nieces to stay with
them for a while. You had better pay your rent for three months
in advance, and tell your landlord the same thing; saying that you
may go suddenly anytime, as a compere who is in Paris, and is also
going back, is going to take charge of you on the journey, and that
he may call for you at any time. Thus when he finds that you have
left, your absence will be accounted for; not that it makes much
difference, for I hope that when you have seen the girls safely to
England you will make your home with them there."

"Yes, I shall never come back here," the old woman said, "never,
even if I could. Paris is hateful to me now, and I have no reason
for ever wanting to come back."

"In that case," Harry said smiling, "we may as well save the three
months' rent."

"Oh, how I long to be in England," Virginie exclaimed, "and to see
dear Ernest and Jules again! How anxious they must be about us, not
having heard of us all this long time! How shall we know where to
find them?"

"You forget, Virginie," Jeanne said, "it was arranged they should
go to Harry's father when they got to England, and he will know
where they are living; there is sure to be no mistake about that,
is there, Harry?"

"None at all," Harry said. "You may rely upon it that directly you
get to my father you will hear where your brothers are. And now I
will go and tell Marie that there is no occasion for Victor to take
a sleeping draught."

Marie was delighted when she heard that she was going to have her
sisters with her for the whole evening and night, and Elise busied
herself with preparations for the accommodation of her guests.
Harry then went back to his attic, made his clothes into a bundle,
and took up the bag of money from its hiding-place under a board
and placed it in his pocket.

He had, since he had been with Robespierre, gradually changed the
silver for gold in order to make it more convenient to carry, and
it was now of comparatively little weight, although he had drawn
but slightly upon it, except for the payment of the bribe promised
to the warder. His pistols were also hidden under his blouse.

He went down stairs and waited the return of Robespierre.

"Citizen," he said when he entered, "circumstances have occurred
which render it necessary for me to travel down to Nantes to escort
a young girl, a boy, and an old woman to that town; they cannot
travel alone in such times as these, and they have a claim upon me
which