he woman, the little girl, and myself got in, O'Brien
leading as before, and the mastiff following. We had learnt the dog's
name, which was _Achille_, and he seemed to be quite fond of us. We
passed the dreaded barriers without interruption, and in ten minutes
entered the cabaret of Eustache; and immediately walked into the little
room through a crowd of soldiers, two of whom chucked me under the chin.
Who should we find there but Eustache, the pilot himself, in
conversation with his wife; and it appeared that they were talking about
us, she insisting, and he unwilling to have any hand in the business.

"Well, here they are themselves, Eustache: the soldiers who have seen
them come in will never believe that this is their first entry, if you
give them up. I leave them to make their own bargain; but mark me,
Eustache, I have slaved night and day in this cabaret for your profit;
if you do not oblige me and my family, I no longer keep a cabaret for
you." Madame Eustache then quitted the room with her husband's sister
and little girl, and O'Brien immediately accosted him. "I promise you,"
said he to Eustache, "one hundred louis if you put us on shore at any
part of England, or on board of any English man-of-war; and if you do it
within a week, I will make it twenty louis more." O'Brien then pulled
out the fifty Napoleons given us by Celeste, for our own were not yet
expended, and laid them on the table. "Here is this in advance, to
prove my sincerity. Say, is it a bargain or not?"

"I never yet heard of a poor man who could withstand his wife's
arguments, backed with one hundred and twenty louis," said Eustache
smiling, and sweeping the money off the table.

"I presume you have no objection to start to-night? That will be ten
louis more in your favour," replied O'Brien.

"I shall earn them," replied Eustache: "the sooner I am off the better,
for I could not long conceal you here. The young frow with you is, I
suppose, your companion that my wife mentioned. He has begun to suffer
hardships early. Come, now sit down and talk, for nothing can be done
till dark."

O'Brien narrated the adventures attending our escape, at which Eustache
laughed heartily; the more so, at the mistake which his wife was under,
as to the obligations of the family. "If I did not feel inclined to
assist you before, I do now, just for the laugh I shall have at her when
I come back; and if she wants any more assistance for the sake of he