eed if I were to shrink
from incurring some little danger for the sake of Lucien. I know that he
would give his life for me. We were to have been married in a fortnight,
when they came and carried him off to the war. Now tell me exactly what
you want me to do."

"I want a disguise, the dress of a travelling pedlar. I could give you two
English sovereigns, which would be ample to get that. I want also a rope
forty feet long. Then you must let me go up through your house to the top
story. I have been looking at it from behind, and see that from the upper
window I could climb up to the roof, and I am sure that from there I could
easily jump across the narrow lane to the wall."

"I will do it, monsieur, partly for Lucien and partly because you are kind
and gentle and," she added with a little blush and laugh, "good-looking."

"I thank you with all my heart, mademoiselle, and I swear to you that when
I get to England I will spare no pains to find Lucien and aid him to
escape."

"When will you be out again, monsieur?"

"This day week."

"I will have everything ready by that time," she said. "You will come as
late as you can?"

"Yes, I will come the last thing before we all have to return to the
prison. It will be dark half an hour later."

"But there are sentries on the walls," she said.

"Yes, but not a large number. The prison is strongly guarded at night, but
not the outer walls; I have often watched. There is one other thing which
I shall want, and that is a sack in which to put this long box. I carry
it, as you see, full of goods, but to-day I have intentionally abstained
from selling any of them. I will leave the things with you if you have any
place in which to hide them."

"I will put them under my bed," the girl said. "My grand'mere never goes
into my room. Besides, she is generally away at the time you will arrive,
and if she is not she will not hear you go upstairs, as she is very deaf.
My father is one of the warders of the prison, and only comes home once a
week."

Will then returned to the prison. When the appointed day arrived he put
only a few small articles into his box. For these he paid cash. Then he
said good-bye to four or five of the officers with whom he was most
friendly.

"You are mad to try to escape," one of them said, "there is no getting
over the walls."

"I am going to try at any rate. I am utterly sick of this life."

"But you may be exchanged before long."

"It is most impro