e of the Rue Saint Luis.

Having dismissed the carriage, I entered the hotel. To my joy I found
D'Hauteville awaiting my return, and in a few minutes I had communicated
to him my determination to carry off Aurore.

Bare friendship his! he approved of my resolve. Rare devotion! he
proposed to take part in my enterprise, I warned him of its perils--to
no purpose. With an enthusiasm I could not account for, and that
greatly astonished me at the time, he still insisted upon sharing them.

Perhaps I might more earnestly have admonished him against such a
purpose, but I felt how much I stood in need of him.

I could not explain the strange feeling of confidence, with which the
presence of this gentle but heroic youth had inspired me. The
reluctance with which I accepted his offer was only apparent--it was not
felt. My heart was struggling against my will. I was but too glad when
he stated his determination to accompany me.

There was no boat going up that night; but we were not without the means
to travel. A pair of horses were hired--the best that money could
procure--and before sun-down we had cleared the suburbs of the city, and
were riding along the road that conducts to the village of Bringiers.

CHAPTER SIXTY FOUR.

TWO VILLAINS.

We travelled rapidly. There were no hills to impede our progress. Our
route lay along the Levee Road, which leads from New Orleans by the bank
of the river, passing plantations and settlements at every few hundred
yards' distance. The path was as level as a race-course, and the hoof
fell gently upon the soft dusty surface, enabling us to ride with ease.
The horses we bestrode were _mustangs_ from the prairies of Texas,
trained to that gait, the "pace" peculiar to the saddle-bags of the
South-western States. Excellent "pacers" both were; and, before the
night came down, we had made more than half of our journey.

Up to this time we had exchanged only a few words. I was busy with my
thoughts--busy planning my enterprise. My young companion appeared
equally occupied with his.

The darkening down of the night brought us closer together; and I now
unfolded to D'Hauteville the plan which I had proposed to myself.

There was not much of plan about it. My intention was simply this: To
proceed at once to the plantation of Gayarre--stealthily to approach the
house--to communicate with Aurore through some of the slaves of the
plantation; failing in this, to find out, if poss