shelters us a bit. If it
keeps on like this, I shall lie-to a few hours. The sea will be
tremendous when we get beyond Ushant."

For three days the gale blew furiously, and the "Jeanne" lay-to.
Then the storm broke, and the wind veered round to the south, and
La Belle Jeanne flew along on her way towards England.

It was at a point on the Hampshire coast, near Lymington, that she
was to run her cargo; and on the fifth day after leaving the river
she was within sight of land. They lowered their sails, and lay a
few miles off land until nightfall, and then ran in again. Two
lights on the shore, one above the other, told that the coast was
clear; and the boats were quickly lowered. The marquis, who had
come well provided with gold to meet all emergencies, handed over
to Maitre Nicolay fifty pounds over the sum agreed on, and in a few
minutes the travellers set foot on shore.

Six days later, a post chaise brought them to the door of
Windthorpe Chace, where Madame Holliday and the colonel stood on
the steps to welcome Rupert's future wife. The very day after their
return, Rupert mooted to the marquis the subject of an early
marriage, but the latter said at once:

"I must first take a place for Adele to be married from.
Mademoiselle Adele de Pignerolles must not be married like the
daughter of a little bourgeois. Moreover, Rupert, it is already
near the end of the year. In three months you will be setting out
to join your regiment again. It would be cruel to Adele for you to
marry her before the war is over, or until you at any rate have
done with soldiering. You tell me that you have gone through
enough, and that the next campaign shall be your last. At any rate
you can obtain a year's leave after nine years of campaigning. So
be it. When you return at the end of next year's campaign you shall
find all ready, and I will answer for it that Adele will not keep
you waiting. It is but a fortnight since you were affianced to each
other. You can well wait the year."

And so it was arranged, for Rupert himself saw that it would be
cruel to expose Adele to the risk of being made a widow after a few
weeks only of married life.

The winter passed very quietly and happily. The marquis was always
talking of taking a house, but Adele joined her voice with those of
the others in saying that it would be cruel indeed for him to take
her away from the Chace until it was time for Rupert to start for
the war again.

In the middle