abouts.
Hadji Eseb entered into conversation with him, and meanwhile Lanty broke
forth, 'O wirrah, wirrah, Master Arthur! an' have they made a haythen
Moor of ye? By the powers, but this is worse than all. What will
Mademoiselle say?--she that has held up the faith of every one of us,
like a little saint and martyr as she is! Though, to be sure, ye are but
a Protestant; only these folks don't know the differ.'

'If you would let me speak, Laurence,' said Arthur, 'you would hear that
I am no more a Moslem than yourself, only my Frank dress might lead to
trouble. We are come to deliver you all, with a ransom from the French
Consul. Are you all safe--Mademoiselle and all? and how many of you?'

'Mademoiselle and M. l'Abbe were safe and well three days since,' said
Lanty; 'but that spalpeen there is my master and poor Victorine's, and
will not let us put a foot near them.'

'Where are they? How many?' anxiously asked Arthur.

'There are five of us altogether,' said Lanty; 'praise be to Him who has
saved us thus far. We know the touch of cold steel at our throats, as
well as ever I knew the poor misthress' handbell; and unless our Lady,
and St. Lawrence, and the rest of them, keep the better watch on us, the
rascals will only ransom us without our heads, so jealous and
bloodthirsty they are. The Bey of Constantina sent for us once, but all
we got by that was worse usage than the very dogs in Paris, and being
dragged up these weary hills, where Maitre Hubert and I carried
Mademoiselle every foot of the way on our backs, and she begging our
pardon so prettily--only she could not walk, the rocks had so bruised her
darlin' little feet.'

'This is their chief holy man, Lanty. If any one can prevail on these
savages to release you it is he.'

'And how come you to be hand and glove with them, Masther Arthur--you
that I thought drownded with poor Madame and the little Chevalier and the
rest?'

'The Chevalier is not drowned, Laurent. He is safe in the Consul's house
at Algiers.'

'Now heaven and all the saints be praised! The Chevalier safe and well!
'Tis a very miracle!' cried Lanty, letting fall his burthen, as he
clasped his hands in ecstasy and performed a caper which, in spite of all
his master Eyoub's respect for the Marabouts, brought a furious yell of
rage, and a tremendous blow with the cudgel, which Lanty, in his joy,
seemed to receive as if it had been a feather.

Hadji Eseb averted a further blow; an