terets, the Lemprieres,
and old General Pipon, for whom the Jersey of three hundred years
ago was as near as the Jersey of to-day, so do the Jersiais prize,
cultivate, and conserve every hour of its recorded history.

As the sea opens out to a vessel making between the promontories to the
main, so, while writing this tale which originally was short, the larger
scheme of 'The Battle of the Strong' spread out before me, luring me,
as though in the distance were the Fortunate Isles. Eight years after
'Michel and Angele' was written and first published in 'Harper's
Weekly', I decided to give it the dignity of a full-grown romance. For
years I had felt that it had the essentials for a larger canvas, and at
the earnest solicitation of Messrs. Harper & Brothers I settled to do
what had long been in my mind. The narrative grew as naturally from
what it was to larger stature as anything that had been devised upon a
greater scale at the beginning; and in London town I had the same joy
in the company of Michel and Angele--and a vastly increased joy in the
company of Lempriere, the hulking, joyous giant--as I had years before
in Jersey itself when the story first stirred in my mind and reached my
pen.

While adverse reviews of the book were few if any, it cannot be said
that this romance is a companion in popularity with, for instance, 'The
Right of Way'. It had its friends, but it has apparently appealed to
smaller audiences--to those who watch the world go by; who are not
searching for the exposure of life's grim realities; who do not seek the
clinic of the soul's tragedies. There was tragedy here, but there was
comedy too; there was also joy and faith, patience and courage. The
book, taken by itself, could not make a permanent reputation for any
man, but it has its place in the scheme of my work, and I would not have
it otherwise than it is.

A NOTE

There will be found a few anachronisms in this tale, but none so
important as to give a wrong impression of the events of Queen
Elizabeth's reign.

MICHEL AND ANGELE

CHAPTER I

If you go to Southampton and search the register of the Walloon Church
there, you will find that in the summer of '57,

"Madame Vefue de Montgomery with all her family and servants were
admitted to the Communion"--"Tous ceux ce furent Recus la a Cene du
'57, comme passans, sans avoir Rendu Raison de la foj, mes sur la
tesmognage de Mons. Forest, Ministre de Madame, qu