entertained and treated, I should never have loved any other man
to the end of my life."

The voyage was without incident, and five days after leaving Nantes they
arrived at Plymouth. Here Hector hired a house, and when the ladies were
comfortably settled he left them in charge of Paolo and two of the men,
and rode to London accompanied by the others. Here he called upon the
banker whose address Mazarin had given him, and on sending in his name
was shown into the room in which private business was transacted.

"You have certain moneys of mine in your hands, Mr. Wilson?"

"I have had fifty thousand crowns for the past three years and have put
them out on good security, so that the sum stands at present in my books
at sixty-four thousand crowns. Three days ago I received from Cardinal
Mazarin bills to the amount of one hundred and fifty thousand crowns,
being, he said, due to you for the surrender of the fief of la
Villar, and for other services rendered to him. The cardinal is a good
paymaster," he added with a slight smile at seeing Hector's surprise
at the news, "but it was plain from his letter to me that he considered
that the value of your services was greatly in excess of the sum, large
as it is, that he sent, especially as they had brought great misfortunes
upon you, and had forced you to abandon France, and give up your
profession, in which, he said, your prospects of gaining the highest
rank were of the brightest. Now, sir, if there are any services that I
can render you I am at your disposal. You will naturally wish to invest
your money in some way, and, though I say it myself, I know of no one
who could lay it out to better advantage."

"You may help me assuredly," Hector said, "for I am an entire stranger
in England. I wish to purchase an estate, but have no idea how to set
about it, while, doubtless, you are acquainted with many such domains at
present for sale. I may say that I will on no account purchase an estate
which has been confiscated by parliament on account of its owner being
loyal to the crown. Charles II may, and I believe will, return and mount
the throne, and these estates will then beyond doubt be restored to
their former owners, therefore I will have nought to do with such
property."

"You could not choose a better time for laying out your money in land,"
the banker said. "Great numbers of the nobles and gentlemen of England
have been killed or are in exile; many, again, who still hold t