exclaimed the king. "Odds fish! What
is he doing there? But it shall be done at once. I had the Great Seal
brought to me, so that I might fully execute the treaty without delay. I
supposed the Abbe would desire its immediate return as soon as the money
was paid."

"Yes, your Majesty," answered Frances, growing short of breath from
excitement, "he is waiting below for it."

The king sat down at his desk, signed the treaty, affixed the Great Seal,
returned the parchment to its envelope, and, turning to Frances, said:--

"Now, the first kiss, my beauty!"

"Not now, your Majesty. Please wait till I return," she answered, taking
the treaty from the king's hand without his leave. "I do not want to
disarrange my vizard till after I have returned the parchment to the
Abbe. I fear the watermen will recognize me."

"Who is in the boat with the Abbe?" asked the king.

"His servant, a French gentleman, and two watermen. He insisted on
bringing me, reluctant, doubtless to trust me with the parchments and
the bill," she answered, lying with the ease of a Lombard Street hosier.

But the king, growing suspicious because of her haste, caught her by the
arm, saying: "You remain here. I'll return the treaty."

She drew her arm from the king's grasp and started so hurriedly toward
the door that the king took alarm and followed her, crying out:--

"I tell you I'll send the packet by other hands. You remain here."

She did not stop, so he caught her again by the arm, and spoke sharply:
"You are to remain with me. Do you hear? I'm not to be played with. I'll
send the packet--"

But she broke from his grasp, hastily opened the door, and found
herself not at the head of the privy stairs, but in the king's anteroom,
surrounded by a half dozen men in armor one of whom attempted to seize
her. Instantly she sprang back to the king's closet, screaming, not as a
signal to us, for she had forgotten our agreement in that respect, but in
genuine fright.

Her screams brought George, De Grammont, and myself to the door at the
head of the stairs in less time than one could count ten. We drew our
swords, and I tried to open the door, but found it locked.

"The oars! The heavy oars!" whispered De Grammont.

I ran down the stairs to the boat and was about to ask Bettina to hand me
the oars, when she, anticipating me, whispered:--

"I heard some one call for the oars, so I threw