ssed to Harry. There was no letter with it,
but underneath the portrait she wrote--

"_With Paquita's dearest love. As she waits for one who comes
not._"

This she posted herself, registering it for extra safety.

* * * *

Still came no tidings, as day after day passed, till one morning the
postman brought a large official-looking letter, addressed in a strange
handwriting, and bearing foreign post-marks.

Despite all his hardihood, Harkaway's hand trembled as he took it up,
and, eager as he was for news, it was some seconds before he could
nerve himself to break the seal.

His wife sat watching with breathless expectation, feeling convinced
that at length there was news.

"Are they safe?" she asked, when she had followed her husband's eye to
the conclusion of the lengthy epistle.

"They _are_ safe, for the _present_."

"Thank Heaven!" she exclaimed, giving way to woman's great
relief--tears.

"But _where_ are they?" she continued a minute afterwards.

"At Marseilles, where they have been for some time, so the British
consul tells me, and where they are likely to be till we go to release
them."

"Release them! What do you mean? Don't keep back anything from me, dear
husband."

"Well, if you must know the worst, they are in prison, on a charge of
coining."

"What an infamous charge to make against them?" exclaimed a couple of
indignant feminine voices, belonging to little Emily and Paquita, who
had just come into the room.

"Husband, you don't believe our boy to be guilty of such a crime?"

"No; but----"

"But what?"

"Appearances are very much against them, the consul says. The great
thing is to establish their identity, as the boy is supposed to have
assumed the name he bears."

At this moment Harvey appeared, and the news was instantly imparted to
him.

"It is a very serious affair, and it is certain we must go at once. But
really it is ridiculous to fancy old Mole and those black rascals
accused of coining."

"It will not be ridiculous, if they are condemned and sent to the
galleys, pa," said little Emily.

"True, little girl, therefore we will see about starting at once. You
see about packing my things, while I run up to town to get passports
for the lot of us."

"Passports are not required for travelling," said Emily.

"Certainly not for travelling; but what can establish our identity
better than passports signed by the British