me your mother, to
help to fight the Republicans in the old time. And I thought I was
saved: I knew he would get me out if it was possible to get any one
out. For, you see, I thought his honour was home again, after we had
been beaten, and there was no more to be done for my lady. We had
contrived to find an English ship to take him home, and he had gone
back, as I thought, Mademoiselle. Well, a prisoner becomes cunning,
and besides, I had been in prison before; I managed to make up a
letter, and as I knew already some English, I ended by persuading a
man to carry it to Pulwick for me. It was a long way, and I had no
money, but I made bold to assure him that Mr. Landale--oh, no! not
_this_ one," Rene interrupted himself again with a gesture eloquent of
resentful scorn, "but my master; I assured the man that he would
receive recompence from him. You see, Mademoiselle, I knew his heart
was so good, that he would not allow your mother's servant to rot in
the tower.... But days afterwards the man came back. Oh, he was angry!
terribly angry with me, and said he should pay me out--And so he did,
but it is useless to tell you how. He had been to Pulwick, he said,
and had seen Mr. Landale. Mr. Landale never knew anything of any
French prisoner, and refused to give any money to the messenger. Ah,
Mademoiselle, it was very sad! I had not signed my letter for fear of
its getting into wrong hands, but I spoke of many things which I knew
he could not have forgotten, and now I thought that he would not
trouble his mind about such a wretch as Rene--triple brute that I was
to conceive such thoughts, I should have deserved to remain there for
ever!... I did remain, Mademoiselle, more than three years; many and
many died. As for me, I am hard, but I thought I should never never
walk free again; nor would I, Mademoiselle, these seven years, but for
him."

"He came, then?" said the girl with sympathetic enthusiasm. She was
listening with attention, carried away by the speaker's earnestness,
and knew instinctively to whom the "him," and the "he" referred.

"He came," said Rene with much emphasis. "Of course he came--the
moment he knew." And after a moment of half-smiling meditation he
pursued:

"It was one May-day, and there was some sun; and there was a smell of
spring in the air which we felt even in that dirty place. Ah, how I
remember me of it all! I was sitting against the wall in the courtyard
with two others who were Bretons, lik