of the dead.

Here they brought poor Gaspard's emaciated body, and laid the child of
sunny France in England's colder soil. The prison officials carried him,
but no mourners followed, save Poivre, who got leave for that purpose.
The chaplain at the head, and a sergeant's guard bringing up the rear,
completed the procession. It has been said that the same coffin was used
over and over again, and that each body was taken out of it at the grave
and lowered without one; but it is impossible to credit it for a moment.
Such a man as the Bishop of Moulines would never have suffered such
barbarism, and the country that spent 300,000 pounds a year on this one
prison, would never have grudged a coffin apiece to each poor fellow's
body that required one. The libel must have originated with somebody
(not an undertaker,) who thought in his poor heart that one was good
enough for all. "It was only a prisoner."

There, without attracting the notice of the others, and so depressing
them, but with decency and reverence, they laid the dead to rest.

It is a sacred spot still. How many have been laid there of those exiles
from their fatherland, no record shows, and no one knows their names save
He who is the common Father of us all, and before whom not one of them is
forgotten. No prisoner was buried in the church or churchyard; nor did
such exclusion arise from any want of respect, but from necessity; though
it would be pleasant to have had to relate that some notice was in some
way taken in the _parish books_ of Yaxley of these interesting
parishioners, who were fellow-men, and who had done no wrong but die for
their country. But not one word is written about them, nor one allusion
made to them.

Much more to be regretted, however, is the fact that, in the portion of
the pasture field where the dust of these poor fellows awaits the day of
resurrection, not one single thing of any the slightest sort is to be
seen to indicate the solemn use to which it has been put. The soil, more
sympathetic than man, still points by its depression to the spot where
each grave has been, but no other record, no token whatever, not even an
enclosure. So that when the authorities sold back the field, they sold
it along with all the dead that lay in part of it.

Cui bono?

The answer is--in the words of the "Stranger"--

"Give something to the dead.

"Give what?

Respect."

CHAPTER VII.--ATTEMPTED ESCAPE.

It