f and married a fair maiden, too good by a
thousand times for the like of him; and if this is that poor lady's
daughter, I can well believe the tale. But she is her mother's
child, not her fierce father's, and we will love her as our own.

"Take her to your heart, good mother. A brave lass deserves a warm
welcome to her husband's home."

The gentle but high-spirited Eva had gone through the dangers of
the night with courage and resolution, but tears sprang to her eyes
at hearing these kindly words; and whilst Jack wrung his father's
hand and thanked him warmly for his goodwill. The girl buried her
face upon the shoulder of Mistress Devenish, and was once more
wrapped in a maternal embrace.

And then, having got the question of Eva's adoption as Jack's
betrothed bride so quickly and happily settled, they all turned
their attention to poor Paul, who for a few minutes had been almost
forgotten.

There was a warm little chamber scarce larger than a closet opening
from the room where the farmer and his wife slept, and as there was
a bed therein always in readiness against the arrival of some
unlooked-for guest, Paul was quickly transported thither, and
tenderly laid between the clean but coarse coverings. He only
moaned a little, and never opened his eyes or recognized where he
was or by whom he was tended; whilst the sight of his lacerated
back and shoulders drew from the woman many an exclamation of pity,
and from the farmer those of anger and reprobation.

It was some time before they understood what had happened, or
realized that the young kinsman (as they had called him) of Paul's
was really the Prince of Wales, the son of the now reigning Henry,
and that the two lads had been actually living and travelling
together with this secret between them. But Eva had heard much
about both, and told how the presence of the prince in the country
had become known to her father and his band first through the
suspicions of the peddler, who had seen the one pearl clasp still
owned and kept by the robber chief, and had at once recognized its
fellow; and secondly, from the identification of Paul's companion
with the Prince of Wales by one of the band who had been over to
France not long ago, and had seen the prince there.

The old likeness between the two youths was remembered well by the
band, who had been fooled by it before; and they had been for weeks
upon the track of the fugitives, who had, however, left Figeon's
before t