er any need that I should appear as
owner; and in fact Madame Martin, as representative of her husband,
is the owner of the Henriette, and I and my wife are passengers on
board her."

"I hope that you will find it all right below, madame," Captain
Lefaux said. "Captain Martin's cabin--we have always called it
so--is ready for you and Madame Flambard. Monsieur will take the
spare cabin, and Monsieur Leigh mine."

"I will sleep on one of the sofas in the saloon, captain. I should
not feel comfortable if I turned you out; and besides, I like being
able to pop quietly on deck, whenever I feel inclined: so that is
settled."

"Now we will have a tumbler of hot brandy and water," the captain
said. "You have had a cold drive.

"What will you take, ladies?"

Both declared that they wanted nothing but to get to bed, and they
at once retired to the after cabin with little Louis, who had slept
without waking, ever since he had been lifted from his bed at
Bordeaux. The captain had given orders, as soon as he came on
board, to have the sails hoisted and, as Monsieur Flambard and
Leigh sipped their grog, they had the satisfaction of hearing the
water rippling past; and of feeling, by the heel of the boat, that
there was sufficient wind to send them along at a good rate.

"What is she making, captain?" Leigh asked, as he went up to take a
last look round.

"About five knots, but the wind is getting up. There was scarcely a
breath when I turned in, at ten o'clock."

"How far do you call it to the mouth of the river?"

"It is about forty miles to the tower of Cordouan. Once past that,
we reckon we are at sea."

"Eight hours going, at five knots. It is nearly twelve now. It will
be daylight when we get there."

"I hope that we shall be there before that, sir. You have not
allowed for the tide, nor for the wind increasing. I reckon we
shall be there by six, and day does not begin to break till an hour
later.

"I want to get past without being seen. There are always a couple
of gunboats lying there. I fancy that they know us pretty well by
this time, but sometimes as we go out they make us lie to, and come
on board to see that we are not taking off suspected persons, and
that any passengers we have tally with those on the manifest. If
they should take it into their heads to do that in the morning, it
would be awkward; and I am anxious to get past without being seen.
Once out of gunshot I do not mind. I fancy that we can sh