ountenance and the twinkle of his eyes belied his words,
but he was not the less welcome. Paul told him to sit down, and he was
soon doing ample justice to the remains of the supper. Without a word
the table was cleared away. Mrs Pringle and the older people retired
into the wide chimney recess. Sam, taking his fiddle, mounted on a
meal-tub, which stood in a corner by the old clock, and then, striking
up one of his merriest tunes, he soon had all the lads and lasses
capering and frisking about before him, True Blue being the most lively
and active of them all. Never did his heart and heels feel so light as
he bounded up and down the room with Mary by his side, sometimes
grasping her hands, and sometimes whirling round and round, while both
were shrieking and laughing in the exuberance of their spirits.

He felt as if a load had been taken off his mind. Once more he was
among his old friends and associates, and, without confessing the fact
to himself, he infinitely preferred being with them to enjoying all the
luxury and refinement which Lady Elmore's house in London had afforded.
So the days flew rapidly by till the party of seamen had once more to
rejoin their ship.

She was bound for the Mediterranean. The first port they entered was
Toulon. The town and the surrounding fortifications were held by the
Royalists, aided by British, Spanish, Sardinians, and Neapolitan troops,
and strong parties of seamen from the English and Spanish squadron. The
Republican troops were besieging the place, vowing vengeance against
their countrymen who opposed them. Lord Hood, the British
Commander-in-Chief, was expecting a reinforcement of Austrian troops to
defend the town. He sent some ships to convey them, but an answer was
returned that they could not be spared; and the Republican army having
increased rapidly in numbers and gained several posts, a council of war
was held to deliberate as to the advisability of longer holding the
place. The result was that Toulon must be abandoned. It was the
death-knell to thousands of the inhabitants.

Several important objects had to be accomplished. The ships of war must
first be carried out of the harbour, the defenders withdrawn from the
batteries, the Royalist inhabitants got off, and, finally, all the
French ships, magazines, and stores which could not be removed
destroyed.

It was an anxious and awful period. Between forty and fifty thousand
Republican troops were preparin