by the Republicans, and I was carried to the prison at Nantes;
and should have been guillotined had not my husband and brother
rescued me, when the Vendeans were attacking the town. I remained
at the farmhouse, until the Vendeans could no longer maintain
themselves in La Vendee and crossed the Loire; then I accompanied
my husband."

"Well, madam, I congratulate you heartily on your escape. We heard
terrible tales, in England, of what is going on in France."

"However terrible they are, they can hardly give you an idea of the
truth. At Nantes, for instance, the guillotine is too slow; and
hundreds of men, women, and children are put into boats, which are
sunk in the middle of the river. It is too horrible to think of."

"Is there anything that I can do for you, madam? Anything in the
way of provisions with which we can supply you?"

"No, thank you, we have everything that we can want."

"Then I will detain you no further," he said, "and can only wish
you a pleasant voyage. I see, by the course you are steering, that
you are making for the Isle of Wight. You ought to be there
tomorrow afternoon."

The boat returned to the lugger, the sails were filled again and,
at four next afternoon, the Henriette passed Handfast Point, and
headed for the entrance to Poole harbour. As the distance from home
lessened, Patsey's excitement increased hourly. She could not sit
down for a minute, quietly, but walked restlessly up and down the
deck. She had scarcely spoken when Leigh said, after a long look
through the telescope:

"I can make out the house on the hill, quite plainly, Patsey."

At any other time Patsey, who dearly loved their old home, would
have shown the liveliest interest; but just then her thoughts were
all of Jean, and she could spare none for anything else.

"They must have made us out, by this time," she said, as they
passed Durleston.

"I should think so, but I don't suppose they watch as we used to do
in the old days. The revenue men up there--" and he nodded up the
cliff "--must of course see that we are French; and if there are
any of them who were here, three or four years ago, no doubt they
know us again, and must be wondering what brings us here."

They had scarcely passed Durleston when Patsey sprang on to the
rail, holding fast by the shrouds, and gazed intently at the narrow
entrance of the channel, between the island and the mainland.

"There is a boat coming out," she exclaimed.

"The coast