y arms round her
neck, told her the whole story, and we both of us enjoyed a hearty
laugh over it."

"Aye, Jack, those were laughing times," said Fritz, sadly.

"Not only that, but our mother was always so even--tempered; she was
never ruffled in the slightest degree by my nonsense; though she often
had the right to be very angry, yet she never once took offence. On
another occasion, Mary and Sophia Wolston were working here at those
mysterious embroideries which they always hid when we came near."

"Toby's collar, I suppose," remarked Fritz.

"My tobacco pouch," suggested Willis.

"I approached," continued Jack, "with the muffled softness of a cat,
and was just on the point of discovering their secret, when my monkey,
Knips, who was cracking nuts at their feet, made a spring, and drew a
bobbin of silk after it; this caused them to look round, and great was
my astonishment to find myself caught at the very moment I expected to
surprise them. They commenced scolding me at an immense rate, but then
it was so delightful to be scolded!"

"Aye," murmured Fritz, "that is all over now."

Like a file of sheep, one recollection dragged another after it, so
that the whole of the past recurred to their memories. Some faint
streaks of light now warned them that day was about to break; the
cocks began to crow one after the other, and to fill the air with
their shrill voices.

"Now," said Willis, "it is high time to be off."

Jack hastily gathered two bouquets of flowers, which he suspended to
the lintel of each dwelling.

"These," said he, "will show them that we have paid them another
visit."

They then bent down all three on their knees, uttered a short prayer,
and afterwards disappeared amidst the shadows of the chestnut trees.

"Listen!" said Willis, seeing that his companions were about to make a
halt, "if you stop again, or speak of returning any more, I will cease
to regard you as men."

Half an hour afterwards, on the morning of the 8th March, 1812, the
pinnace bore out to sea, and when day broke, the crew could not descry
a single trace of New Switzerland on any point of the horizon.

CHAPTER XIX.

EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND TWELVE--THE MARY--COUNT UGOLINO--THE
SOURCES OF RIVERS--THE ALPS DEMOLISHED--NO MORE PYRENEES--THE
FIRST SHIP--ADMIRAL NOAH--FLEETS OF THE ISRAELITES--THE
COMPASS--PRINTING--GUNPOWDER--ACTIUM AND SALAMIS--DIDO AND
AENEAS--STEAM--DON GARAY AND ROGER BACON--MELCHTHAL, FURST, AND
WILLI