with him; the maire, who saw the
paper, told me so. I shall make it my business to get to the bottom
of the affair, and we will make short work with him if we find
things are as I believe."

Harry felt, therefore, that the danger was even more urgent than
he had expressed it to Jeanne, and he had returned intending to
propose immediate flight had not Jeanne been beforehand with her
news. Even now he hesitated whether even a day's delay might not
ruin them.

"Have you told me all, Harry?" Jeanne asked.

"Not quite all, Jeanne. I was just thinking it over. I fear the
danger is even more pressing than I have said;" and he repeated
the sentence he had overheard. "Even now," he said, "that fellow
may be watching outside or making inquiries about you. He will hear
nothing but praise; but that very praise may cause him to doubt
still more that you are not what you seem."

"But why can we not run away at once?" Virginie said. "Why should
we wait here till they come and take us and carry us away and kill
us?"

"That is what I was thinking when I came home, Virginie; but the
risk of trying to escape in a fishing-boat by ourselves would be
tremendous. You see, although I have gone out sailing sometimes on
the river in England, I know very little about it, and although we
might be picked up by an English ship, it would be much more likely
that we should fall into the hands of one of the French gunboats.
So I look upon that as a desperate step, to be taken only at the
last moment. And now that Jeanne seems to have arranged a safe plan,
I do not like trying such a wild scheme. A week now, and perhaps
all might be arranged; but the question is--Have we a week? Have
we more than twenty-four hours? What do you think, Jeanne?"

"I do not see what is best to do yet," Jeanne said, looking steadily
in the fire. "It is a terrible thing to have to decide; but I see
we must decide." She sat for five minutes without speaking, and
then taking down her cloak from the peg on which it hung she said;
"I will go round to Marthe Pichon again and tell her we are all
so anxious for each other, that I don't think we can judge what is
really the best. Marthe will see things more clearly and will be
able to advise us."

"Yes, that will be the best plan."

It was three-quarters of an hour before she returned.

"I can see you have a plan," Harry said as he saw that there was
a look of brightness and hope on Jeanne's face.

"Yes, I have a pl