"Zooks!--then I carried out my little plan: that is to say, at first I only determined to leave everything to chance, but when Iheard Chauvelin giving his orders to the soldiers, I thought that Fate and I were going to work together after all.I reckoned on the blind obedience of the soldiers.Chauvelin had ordered them on pain of death not to stir until the tall Englishman came.Desgas had thrown me down in a heap quite close to the hut; the soldiers took no notice of the Jew, who had driven Citoyen Chauvelin to this spot.I managed to free my hands from the ropes, with which the brute had trussed me;I always carry pencil and paper with me wherever I go, and I hastily scrawled a few important instructions on a scrap of paper; then Ilooked about me.I crawled up to the hut, under the very noses of the soldiers, who lay under cover without stirring, just as Chauvelin had ordered them to do, then I dropped my little note into the hut through a chink in the wall, and waited.In this note I told the fugitives to walk noiselessly out of the hut, creep down the cliffs, keep to the left until they came to the first creek, to give a certain signal, when the boat of the DAY DREAM, which lay in wait not far out to sea, would pick them up.They obeyed implicitly, fortunately for them and for me.The soldiers who saw them were equally obedient to Chauvelin's orders.They did not stir! I waited for nearly half an hour; when I knew that the fugitives were safe I gave the signal, which caused so much stir."And that was the whole story.It seemed so simple! and Marguerite could be marvel at the wonderful ingenuity, the boundless pluck and audacity which had evolved and helped to carry out this daring plan.
"But those brutes struck you!" she gasped in horror, at the bare recollection of the fearful indignity.
"Well! that could not be helped," he said gently, "whilst my little wife's fate was so uncertain, I had to remain here by her side.
Odd's life!" he added merrily, "never fear! Chauvelin will lose nothing by waiting, I warrant! Wait till I get him back to England!--La! he shall pay for the thrashing he gave me with compound interest, I promise you."Marguerite laughed.It was so good to be beside him, to hear his cheery voice, to watch that good-humoured twinkle in his blue eyes, as he stretched out his strong arms, in longing for that foe, and anticipation of his well-deserved punishment.
Suddenly, however, she started: the happy blush left her cheek, the light of joy died out of her eyes: she had heard a stealthy footfall overhead, and a stone had rolled down from the top of the cliffs right down to the beach below.
"What's that?" she whispered in horror and alarm.
"Oh! nothing, m'dear," he muttered with a pleasant laugh, "only a trifle you happened to have forgotten...my friend, Ffoulkes...""Sir Andrew!" she gasped.
Indeed, she had wholly forgotten the devoted friend and companion, who had trusted and stood by her during all these hours of anxiety and suffering.She remembered him how, tardily and with a pang of remorse.
"Aye! you had forgotten him, hadn't you, m'dear?" said Sir Percy merrily."Fortunately, I met him, not far from the `Chat Gris.'
before I had that interesting supper party, with my friend Chauvelin....Odd's life! but I have a score to settle with that young reprobate!--but in the meanwhile, I told him of a very long, very circuitous road which Chauvelin's men would never suspect, just about the time when we are ready for him, eh, little woman?""And he obeyed?" asked Marguerite, in utter astonishment.
"Without word or question.See, here he comes.He was not in the way when I did not want him, and now he arrives in the nick of time.Ah! he will make pretty little Suzanne a most admirable and methodical husband."In the meanwhile Sir Andrew Ffoulkes had cautiously worked his way down the cliffs: he stopped once or twice, pausing to listen for whispered words, which would guide him to Blakeney's hiding-place.
"Blakeney!" he ventured to say at last cautiously, "Blakeney!
are you there?"
The next moment he rounded the rock against which Sir Percy and Marguerite were leaning, and seeing the weird figure still clad in the Jew's long gaberdine, he paused in sudden, complete bewilderment.
But already Blakeney had struggled to his feet.
"Here I am, friend," he said with his funny, inane laugh, "all alive! though I do look a begad scarecrow in these demmed things.""Zooks!" ejaculated Sir Andrew in boundless astonishment as he recognized his leader, "of all the..."The young man had seen Marguerite, and happily checked the forcible language that rose to his lips, at sight of the exquisite Sir Percy in this weird and dirty garb.
"Yes!" said Blakeney, calmly, "of all the...hem!...My friend!--I have not yet had time to ask you what you were doing in France, when I ordered you to remain in London? Insubordination?
