however,
and presently, having recovered his breath, Barlasch rose.

"Come," he said, "we have a long walk. En route."

They made a great circuit in the pine-woods, through which Barlasch led
the way with an unerring skill, and descending towards the plain far
beyond Langfuhr they came out on to a lower tableland, below which the
great marshes of the Vistula stretched in the darkness, slowly merging
at last into the sea.

"Those," said Barlasch, pausing at the edge of the slope, "those are the
lights of Oliva, where the Russians are. That line of lights straight in
front is the Russian fleet lying off Zoppot, and with them are English
ships. One of them is the little ship of Captain d'Arragon. And he
will take you home with him; for the ship is ordered to England, to
Plymouth--which is across the Channel from my own country. Ah--cristi!
I sometimes want to see my own country again--and my own
people--mademoiselle."

He went on a few paces and then stopped again, and in the darkness held
up one hand, commanding silence. It was the churches of Dantzig striking
the hour.

"Six o'clock," he whispered, "it will soon be dawn. Yes--we are half an
hour too early."

He sat down, and, by a gesture, bade Desiree sit beside him.

"Yes," he said, "the Captain told me that he is bound for England to
convoy larger ships, and you will sail in one of them. He has a home in
the west of England, and he will take you there--a sister or a mother,
I forget which--some woman. You cannot get on without women--you others.
It is there that you will be happy, as the bon Dieu meant you to be. It
is only in England that no one fears Napoleon. One may have a husband
there and not fear that he will be killed. One may have children and not
tremble for them--and it is that that makes you happy--you women."

Presently he rose and led the way down the slope. At the foot of it, he
paused, and pointing out a long line of trees, said in a whisper--

"He is there--where there are three taller trees. Between us and those
trees are the French outposts. At dawn the Russians attack the outposts,
and during the attack we have simply to go through it to those trees.
There is no other way--that is the rendezvous. Those three tall trees.
When I give the word, you get up and run to those trees--run without
pausing, without looking round. I will follow. It is you he has come
for--not Barlasch. You think I know nothing. Bah! I know everything. I
have always