aristocrats; that the
guillotine was too slow, that the prison must be cleared, and that
they were going to pack the aristocrats on board the luggers and
sink them.

Harry gave a cry of horror, in which the fisherman and his wife
joined, the latter pouring out voluble curses against Carrier and
the Reds.

After his first cry Harry was silent; he sank down on to a low chair,
and sat there with his face hidden in his hands for some minutes,
while the fisherman and his wife poured question after question upon
Adolphe. Presently Harry rose to his feet, and saying to Adolphe,
"Do not go away, I shall be back presently, I must think by myself,"
went out bareheaded into the night.

It was half an hour before he returned.

"Now, Adolphe," he said, "I can think again. Now, how are they to
be saved?"

"I cannot say, monsieur," Adolphe said hesitatingly. "It does not
seem to me--"

"They have to be saved," Harry interrupted him in a grave, steady
voice. "The question is how?"

"Yes, monsieur," Adolphe agreed hesitatingly, "that is the question.
You can rely upon me, monsieur," he went on, "to do my best whatever
you may decide; but I have no head to invent things. You tell me
and I will do it."

"I know I can rely upon you, Adolphe. As far as I can see there
are but two ways. One is for me to go to Carrier's house, find the
monster, place a pistol at his head, compel him to order them to
be released, stand with him at the prison door till they come out,
embark with him and them in a boat, row down the river, and put to
sea."

"And then, monsieur?" Adolphe asked after a pause, seeing that
Harry was speaking to himself rather than to him.

"Yes, that is the question that I cannot answer," Harry replied.
"I can see all the rest as if it were passing. I can feel Carrier
trembling in my grasp, and shrinking as the pistol touches his
forehead. I can hear him giving his orders, I can see the crowd
falling back as I walk with him through the street, I can hear him
crying to the people to stand aside and let us pass, I can see us
going down the river together; but what am I to do in a boat with
two ladies at sea?"

"Could you not embark in a lugger?" Adolphe exclaimed, carried
away by the picture which Harry seemed to be describing as if he
saw it. "Why not start in a lugger at once? I might have the Trois
Freres ready, and the men will all stand by you; and when we are
once outside the river we will throw Carrier over