sitate in accepting the offer; and while the
general drew over his desk to write the letter, I withdrew towards the
window to converse with Colonel Cherin.

'You might have waited long enough,' said he, laughing, 'if the affair
had been in other hands than Humbert's. The delays and discussions of
the official people, the difficulty of anything like agreement, the want
of money, and fifty other causes, would have detained the fleet till the
English got scent of the whole. But Humbert has taken the short road in
the matter. He only arrived at La Rochelle five days ago, and now he is
ready to weigh anchor.'

'And in what way has he accomplished this?' asked I, in some curiosity.

'By a method,' replied he, laughing again, 'which is usually reserved
for an enemy's country. Growing weary of a correspondence with the
Minister, which seemed to make little progress, and urged on by the
enthusiastic stories of the Irish refugees, he resolved to wait no
longer; and so he has called on the merchants and magistrates to
advance him a sum on military requisition, together with such stores and
necessaries as he stands in need of.'

'And they have complied?' asked I.

'_Parbleu!_ that have they. In the first place, they had no other
choice; and in the second, they are but too happy to get rid of him and
his 'Legion Noir,' as they are called, so cheaply. A thousand louis and
a thousand muskets would not pay for the damage of these vagabonds each
night they spent in the town.'

I confess that this description did not tend to exalt the enthusiasm
I had conceived for the expedition; but it was too late for
hesitation--too late for even a doubt. Go forward I should, whatever
might come of it. And now the general had finished his letter, which,
having sealed and addressed, he gave into my hand, saying--'This will
very probably obtain your promotion, if not at once, at least on the
first vacancy. Good-bye, my lad; there may be hard knocks going where
you will be, but I'm certain you'll not disgrace the good name you bear,
nor the true cause for which you are fighting. I would that I had youth
and strength to stand beside you in the struggle!

'Good-bye.' He shook me affectionately by both hands; the colonel,
too, bade me adieu not less cordially; and I took my leave with a heart
overflowing with gratitude and delight.

CHAPTER XVII. LA ROCHELLE

La Rochelle is a quiet little town at the bottom of a small bay, the
mouth of whi