on him by Providence; then
explained how, at La Sablerie, she had been recognized by a young
gentleman whom she had known at Paris, but who professed to be fleeing
to England, there to study the Protestant controversy; and how she had
confided to him a letter to her husband's mother, who was married in
England, begging her to send for her and her daughter, the latter being
heiress to certain English estates, as well as French.

'Madame,' added Gardon, 'Heaven forgive me, if I do the Youth injustice
by suspecting him, but no answer ever arrived to that letter; and while
we still expected one, a good and kindly citizen, who I trust has long
been received into glory, sent me notice that a detachment of Monsieur's
army was on its way from La Rochelle, under command of M. de Nid de
Merle, to search out this poor lady in La Sablerie. He, good man, deemed
that, were we gone, he could make terms for the place, and we therefore
quitted it. Alas! Madame knows how it fared with the pious friend we
left. Little deeming how they would be dealt with, we took our way along
the Sables d'Olonne, where alone we could be safe, since, as Madame
knows, they are for miles impracticable for troops. But we had another
enemy there--the tide; and there was a time when we truly deemed that
the mercy granted us had been that we had fallen into the hand of the
Lord instead of the hand of cruel man. Yes, Madame, and even for that
did she give thanks, as she stood, never even trembling, on the low
sandbank, with her babe in her bosom, and the sea creeping up on all
sides. She only turned to me with a smile, saying, 'She is asleep, she
will not feel it, or know anything till she wakes up in Paradise, and
sees her father.' Never saw I a woman, either through nature or grace,
so devoid of fear. We were rescued at last, by the mercy of Heaven,
which sent a fisherman, who bore us to his boat when benumbed with cold,
and scarce able to move. He took us to a good priest's, Colombeau of
Nissard, a man who, as Madame may know, is one of those veritable saints
who still are sustained by the truth within their Church, and is full of
charity and mercy. He asked me no questions, but fed, warmed, sheltered
us, and sped us on our way. Perhaps, however, I was over-confident in
myself, as the guardian of the poor child, for it was Heaven's will that
the cold and wet of our night on the sands--though those tender young
frames did not suffer therefrom--should bring on