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 http://www.archive.org/details/royofroyscourt01west
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT
 
 Copyrighted in the United States by 
 
 J. B. Lippincott Company
 
 ROY 
 
 OF 
 
 ROY'S COURT 
 
 BY 
 WILLIAM WESTALL 
 
 AUTHOR OF 'NIGEL FORTESCUE,' ' THE PHANTOM CITY,' 'a QUEER RACE, 
 'two pinches OF SNUFF,' ETC. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON 
 
 WARD & DOWNEY 
 
 12 YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN, W.C. 
 
 1892
 
 1! 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 rA3 
 V.I 
 
 Dentcation 
 
 TO 
 
 ^ COLONEL MARK LOCKWOOD 
 
 \ M.P. FOR WEST ESSEX 
 
 ^ THIS STORY OF 'BATTLES, SIEGES, FORTUNES' 
 
 IS INSCRIBED 
 BY HIS FRIEND AND CONSTITUENT 
 
 THE AUTHOR
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 L— CAPTURED, 9 
 
 II.— THE ABBAYE, i8 
 
 III.— A HAPPY THOUGHT, 29 
 
 IV.— A FRIEND AT COURT, .... 40 
 
 v.— THE CHEVALIER'S CHOICE, ... 58 
 
 VI.— SHOT, 69 
 
 VII.— JULIE'S WARNING, 79 
 
 VIII.— SHADOWED, 91 
 
 IX. -A CLOSE SHAVE, 103 
 
 X.-A STRANGE SAIL, 123 
 
 XI.— THE PRIVATEER, 138 
 
 XII.— BECALMED, I44 
 
 XIII.— THE BOMB, 158 
 
 XIV.— A HOT CHASE, 168 
 
 XV.— A NEAR THING, i75 
 
 XVI.— FLEUR-DE-LYS COURT, . , , . 192
 
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 CAPTURED 
 
 In the year 1798 there happened, judged by its 
 consequences, the most important event of my life. 
 I was taken prisoner by the French. This was the 
 way of it : 
 
 The Sylph, a smart forty-gun frigate, of which I 
 was first lieutenant, had been cruising in the narrow 
 seas and off the northern coast of France, capturing 
 the enemy's merchantmen, engaging his war-ships, 
 chasing and cutting out his privateers, and generally 
 giving him all the trouble she could, in the which, 
 as her captain was young, enterprising, and daring, 
 and well seconded by his officers and crew, she was 
 very successful. 
 
 On a winter day, early in the year, Le Bonnet 
 
 9 A
 
 lo ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 Rouge, a thirty-gun brig, which we had chased a 
 whole afternoon, succeeded in evading us and 
 anchoring under the guns of a battery at the mouth 
 of the Seine. 
 
 On this, Captain Wharton, who could not bear to 
 be balked, decided to cut her out. 
 
 But before the feat could be attempted it was 
 necessary to take bearings and soundings, recon- 
 noitre the battery, and ascertain the strength and 
 position of several gunboats and armed luggers 
 which, as we knew, were lying in the Seine. 
 
 For this service I volunteered, and suggested a 
 mean whereby it might be accomplished. 
 
 The plan I proposed was to capture a fishing- 
 smack, of which there were plenty about, disguise 
 myself and two or three of our fellows in the 
 fishermen's clothing, and then sail up the river in 
 broad daylight, making our observations at leisure. 
 I spoke French so fluently and, as I flattered my- 
 self, so correctly, that if any questions were asked 
 I felt pretty sure that I should be able to answer 
 them without exciting suspicion. 
 
 Captain Wharton approved, the fishing-boat was 
 captured, and, taking with me a quartermaster and 
 two A.B.s whom I could thoroughly trust, — all as 
 well as myself rigged up in the fishermen's togs, — I
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT ii 
 
 sailed up the Seine as far as Honfleur, then stood 
 over to Harfleur, making my observations and taking 
 all the bearings I needed. 
 
 As I ran between Le Bonnet Rouge and the 
 battery, the better to note them both, one of the 
 brig's officers, a big man with a fierce red face and 
 still redder hair, whom I took to be her captain, 
 hailed us and asked whether we had seen aught of 
 the Sylph. 
 
