that when you pay in assignats
you don't buy cheap."

"We have money," Leigh said, "and I would pay any reasonable sum,
in gold, for proper papers."

"Sapristi! You might almost tempt the maire himself, by offering
him gold. Only he would suspect that you must have more hidden
away, and that by arresting you, he could make himself master of
the whole, instead of only a part; but since you offer gold, I have
no doubt that my cousin would not mind running some little risk.
How much shall I say, monsieur?"

"I would, if necessary, give forty louis."

"That is more than his yearly salary," the innkeeper said; "half of
that would be ample. I will go to him at once. It is important that
you should get papers of some kind, for at any moment anyone might
come in and demand to see them."

"Here are ten louis. I have more sewn up in my saddle, and can give
him the other ten later on, when I get an opportunity to go to the
stable unnoticed."

"That will do very well, monsieur. I will be off at once."

It was an hour before he returned, and Leigh and Patsey had just
finished supper. As there were two or three other persons in the
room he said nothing, but signified by a little nod that he had
succeeded. A quarter of an hour later the other customers, having
finished their meal, went out.

"Here are your papers," he said, as he handed a document to Leigh.

It was a printed form, blanks being left for the names,
description, and the object of journey.

"Arthenay Mairie,

"To all concerned--

"It is hereby testified that citizen Lucien Porson, and his sister
citoyenne Martin, both of good repute and well disposed to the
Republic, natives of this town of Arthenay, are travelling,
accompanied by a child of the latter, to Marseilles, whither they
go on family affairs, and to join citoyenne Martin's husband, a
master mariner of that town."

The destination had been altered when they heard of the state of
things at Toulon. The document was purposed to be signed by the
maire, under his official seal.

"There is only one difficulty," the landlord said, as Leigh and
Patsey warmly thanked him; "and that is that, although it will pass
you when you have once left this town, it would be dangerous to use
it here; and you may at any moment be asked for it. But my cousin,
who is a charming fellow, pointed out the difficulty to me, and
said:

"'The best thing will be for me to take a couple of men, and pay
the official visit to