"You are too precipitate. If you were to escape from this house, my
father would be punished. Means may be found, however. We have no love
for these regicides, and owe them no allegiance; but you must have
patience."
"It is a hard thing to exercise; however, we are very much obliged to
you," said Paul.
"Just ask her her name," put in O'Grady. "Tell her we should wish to
know what to call one who for ever after this must dwell like a bright
star in our memories, especially one who is so lovely and amiable."
"That's rather a long speech to translate, and perhaps she won't like
all those compliments," remarked Paul.
"Won't she, though?" said O'Grady, who had seen rather more of the world
than his companion; "try her, at all events."
Paul translated as well as he could what Paddy had said, and as the
latter stood with his hand on his heart, and bowed at the same time, the
young lady was not left in doubt as to who was the originator of the
address. Paddy was remarkably good-looking and tall for his age, and
the young lady was in no way displeased, and replied that her name was
Rosalie, and that she was her father's only daughter. She had had two
brothers, both of whom had been carried away by the conscription. One
had been killed in a battle with the Austrians, and the other was still
serving in the ranks, though he ought long ago to have been promoted.
"Ah! the cruel fighting," she added; "our rulers take away those we love
best, and care not what becomes of them, or of the hearts they break,
and bring with sorrow to the grave."
Rosalie soon recovered herself, and, wiping her eyes, told the
midshipmen that she would come back again when they had eaten their
supper, and would in the meantime try and devise some means to enable
them to make their escape while they were travelling.
"She's a sweet, pretty little girl," observed O'Grady, after Rosalie had
gone. "She'll help us if she can, and do you know I think that she is a
Protestant, for I don't see any pictures of saints and such-like figures
stuck about the walls as we do in most other French houses?"
"It is possible; but what difference can that make to you?" asked Paul.
"Why, you see, Gerrard, I have fallen in love with her, and I'm thinking
that if she helps us to make our escape, when the war is over, I'll come
back and ask her to marry me."
Paul laughed at his friend's resolve. It was not at all an uncommon one
for midshipmen in those days to entertain, whatever may be the case at
present. They enjoyed their meal, and agreed that they had not eaten
anything half so good as the dishes they were discussing for many a long
day. Rosalie came back in about an hour. She said that she had been
thinking over the matter ever since, and talking it over with an old
aunt--a very wise woman, fertile in resources of all sorts. She advised
that the young Englishmen should pretend to be sick, and that if the
captain consented to leave them behind, so much the better; but if not,
and, as was most probable, he insisted on their walking on as before,
they should lag behind, and limp on till they came to a certain spot
which she described. They would rise for some time, till the road led
along the side of a wooded height, with cliffs on one side, and a steep,
sloping, brushwood--covered bank on the other, with a stream far down in
the valley below. There was a peculiar white stone at the side of the
road, on which they were to sit to pretend to rest themselves. If they
could manage to slip behind the stone for an instant, they might roll
and scramble down the bank to a considerable distance before they were
discovered. They were then to make their way through the brushwood and
to cross the stream, which was fordable, when they would find another
road, invisible from the one above. They were to run along it to the
right, till they came to an old hollow tree, in which they were to hide
themselves, unless they were overtaken by a covered cart, driven by a
man in white. He would slacken his speed, and they were to jump in
immediately without a word, and be covered up, while the cart would
drive on. They would be conveyed to the house of some friends to the
English, with whom they would remain till the search for them had
ceased, when they would be able to make their escape to the coast in
disguise. After that, they must manage as best they could to get across
the Channel.
"The first part is easy enough, if Miss Rosalie would give us the loan
of a little white paint or chalk," observed O'Grady; "but, faith, the
rest of the business is rather ticklish, though there's nothing like
trying, and we shall have some fun for our money at all events."
"I wish that Reuben Cole could manage to run with us. He'd go fast
enough if Miss Rosalie's friends would take care of him," remarked Paul.
"You can but ask her," said O'Grady. "Tell her that he's been with you
ever since you came to sea, and that you can't be separated from him."
Rosalie heard all Paul had to say, and promised that she would try to
arrange matters as he wished. Paul then described Reuben, and gave
Rosalie a slip of paper, on which he wrote: "Follow the bearer, and come
to us." Though Reuben was no great scholar, he hoped that he might be
able to read this.
"Tell her she's an angel," exclaimed O'Grady, as Rosalie took the paper.
"I wish that I could speak French, to say it myself; but I'll set to
work and learn at once. Ask her if she'll teach me."
Rosalie laughed, and replied that she thought the young Irishman would
prove an apt scholar, though she could not understand how, under the
circumstances, she could manage to do as he proposed.
"Och! but I've a mighty great mind to tell her at once all I intend to
do, and just clinch the matter," cried Paddy; but Paul wouldn't
undertake to translate for him, and advised him to restrain his feelings
for the present.
It was getting near midnight, when a gentle rap was heard at the door,
and Reuben poked in his head. The arrangements which had been made were
soon explained to him, and he undertook to feign lameness and to drop
behind and roll down the bank as they were to do.
"You sees, young gentlemen, if they goes in chase of me, that'll give
you a better chance of getting off. If they catches me, there'll be no
great harm done; they won't get me to fight for them, that I'll tell
them, and if I get off scot free, why there's little doubt but that I'll
be able to lend you a hand in getting to the coast, and crossing the
water afterwards."
The arrangements being made, Reuben stole down to rejoin the other
seamen, and the midshipmen then coiling themselves up in their blankets
in different corners of the room, resolved to remain there till summoned
in the morning, were soon asleep.
When their guards appeared, they made signs that they could not move,
O'Grady singing out, "Medecin, medecin," by which he wished to intimate
that he wanted physic, and they thought that he asked for a doctor. In
spite, however, of all their remonstrances, they were compelled to get
up and dress by sundry applications of a scabbard.
They found a breakfast prepared for them in the hall, though they had
but a few minutes allowed them to consume it before they were driven on
through the town to join the rest of the prisoners, no time being
allowed them to bid farewell to Rosalie and her father. She, indeed,
had wisely kept out of their way to prevent any suspicion. They limped
along, looking as woe-begone as they could, though their hearts were in
no way sad. Their only regret was, that they must part from Devereux
and their captain, but they consoled themselves by believing that they
could report where they were, and thus manage to get them exchanged.
"We are nearing the spot," said Paul. "This is the scenery Rosalie
described, and this must be the hill. I hope Reuben understands what he
is to do. Ah! there is the stone. Come, let us sit down."
They made signs to the last guard that they would follow. Believing
that they were ill he allowed them to remain. They saw that Reuben was
watching them.
"We mustn't stay long, though," said O'Grady.
"No; now's the time. Over we go," cried Paul; and suiting the action to
the word, over he rolled, followed by O'Grady, and both were speedily
hid from sight in the brushwood.