y," Harry said. "I felt that it would
be a strange position, but it seemed that it could not be helped;
however, your offer gets us out of the embarrassment. So your
disguises are ready?"

"Yes, monsieur," Louise said; "I have a boy's suit for Mademoiselle
Virginie. She did not like it at first, but I thought that if
mademoiselle went with you it would be strange to have three girls
journeying under the charge of one young man."

"I think it a very good plan, Louise, but you must get out of the
way of calling me monsieur or else it will slip out before people.
Now what I propose is, that when we get fairly away we shall buy a
horse and cart, for with you with us we can go forward more boldly
than if we were alone.

"You will be grandmother, and we shall be travelling from a farm
near Etampes to visit your daughter, who is married to a farmer near
Nantes. That will be a likely story now, and we can always make a
detour to avoid towns. It will be dark when you go out this evening,
so you can take three bundles of clothes with you. The only thing
is about to-night. The weather is bitterly cold, and it is out of
the question that you should stop out all night, and yet we could
not ask for a lodging close to Paris.

"Oh, I see now! The best plan will be for you all to sleep to-night
at Jacques'. The good people will manage somehow; then we can
start early in the morning. Yes, and in that way it will not be
necessary for Marie to go out and leave Victor."

"That will certainly be the best way," Louise said. "I have been
wondering ever since you said we must start this evening, what
would become of us to-night. When we once get fairly away from
Paris it will be easier, for the country people are kind-hearted,
and I think we shall always be able to get shelter for the night;
but just outside Paris it would be different. Then where shall we
meet this evening?"

"I will be at the end of the street," Harry said. "It is quite
dark by five, so do you start a quarter of an hour later; hide your
bundles under your cloaks, for if that fellow is on the look-out he
might follow you if he thought you were leaving. Draw your blinds
up when you leave, Louise, so that the room will look as usual,
and then it may be some time before anyone suspects that you have
left; and if I were you I would mention to some of your neighbours
this afternoon that you have had a letter from your friends in
Burgundy, and are going away soon with your