ted his assistance in purchasing a van, with a
pair of good strong horses, at once.

"It will be next to impossible to get horses," the Maire said, "but
I will do my best. I have two carriage horses, of good breed; but I
fear, if I were to let you have them, the Prussians might remark
it."

"We have two first-rate animals," Ralph said, "from Gambetta's own
stables. They have carried us a hundred miles, since breakfast time
yesterday. They are likely to be at least as good as yours are,
only they want a few days' rest. Will you exchange?"

"Certainly," the Maire said, at once. "If any inquiries were to be
made about it, I need make no secret of that transaction.

"As for the covered cart, I will send round at once to those of my
neighbors who have one; and as you are ready to pay for it, and as
the Prussians are requisitioning them without payment, you can rely
upon having one tomorrow morning, ready for your start. I will send
a note round to you, tonight, to tell you where it is, at present."

"We had better go now to the German commandant's office, and get
our passes countersigned. When that is done, we shall be all right
for Versailles."

"Yes, I should advise you to do that," the Maire said. "You will
not have much difficulty. They are civil enough about passes, and
matters of that kind. Will you mention you have seen me?"

"Not unless any question is asked about horses; in which case we
should of course mention that--hearing you had a pair of horses,
and ours requiring rest--we had changed with you."

They now went boldly to the orderly room. An officer was on duty.

"Will you please to visa this for Versailles?" Ralph said, in
German.

The officer took it, glanced at it, and at them.

"The last visa I see was at Meaux, a fortnight since."

"We have been traveling on horseback, since," Ralph said; "and have
had no occasion to have it visaed, as it has always passed us
without trouble. As we are now going to Versailles, with a wagon,
we thought it better to have the pass visaed here."

"Where have you come from, now?"

"From Fontainebleau," Ralph said. "We have been down to Pithiviers,
and I sent off four wagon loads of things from there, for the
frontier."

"Your best way is through Corbeil, and Longjumeau," the officer
said, handing back the paper.

"Thank you, sir," Ralph replied, "that is the way we are intending
to go."

In the evening, the Maire himself came in to look at the horses;
an