ut every foot, to assist the prisoner in climbing, and
had covered the iron of the grapnel with strips of flannel so that it
would make no noise when it struck the wall.

"Hide them in your bed. It will be a very dark night, and you must steal
out and make your way to the middle of the south wall. There fling your
grapnel up and scale the wall. I shall be there waiting for you. It looks
as if it will be very wet as well as very dark, so you ought to be able to
avoid the sentinel."

At this moment he heard someone at the door, and adroitly changing his
tone said: "You do not like these colours for a bed-quilt? Very well, I am
getting a fresh stock from London in a few days, and I have no doubt you
will be able to suit yourself. Good-morning!"

He then turned and offered some of his goods to the new-comer, who bought
a block for carving out a ship, and some twine and other things for
rigging her. When he left the hut he went about the yard till he had
disposed of a considerable amount of his goods, and then left the prison
and made his way back to the spot where he had hidden his clothes. On
arriving there he changed at once, rubbed the pigment from his face, threw
away the wig and whiskers, hid the basket in a place which he and the
pedlar had agreed upon, with the clothes in it and the pass in one of the
pockets, and then went back into the village, where he hired a chaise and
drove to Fairham.

"Landlord," he said, as he drew up at the principal hotel, "I shall want a
post-chaise to-night for London. I shall be at a party to-night and cannot
say at what time I may get away, but have the horses ready to put in at
twelve o'clock. If they have to wait an hour or two you shall not be the
loser."

After ordering dinner, he strolled about the town till he thought it would
be nearly ready. Then he asked for a room, and there changed into his
naval uniform, which he had brought with him. He ate a good dinner, and
then, putting on his cloak, started to walk back to Porchester, carrying
with him a bag in which was the sailor's suit he had bought for Lucien.
The night was pitch dark, and the rain had set in heavily, but although
his walk was not an agreeable one he was in high spirits. In his letter to
Lucien he had told him that if anything should prevent him from making his
way to the wall that night he would expect him on the following one.
Nevertheless he felt sure that in such favourable circumstances he would
be able t