oop,
he tore away to the burgomaster's to inform him of the discovery. He
reached the official residence, and drew the pompous little
burgomaster to his bedroom-window in a moment. The burgomaster was
rather scandalized that such a respectable man as Jodoque should be
out at such an hour; but when he heard the information, he grew
considerably cold, and rather wished the French fleet would
successfully challenge the place at once, and relieve him of his
admirable chance of the halter.

Was ever burgomaster in such a fix? He wished his ardent longing for
that position had been strangled at his birth. No,--he had saved his
neck from the French, he thought to himself, by conniving at the escape
of a French officer the day previous, and now his neck was in danger
for having very properly tried to save it on that previous day.

But action, action! Whatever came of it, he must appear a patriotic
burgomaster; so he took his night-cap off, and, in spite of the
energetic remonstrances of the burgomaster's lady, was soon down in
the street, surrounded by half a dozen men, and making for Bertha's
eventful little mansion--

Within which was passing a terrible scene.

The fact is, that, when the false Daniel arrived at the fleet and
reported himself, he found that he had escaped with only part of
himself, and rather wanted the rest; and as at that time the French
navy was allowed a liberty which it has not now, the young officer
laid a statement of the whole case before his commander. That daring
personage thus recommended:--A French boat to start away for shore
with this young officer, and several more in her; that it should
touch near Bertha's house; that Bertha should receive the merest hint,
and then take passage for the French fleet herself.

The French officer, attended by half-a-dozen more youths, came back
to the shore, and, just as day was peeping, came up to the little
right-hand window; and as no one answered his tap, he raised the
sash and jumped lightly in.

This Jodoque saw and reported to the burgomaster; but he could not
tell the remainder.

For Daniel, waked by the tapping on the window-pane, saw who it was,
and believing that he had come to steal his wife from him, he
clenched his fists, and, as the slim young man jumped down into the
room, crushed him almost dead in his strong arms.

"Not a word, or I'll stifle you!"

"Daniel! Daniel!"

"Not a word,--and don't Daniel me, you thief!"

"Thief?"

"D