he cares of life were on my shoulders. Your
brother-in-law Martin is a capital fellow but, with a wife and
child, he cannot feel so lighthearted as I do; though next to
yourself he is the most ready to join me in a laugh. Sailors seem
always to be lighthearted, and he certainly is no exception."

"He is a splendid fellow, count."

"Yes, he is a fine fellow; but you see, he is seven or eight years
older than I am, while I feel with you that you are about my own
age. By the way, it is high time that we dropped calling each other
by our surnames, especially as mine is such a long one; so in
future let us be' Henri' and 'Leigh 'to each other. Most of the
peasants call me Henri."

"They generally speak of you as 'our Henri,'" Leigh said, "and
would follow you through fire and water. I think the Vendeans are,
as a whole, serious people; and they admire you all the more
because you are so unlike themselves. If you do not mind my saying
so, you remind me much more of the young English officers I used to
meet, at Poole, than of Frenchmen."

"Yes, I have often been told that I am more English than French in
appearance, and perhaps in manner; for in France most men have
forgotten, for the past four years, what it is to smile; and I
question whether a laugh would not be considered, in itself,
sufficient to ensure a man's condemnation as an enemy of the
Republic.

"Well, so we are going to Saumur! That is an enterprise worth
undertaking. It may be considered as the headquarters of the Blues
in these parts. There is a considerable body of troops there. If we
capture it, we shall give a rare fright to Poitiers, Tours, and the
other towns, and cause a scare even in Paris."

Leigh was requested to go forward at daybreak, with his band, to
discover the situation of the enemy, who might come out from their
situation to give battle before Doue. Leigonyer, who commanded
here, had with him four good regiments; and occupied several strong
positions on the right bank of the river Layon, and also a post
called Rochette on the left bank.

The fact that the Vendeans were advancing against them was already
known to Leigonyer for, confident as they now felt, the Vendeans
made no secret of their destination, and the news was speedily
carried by the adherents of the Convention, who everywhere acted as
spies. Three such men were captured by Leigh's party, making their
way to Leigonyer; and, being unable to give any account of
themselves, we