a little English in
return, but she laughed at her own attempts, and declared that she
should never be able to pronounce so break-jaw a language.

Bill thought that she got on very well, but she seemed more anxious to
teach him French than to learn English herself.

Several weeks more passed by. Well treated as they were, still the boys
had a longing to return to England, though the opportunity of doing so
appeared as far off as ever.

They were in the house one afternoon, laughing and joking merrily with
Jeannette, while Dame Turgot was away at the neighbouring town to
market, when the door opened, and she entered, with a look of alarm on
her countenance.

"Quick, quick, come here!" she said; and seizing them both by the arms,
she dragged them into the little inner room.

"Pull off your clothes and jump into bed!" she exclaimed. "Whatever you
hear, don't move or speak, but pretend to be fast asleep."

They obeyed her; and snatching up their jackets and trousers, she
hurried from the room, locking the door behind her.

She had just time to tumble their clothes into a chest, when a loud
knocking was heard at the door. She opened it, and several soldiers,
under the command of a sergeant, entered.

The boys guessed who they were by their voices, and the noise they made
when grounding their muskets.

"Well, messieurs," said Dame Turgot, with perfect composure, "and what
do you want here?"

"We come in search of prisoners. It is reported that you have some
concealed in your house," said the sergeant.

"Ma foi! that is a good joke! I conceal prisoners indeed!" exclaimed
the dame, laughing. "Pray who are these notable prisoners?"

"That's for you to say. We only know that you have prisoners," answered
the sergeant.

"Then, if you will have it so, one may possibly be a general, and the
other an admiral, and the sooner they are lodged in the Bastille, the
better for the safety of France," answered the dame, laughing. "I am a
loyal Frenchwoman, and can cry `Vive le Roi!' `Vive la France!' with
all my heart."

Jack and Bill, who had quaked at the thoughts of being made prisoners by
the soldiers, now began to have better hope of escaping.

The sergeant, however, was not to be deceived by Dame Turgot's manner.

"Come, come, I must search your house, notwithstanding. For that
purpose I was sent, and I must perform my duty," he said; and he hunted
round the room.

"Now let us look into your room;" and t