f they had seen you," Jean laughed.
"The idea of Monsieur Desailles, advocate, a gentleman somewhat
particular as to his attire, dragging a portmanteau weighing a
hundred pounds through the streets, would seem an impossibility."

"I have left that phase of my existence behind me," Jules laughed;
"henceforth I am a man of war, a rebel, a brigand, as they call
you, prepared for any desperate adventure, ready to rush up to a
cannon's mouth."

"That is right, Desailles. I am glad to see that you take things so
cheerfully."

"My dear Jean, I feel as if I walk on air since you have taken my
portmanteau. I have been living in a state of suspense for months,
hating these wretches and their ways; and knowing that I was
gradually falling into bad odour with them, and that the blow would
certainly fall, ere long. Over and over again I have thought of
making my escape from it all; but you see, I am not a man of
action, as you are. I did not see how the matter was to be
effected--where to go or what to do. I was like a boy shivering at
the edge of the bank, and afraid to plunge in; then another comes
behind him and pushes him into the water, and he strikes out, and
finds that it is not as cold as he expected, and forthwith enjoys
it. I have cut loose from the past. I have become a rover and a
waif, and I feel as lighthearted as a boy.

"Now, let me get hold of one end of that trunk, again."

"I have got it all right and, as you see, I have not yet changed
shoulders. And if I want help, it is to Leigh I should turn, and
not to you. After three months' campaigning, it may be that you
will be able to hold up an end as well as he can, but you certainly
cannot do so now. In another hundred yards we shall be at the boat,
and they must be on the lookout for us."

In a short time they saw a fishing craft, with a boat astern of
her. A man was standing on the deck.

"It is a dark night, my friends," he said.

"It will be lighter in the morning," Jean replied.

The man leapt ashore.

"Ah, captain, I am glad, indeed, to see you. Brenon did not tell
us, until after he had made a bargain with us, who wanted our boat,
or we should not have talked about payment. Not likely, after
having sailed with you since you were a boy of fourteen."

"No, indeed," said another man, who had just raised his head out of
the cabin hatch; "and we are not going to take it, either."

"We will talk about that afterwards," Jean said, as he stepped on
bo