t the man to help you."

"Yes," Jacques assented, "I didn't think of Martha. She is a good
soul and would do her best, I am sure."

"Thank you both," Harry said; "but I do not wish you to run any
risks. You have already incurred the greatest danger by sheltering
my friend; I cannot let you hazard your lives farther. This woman
may, as you say, be ready to help us, but her brother might betray
the whole of us, and screen his sister by saying she had only
pretended to enter into the plot in order to betray it."

"We all risk our lives every day," Jacques said quietly. "I am
sure we can trust Martha, and she will know whether she can rely
completely upon her brother. If she can, we will set her to sound
him. Elise will go and see her to-day, and you shall know what she
thinks of it when you come this evening for your night's watching."

Greatly pleased with this unexpected stroke of luck, Harry went off
at once to tell Jeanne that the outline of a plan to rescue Marie
had been fixed upon.

The girl's pale face brightened up at the news.

"Perhaps," she said, "we may be able to send a letter to her. I
should like to send her just a line to say that Virginie and I are
well. Do you think it can be done?"

"I do not know, Jeanne. At any rate you can rely that, if it is
possible and all goes well, she shall have it; but be sure and give
no clue by which they might find you out, if the letter falls into
wrong hands. Tell her we are working to get her free, and ask if
she can suggest any way of escape; knowing the place she may see
opportunities of which we know nothing. Write it very small, only
on a tiny piece of paper, so that a man can hide it anywhere, slip
it into her hand, or put it in her ration of bread."

Jeanne wrote the little note--a few loving words, and the message
Harry had given her.

"Do not sign your name to it," Harry said; "she will know well
enough who it comes from, and it is better in case it should fall
into anyone else's hands."

That evening Harry learned that the woman had consented to sound
her brother, who was still employed in the prison. She had said she
was sure that he would not betray her even if he refused to aid in
the plan.

"I am to see her to-morrow morning," Elise said. "She will go
straight from me to the prison. She says discipline is not nearly
so strict as it used to be. There is a very close watch kept over
the prisoners, but friends of the guards can go in and out wit