e, with considerable dignity, walked into a private room in the
inn, and taking a chair, beckoned to the seeming peasant lads to sit
near him, while the landlord received his orders for supper. As soon as
Francois had retired, he burst into a fit of laughter, and, jumping up,
shook the midshipmen warmly by the hand, and begged them to tell him how
they came to be there. They gave him, as rapidly as they could, an
account of their adventures.

"And do you not know the name of the old gentleman, `mon oncle,' as you
call him, and that of the chateau? But I do. He is my dear father, and
that pretty little Rosalie is my very sweet cousin. The story is just
such as I could have supposed she would have invented. And they think
me dead. That is very natural, for when the _Alerte_ escaped from the
_Cerberus_, of course her people would have reported all on board their
consort drowned. You will be surprised that I should not have reached
home before this, but I had a long voyage, and as I had no wish to go to
sea again, when I found on landing that it was not known I had escaped,
I made the best of my way to the house of a relative near the coast, who
provided me with clothing and funds, and I have only lately been able to
commence my journey homeward. Now, however, I have a great inclination
to turn back and to see you safely embarked to cross the Channel."

The English midshipmen would not, however, hear of his carrying out such
a proposal. If caught, he would be more severely dealt with than they
would, and they felt sure that, if they were cautious, they should be
able to reach the coast by themselves. At length, Alphonse, seeing the
wisdom of their arguments, and remembering his duty to his father,
consented. He, however, said that he must first communicate with Reuben
Cole, and let him know the road they had taken, that he might follow
them. Alphonse had become quite an Englishman in his habits, and the
three old friends spent a very pleasant evening. They were up before
daylight, when Alphonse, slipping out, hurried off to the woodman's hut.
The woodman and his new mate were on foot, and Reuben, having
ascertained that the young strangers were at the auberge, was very
doubtful how to proceed. He rubbed his eyes, and hitched away
convulsively at his belt, when he saw Alphonse, for some minutes, before
he dared believe his own eyes.

"Well, sir, things do come about curious," he exclaimed at last. "First
I