Once at Algiers, he assured Madame de Bourke that she would
have nothing to fear, as she would be under the protection of the French
Consul; and she had no choice but to submit, though much concerned for
the continued anxiety to her husband, as well as the long delay and
uncertainty of finding him.

Still, when she perceived that it was inevitable, she complained no more,
and the Dutchman went on with a certain bluff kindness--as one touched by
her courtesy--to offer her the choice of remaining in the tartane or
coming on board his larger vessel. The latter he did not recommend, as
he had a crew of full two hundred Turks and Moors, and it would be
necessary to keep herself and all her women as closely as possible
secluded in the cabins; and even then, he added, that if once seen he
could hardly answer for some of those corsairs not endeavouring to secure
a fair young Frank girl for his harem; and as his eye fell on Rosette,
she bridled and hid herself behind Mademoiselle Julienne.

He must, he said, remove all the Genoese, but he would send on board the
tartane only seven men on whom he could perfectly depend for respectful
behaviour, so that the captives would be able to take the air on deck as
freely as before. There was no doubt that he was in earnest, and the
lady accepted his offer with thanks, all the stronger since she and all
around her were panting and sick for want of fresh air.

It was a great relief when he took her on deck with him that she might
identify the three men whom she claimed as belonging to her suite.
Arthur, Lanty, and Hebert, who, in their vague knowledge of the
circumstances, had been dreading the oar for the rest of their lives,
could hardly believe their good fortune when she called them up to her,
and the Abbe gripped Lanty's arm as if he would never let him go again.
The poor Italians seemed to feel their fate all the harder for the
deliverance of those three, and sobbed, howled, and wept so piteously
that Arthur wondered how strong men could so give way, while Lanty's
tears sprang forth in sympathy, and he uttered assurances and made signs
that he would never cease to pray for their rescue.

'Though,' as he observed, 'they were poor creatures that hadn't the heart
of a midge, when there was such a chance of a fight while the haythen
spalpeens were coming on board.'

Here Lanty was called on to assist Hebert in identifying his lady's bales
of goods, when all those of the unfortunat