A stranger seeing her now had thought her indifferent. She was very
pale, and deep circles round her eyes told of sleepless nights and
days of mental misery, but otherwise there was not the faintest outward
symptom of that terrible anguish which was rending her heartstrings. Her
lips did not quiver, and the source of her tears had been dried up ten
days ago.

"Ten minutes and I'll be ready, Sir Andrew," she said. "I have but few
belongings. Will you the while see Lucas about the cart?"

He did as she desired. Her calm in no way deceived him; he knew that she
must be suffering keenly, and would suffer more keenly still while she
would be trying to efface her own personal feelings all through that
coming dreary journey to Calais.

He went to see the landlord about the horse and cart, and a quarter of
an hour later Marguerite came downstairs ready to start. She found Sir
Andrew in close converse with an officer of the Garde de Paris, whilst
two soldiers of the same regiment were standing at the horse's head.

When she appeared in the doorway Sir Andrew came at once up to her.

"It is just as I feared, Lady Blakeney," he said; "this man has been
sent here to take charge of you. Of course, he knows nothing beyond the
fact that his orders are to convey you at once to the guard-house of the
Rue Ste. Anne, where he is to hand you over to citizen Chauvelin of the
Committee of Public Safety."

Sir Andrew could not fail to see the look of intense relief which, in
the midst of all her sorrow, seemed suddenly to have lighted up the
whole of Marguerite's wan face. The thought of wending her own way to
safety whilst Percy, mayhap, was fighting an uneven fight with death
had been well-nigh intolerable; but she had been ready to obey without
a murmur. Now Fate and the enemy himself had decided otherwise. She felt
as if a load had been lifted from her heart.

"I will at once go and find de Batz," Sir Andrew contrived to whisper
hurriedly. "As soon as Percy's letter is safely in his hands I will make
my way northwards and communicate with all the members of the League, on
whom the chief has so strictly enjoined to quit French soil immediately.
We will proceed to Calais first and open up communication with the
Day-Dream in the usual way. The others had best embark on board her, and
the skipper shall then make for the known spot of Le Portel, of which
Percy speaks in his letter. I myself will go by land to Le Portel, and
thence, if I