You'll
want good quarters and a friendly cup; do not denounce us, and I'll give
you a letter to her, which, if it does not prove of service, you can
then return and give the information."

O'Brien consented; the letter was delivered, and read to him, in which
the sister was requested, by the love she bore to the writer, to do all
she could for the bearer, who had the power of making the whole family
miserable, but had refused so to do. O'Brien pocketed the letter filled
his brandy flask, and saluting all the women, left the cabaret, dragging
me after him with a cord. We were following our route, avoiding
Malines, which was a fortified town, and at the time were in a narrow
lane, with wide ditches, full of water, on each side. At the turning of
a sharp corner we met the gendarme who had supplied O'Brien with a map
of the town of Givet, "Good morning, comrade," said he to O'Brien,
looking earnestly at him, "whom have we here?"

"A young Englishman, whom I picked up close by, escaped from prison."

"Where from?"

"He will not say; but I suspect from Givet."

"There are two who have escaped from Givet," replied he: "how they
escaped no one can imagine; but," continued he, again looking at
O'Brien, "_Avec les braves, il n'y a rien d'impossible_."

"That is true," replied O'Brien; "I have taken one, the other cannot be
far off. You had better look for him."

"I should like to find him," replied the gendarme, "for you know that to
retake a runaway prisoner is certain promotion. You will be made a
corporal."

"So much the better," replied O'Brien; "_adieu, mon ami_."

"Nay, I merely came for a walk, and will return with you to Malines,
where of course you are bound."

"We shall not get there to-night," said O'Brien, "my prisoner is too
much fatigued."

"Well, then, we will go as far as we can; and I will assist you.
Perhaps we may find the second, who, I understand, obtained a map of the
fortress by some means or another."

O'Brien observed, that the English prisoners were very liberal; that he
knew that a hundred Napoleons were often paid for assistance, and he
thought that no corporal's rank was equal to a sum that would in France
made a man happy and independent for life.

"Very true," replied the gendarme; "and let me only look upon that sum,
and I will guarantee a positive safety out of France."

"Then we understand each other," replied O'Brien; "this boy will give
two hundred--one half shall be yo