safely in Bouvigne.

CHAPTER XV. A NARROW ESCAPE

'Will you please to tell me, Mr. O'Leary,' said Laura, in the easy tone
of one who asked for information's sake, 'what are your plans here;
for up to this moment I only perceive that we have been increasing the
distance between us and Rochepied.'

'Quite true,' said I; 'but you know we agreed it was impossible to hope
to find our way back through the forest. Every _allee_ here has not
only its brother, but a large family, so absolutely alike no one could
distinguish between them; we might wander for weeks without extricating
ourselves.'

'I know all that,' said she somewhat pettishly; 'still my question
remains unanswered. What do you mean to do here?'

'In the first place,' said I, with the affected precision of one who had
long since resolved on his mode of proceeding, 'we 'll dine.'

I stopped here to ascertain her sentiments on this part of my
arrangement. She gave a short nod, and I proceeded. 'Having dined,'
said I, 'we'll obtain horses and a caleche, if such can be found, for
Rochepied.'

'I 've told you already there are no such things here. They never see a
carriage of any kind from year's end to year's end; and there is not a
horse in the whole village.'

'Perhaps, then, there may be a chateau near, where, on making known our
mishap, we might be able----'

'Oh, that's very simple, as far as you 're concerned,' said she, with
a saucy smile; 'but I'd just as soon not have this adventure published
over the whole country.'

Ha! by Jove, thought I, there's a consideration completely overlooked by
me; and so I became silent and thoughtful, and spoke not another word
as we led our horses up the little rocky causeway towards the 'Toison
d'Or.'

If we did not admire the little _auberge_ of the 'Golden Fleece,' truly
the fault was rather our own than from any want of merit in the little
hostelry itself. Situated on a rocky promontory on the river, it was
built actually over the stream--the door fronting it, and approachable
by a little wooden gallery, along which a range of orange-trees and
arbutus was tastefully disposed, scenting the whole air with their
fragrance. As we walked along we caught glimpses of several rooms
within, neatly and even handsomely furnished--and of one salon in
particular, where books and music lay scattered on the tables, with that
air of habitation so pleasant to look on.

So far from our appearance in a neighbourhood th