myself in slumber.

The next morning, when I turned out, I found that I was an occupant of a
comfortable farm-house, with a garden attached, full of fruit-trees and
vegetables. An old man and his wife made their appearance, and I
discovered that the young woman who had received us the previous night
was their daughter. While we were at breakfast, I heard the old couple
complaining of Captain Didot for having brought me there. They
evidently fancied that I did not understand French.

"He will be getting us into trouble with his tricks, one of these days,"
remarked the old lady. "Ah! Madeleine, my daughter, it would be much
wiser in you to have nothing more to say to him."

Mademoiselle looked very glum, as if she did not like the counsel. I
pretended to be deeply absorbed, discussing the fresh eggs and other
eatables placed before me.

"Ha, ha!" thought I to myself; "I see how the wind blows. They will not
dare, then, to keep me a prisoner longer than I like to stay. Well, I'm
very comfortable here at present; so I will spend a day or so with the
good people."

I saw that I was narrowly watched wherever I went; but I did not forget
the French skipper's advice to take advantage of the fine fruit with
which the garden abounded. When Madeleine saw that I was apparently
contented, we became very good friends; and I must own that I spent the
day not unpleasantly. I began, however, to reflect that I had no
business to remain where I was if I had the power of getting away; so I
turned in my mind how I could best make my escape. I guessed that to do
so would not be quite so easy as at first appeared; for I had observed a
labourer continually near me, and I remarked that whenever I went to a
distant part of the garden his occupation invariably took him in the
same direction.

"Somehow or other I must manage to make a run for it," thought I to
myself; but when I came to examine the locality, I found that the garden
was surrounded with fields and ditches; and though I might swim across
the latter, I should certainly have been caught and made very
uncomfortable and dirty into the bargain. I therefore gave up that
idea, and amused myself in the best way I could. I helped Mademoiselle
Madeleine in her poultry-yard and dairy, looked in on the old lady
employed in her culinary affairs, walked over the farm with the old man,
and chatted in my somewhat unintelligible French, with every one I met.
Happening to go into