o the cabaret. At nine o'clock a cloaked stranger was
shown into the room. When the door was closed he threw off his hat
and cloak.

"My dear marquis, I am delighted to see you; but what means this
wild freak of yours?"

"I will tell you frankly, de Brissac."

And the Marquis de Pignerolles confided to the Count de Brissac his
plan for getting his daughter away to England.

"It is a matter for the Bastille of his most Christian Majesty,
should he learn that I have aided you in carrying your daughter
away; but I will risk it, marquis, for our old friendship's sake.
You want a passport saying that Maitre Antoine Perrot, merchant of
Nantes, with his servant, Jacques Bontemps, is on his way to
Poitiers, to fetch his daughter, residing near that town, and that
that damsel will return with him to Nantes?"

"That is it, de Brissac. What a pity that it is not with us as in
England, where every man may travel where he lists without a soul
asking him where he goes, or why."

"Ah! Well, I don't know," said the count, who had the usual
aristocratic prejudice of a French noble of his time. "It may suit
the islanders of whom you are so fond, marquis, but I doubt whether
it would do here. We should have plotters and conspirators going
all over the country, and stirring up the people."

"Ah! Yes, count; but if the people had nothing to complain of, they
would not listen to the conspirators. But there, I know we shall
never agree about this. When the war is over you must cross the
channel, and see me there."

"No, no," de Brissac said, laughing. "I love you, de Pignerolles,
but none of the fogs and mists of that chilly country for me. His
Majesty will forgive you one of these days, and then we will meet
at Versailles."

"So be it," the marquis said. "When Adele's estates have been
bestowed upon one of his favourites, he will have no reason for
keeping me in exile; but we shall see."

"You shall have your papers without fail tomorrow early, so you can
safely make your preparations. And now goodbye, and may fortune
attend you."

It was not until noon next day that Maitre Perrot and his servant
rode out from Nantes, for they had had some trouble in obtaining
two horses such as they required, but had at last succeeded in
obtaining two animals of great strength and excellent breeding. The
saddle of Maitre Perrot had a pillion attached behind for a lady,
but this was at present untenanted.

Both travellers carried weapons, f