ke that
infer--that chest upon my shoulders!"

"Mon Dieu! what else _can_ be done?" replied Jeannette, with pathetic
earnestness: "unless you are determined to sacrifice my dear
mistress--she whom you pretended to so love--you hard-hearted, faithless
man!"

Partially moved by the damsel's tearful vehemence, Mr. Smith reluctantly
approached, and gently lifted one end of the chest, as an experiment.

"There are a great many valuables there besides madame," said Jeannette,
in reply to the captain's look, "and silver coin is, you know, very
heavy."

"Ah!" exclaimed the perplexed lover. "It is deucedly
unfortunate--still--Don't you think," he added earnestly, after again
essaying the weight of the precious burden, "that if madame were to wrap
herself well up in this sail-cloth, we might reach your friend the
priest's house without detection?"

"Oh, no--no--no!" rejoined the girl. "Mon Dieu! how can you think of
exposing madame to such hazard?"

"How far do you say it is?" asked Captain Smith, after a rather sullen
pause.

"Only just over the fields yonder--half-a-mile perhaps."

Mr. Smith still hesitated, but finally the tears and entreaties of the
attendant, his regard for the lady and her fortune, the necessity of the
position, in short, determined him to undertake the task. A belt was
passed tightly round the chest, by means of which he could keep it on
his back; and after several unsuccessful efforts, the charming load was
fairly hoisted, and on the captain manfully staggered, Jeannette
bringing up the rear.

Valiantly did Mr. Smith, though perspiring in every pore of his body,
and dry as a cartouch-box--for madame had emptied the only flask he
had--toil on under a burden which seemed to grind his shoulder-blades to
powder. He declares he must have lost a stone of flesh at least before,
after numerous restings, he arrived, at the end of about an hour, at the
door of a small house, which Jeannette announced to be the private
residence of the priest. The door was quickly opened by a smart lad, who
seemed to have been expecting them; the chest was deposited on the
floor, and Jeannette instantly vanished. The lad, with considerate
intelligence, handed Mr. Smith a draught of wine. It was scarcely
swallowed when the key turned in the lock, the eager lover, greatly
revived by the wine, sprang forward with extended arms, and received in
his enthusiastic embrace--whom do you think?

"Coralie, half-stifled for want o