rds, they were spoken in a tone so full of
emotion and so touching that the duke and his wife could not refuse the
offer of the chevalier: "Well then, I accept."

"Hurrah!" cried Croustillac, in the voice of a stentor, and he
accompanied this Muscovite exclamation by throwing into the air his old
fur cap.

"Yes, I accept with all my heart, my old friend," said Monmouth,
"and--why conceal it from you?--this unexpected succor which you offer
us so generously, saves, perhaps, my life--saves, perhaps, my wife and
children from misery, for this sum sets us afloat again, and we can
brave two years as bad as those which have been the cause of our first
embarrassment. Fatigue, chagrin, fear for the future, have made me ill;
now, tranquil as to the fate of my dear ones, assured of a friend like
you--I am sure that my health will return to me."

"Zounds! my lord, how did it happen that, with the enormous amount of
jewels that you had, you are reduced?"

"Angela will tell you that, my friend; emotion at once so keen and so
sweet as I feel has fatigued me."

"After having left you on board of the Unicorn," said Angela "we set
sail for Brazil; we sojourned there some time, but from prudence, we
resolved to depart for India on board a Portuguese vessel. We had lived
three years in this little-known country, very happy and very tranquil,
when I fell seriously ill. One of the best physicians in Bombay declared
that the climate of India would become fatal to me; my native air alone
could save me. You know how James loves me; it was impossible for me to
alter his resolution; he chose at all hazards to return to Europe, to
France, in spite of the dangers that threatened him. We started from the
Cape in a Dutch ship, making sail for the Texel. We possessed a very
considerable sum coming from the sale of our jewels. Our voyage was very
fortunate as far as the coast of France, but there a terrible tempest
assailed us. After losing her masts, and being beaten about by the waves
for three days, our ship went ashore on the coast a quarter of a league
from here; by a miracle of Heaven, James and I alone escaped an almost
certain death. Several of the passengers were, like us, cast on the
beach during this horrible night--all perished. I repeat to you, my
friend, that a miracle from Heaven was necessary to save us, James and
me--to save me especially, ill as I was. The tenants whom we replaced on
this farm found us almost dying on the shore;