, Louis,"
said she, "let us not think of the danger; we have saved two innocent
lives, for innocent I know they are: what if we _have_ perilled our own?
Heaven will reward us." Nothing more was said, though we both thought a
great deal, but we kept at our work as if nothing had happened. It was a
long time before I dared let the fugitives come from their hiding-place;
for I was afraid of that cursed glass of _Monsieur le Capitaine_. When I
did open it I found my prisoners nearly dead with suspense. We held a
council as to the best means for their concealment--for who would have
had the heart to turn the young people adrift?--and it was finally
settled that the comte and his wife should dress as peasants, and take
what other means were necessary to alter their appearance, that they
might pass as such without suspicion. This was no sooner resolved than
carried out. Agathe was as busy as a bee, and in a few minutes had a
dress ready for Victorine--we were to call her by her first name--who
was now as lively as a creature could be, running about the room,
looking into the glass, and making fun of her husband, who had in the
mean time pulled on some of my clothes. After this, the young comte
explained to me that his father had died a short time before, leaving
him his title and immense estates, which, however, should he die
childless, would pass to an uncle, a man unscrupulous and of bad
reputation. This uncle was among the most conspicuous of the
revolutionists. Through his agency the Comte de Choissy and his young
wife, with whom he had been but a twelvemonth united, were arrested, and
shortly after sentenced to death. They escaped from prison and the
guillotine by the aid of a faithful domestic, and were almost at Calais
when they discovered that they were pursued. By leaving the road and
sending the carriage forward, they managed to gain the few moments which
saved them. Their principal fear now was from the wicked designs of the
uncle, for the Directory had too much on their hands to hunt out escaped
prisoners who were not specially obnoxious. For some days the young
people did not stir from the house, but were ever ready to resort to
their hiding-place on the first alarm. There were, however, no signs of
the _gens-d'armes_ in the neighborhood. I went to Calais in a little
while, and found, after much trouble, the old servant who was in the
carriage when the comte and his wife deserted it. He had been permitted
to pass o