go as a soldier, intends to volunteer as a
drummer."

"_Pauvre enfant! c'est dommage_."

The cabaret was full of conscripts and other people, so that the hostess
had enough to do. At night we were shown by her into a small bedroom,
adjoining the room we occupied. "You are quite alone here: the
conscripts are to muster to-morrow, I find, in the _Place d'Armes_, at
two o'clock: do you intend to go?"

"No," replied O'Brien; "they will think that I am behind. It is of no
consequence."

"Well," replied the woman, "do as you please, you may trust me; but I am
so busy, without anyone to assist me, that until they leave the town, I
can hardly find time to speak to you."

"That will be soon enough, my good hostess," replied O'Brien: "_au
revoir_."

The next evening, the woman came in, in some alarm, stating that a
conscript had arrived whose name had been given in before, and that the
person who had given it in had not mustered at the place. That the
conscript had declared that his pass had been stolen from him by a
person with whom he had stopped at St. Nicholas, and that there were
orders for a strict search to be made through the town, as it was known
that some English officers had escaped, and it was supposed that one of
them had obtained the pass. "Surely you're not English?" inquired the
woman, looking earnestly at O'Brien.

"Indeed, but I am, my dear," replied O'Brien; "and so is this lad with
me; and the favour which your sister requires is that you help us over
the water, for which service there are one hundred louis ready to be
paid upon delivery of us."

"_Oh, mon Dieu! mais c'est impossible_."

"Impossible!" replied O'Brien; "was that the answer I gave your sister
in her trouble?"

"_Au moins c'est difficile_."

"That's quite another concern; but with your husband a pilot I should
think a great part of the difficulty removed."

"My husband! I've no power over him," replied the woman, putting her
apron up to her eyes.

"But one hundred louis may have," replied O'Brien.

"There is truth in that," observed the woman, after a pause; "but what
am I to do, if they come to search the house?"

"Send us out of it, until you can find an opportunity to send us to
England. I leave it all to you--your sister expects it from you."

"And she shall not be disappointed, if God helps us," replied the woman,
after a short pause; "but I fear you must leave this house and the town
also to-night."

"How are