e getting them on board the Trois Freres was, you must remember,
my sister's work. I had failed and was in despair. Suspicions were
already aroused, and we should assuredly have been arrested if it
had not been that she had won the heart of Adolphe's wife by nursing
her child in its illness."

"That is so," the captain agreed; "and they must have good courage
too that they didn't betray themselves all that time. And now I
tell you what I will do, monsieur. If you will write a letter to
your sister in Paris, saying that you and the other two have reached
England in safety, I will when I return send it by sure hand to
Paris. To make all safe you had better send it to the people she
is staying with, and word it so that no one will understand it if
they were to read it. Say, for example:

"'My dear Sister, You will be glad to hear that the consignment of
lace has been safely landed in England,' Then you can go on saying
that 'your mother is better, and that you expect to be married
soon, as you have made a good profit out of the lace,' and so on;
and just sign your name--'Your brother Henri.'

"I can trust the man who will deliver it in Paris, but it is just
as well always to be on the safe side. If your letter is opened and
read, anyone will suppose that it is written by a sailor belonging
to one of the Nantes luggers."

Harry thanked the captain warmly for the offer, and said that the
letter would indeed be an immense comfort to his sister and friend.

"I will tell the man that he is to ask if there is any answer," the
captain said. "And if your sister is as sharp as you are she will
write the same sort of letter, and I will bring it across with me
to England the first voyage I make after I get it."

Harry slept down in the forecastle with the crew, the captain
keeping on deck all night. He was awoke by an order shouted down
the forecastle for all hands to come on deck; and hurrying up with
the rest found that the sun had just risen. The day was beautifully
fine, and to Harry's surprise he found that those on deck had
already lowered the great lugsails.

"What is it, captain?" he asked.

"There is a sail there I don't like," the captain said. "If I am
not mistaken that is an English frigate."

There were several sails in sight, but the one to which the captain
pointed was crossing ahead of the lugger. Her hull could not be
seen, and indeed from the deck only her topsails and royals were
visible above the wat