rought over, with their cargoes of wine
and brandy, Huguenot fugitives; and, by the same means, secret
agents carried back news of events in Paris to the Government.
Having decided upon making for the coast without delay, Desmond
and his friends next discussed the port to which they had best
travel, and which seemed to offer the fairest opportunities. They
agreed that Weymouth seemed to be most advantageous, as it was
from there that the communications with Brittany were chiefly
maintained.

At the same time, it was evident that considerable difficulty
would be experienced in discovering the men engaged in such
traffic, and in making an arrangement with them, and it was
all-important that no time should be lost, for there was no saying
when the trial might come on.

"If we could but get hold of Godolphin," Desmond said, next
morning, "we might get an order, from him, to embark in one of the
boats that carry his agents."

The others laughed.

"Yes; and if you could get hold of Anne, you might persuade her to
sign an order for the release of our comrades."

Desmond did not answer, but sat thinking for a few minutes.

"It is not so impossible as you seem to imagine," he said, at
last. "Doubtless, like everyone else, he goes in a sedan chair to
the meeting of the council, and returns in the same manner. There
are two ways in which we could manage the matter. Of course, he
has his own chair, with his chair men in livery. We might either
make these men drunk and assume their dress, or attack them
suddenly on the way; then we should, of course, gag and bind them,
and carry him here, or to some other place that we might decide
upon, and force him to give us an order for the boatmen to take us
across the channel, at once. Of course, we should have horses in
readiness, and ride for the coast. We should have a twelve hours'
start, for it would be that time before our landlady came in as
usual, with our breakfast, when Godolphin would, of course, be
released."

The two officers looked at each other, astounded at the audacity
of the scheme that Desmond had quietly propounded. O'Sullivan was
the first to speak.

"Are you really in earnest, Kennedy?"

"Quite in earnest. I do not see why it should not be done."

"Well, you are certainly the coolest hand I ever came across,"
O'Neil said. "You are proposing to seize the first minister in
England, as if it were merely an affair of carrying off a pretty
girl quite willing t