 I said that we had seen her a few hours previously 
 outside the bay, sailing nor'-west-by-north under a 
 press of canvas. 
 
 This seemed to satisfy the gentleman, and, though 
 he looked hard at me, as if there was something 
 either in my appearance or in my accent which 
 piqued his curiosity, he let me pass without further 
 questioning. 
 
 At nightfall w^e reached the Sylph, which had been 
 standing off and on during our cruise. 
 
 After making my report, I told the captain that in 
 my opinion it would be quite impossible to cut out 
 Le Bonnet Rouge by main force. I thought, however, 
 that she might be taken by stratagem, which I 
 explained, and which after some discussion it was 
 resolved to adopt, so soon as the wind should be in 
 the right quarter.
 
 12 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 My plan was to take the long-boat with twenty 
 picked men, row up the river after sunset, run 
 alongside the brig, and get aboard of her by pre- 
 tending that we belonged to La Lionne (one of 
 the gunboats), overpower the watch on the deck, 
 batten down the hatches, slip the cables, and then 
 make sail for the bay, where, all being well, we 
 should fall in with the Sylph and get help to 
 secure our prisoners. 
 
 I calculated that the gunners in the fort, 
 though they might guess what had happened, 
 would not open fire on the brig, for fear of 
 hurting their own people ; and once fairly under 
 way, we could bid defiance to both gunboats and 
 luggers. 
 
 A few nights later, the conditions as to wind and 
 tide being favourable, we set out, and two hours after 
 leaving the Sylph were under the brig's starboard 
 quarter. 
 
 My men, who had received their orders beforehand 
 and knew exactly what to do, made fast the boat, 
 and I boarded the vessel by the rope ladder which 
 hung over the bulwarks. 
 
 ' Who goes there ? ' asked the officer of the watch. 
 
 'Friend, from La Lionne,' I answered. 
 
 * From La Lionne ! And what do you want ? '
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 13 
 
 ' The captain has sent me with a very important 
 message ; and here is a letter.' 
 
 ' M. le Capitaine Dufour is ashore. He shall have 
 the letter when he returns. But what want all these 
 men ? And, mafoi, they are ' 
 
 Before the officer could finish his sentence he was 
 prone on the deck, and in a trice every other man 
 of the watch was in the same position and securely 
 pinioned. The hatches had been battened down, 
 and a gun run on each to prevent the people below 
 from breaking out. 
 
 All this took only a few minutes, the watch, 
 fortunately for us, being very weak and half asleep ; 
 but when the prisoners recovered from their surprise 
 they became so noisy and abusive that I had to 
 threaten to knock them on the head. This pacified 
 them. But their comrades under hatches, now fully 
 aware of what had happened, were making a terrible 
 uproar, shouting to the people at the fort, ' Les 
 Anglais! les Anglais! A nous! a nous!' and dis- 
 charging muskets and pistols from the ports. Two 
 or three of them jumped into the sea and swam 
 ashore. 
 
 But we were too busy making sail and slipping 
 cables to heed the hubbub. 
 
 ' Let those shout who win,' I said, as the canvas
 
 14 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 filled and the ship paid off. ' Only give me an 
 hour of this breeze, and they may all go to the 
 deuce/ 
 
 Bang went all the guns in the fort ; a shot flew 
 across our bows ; alarm-bells rang ashore ; rockets 
 careered athwart the sky ; and by the light of the 
 moon (which just then rose above a cloud-bank) 
 we could see the luggers and gun-boats making 
 sail. 
 
 ' Never mind, sir,' says the quartermaster at the 
 wheel : ' we've got the heels of them ; and if they 
 overhaul us I'll be ' 
 
 The words were hardly out of the man's mouth 
 when the wind dropped, and if the tide had not been 
 running strong we should have had no steering-way. 
 
 This was like to prove fatal to our enterprise, for, 
 though the enemy could no more sail without wind 
 than ourselves, they had sweeps and small boats, 
 and as we were only a handful, and all the brig's 
 ammunition was under hatches, we could offer no 
 effective resistance. 
 
 Two boats, filled with soldiers, were already pulling 
 off from the fort. 
 
 How I prayed for a wind ! And it came, but, as 
 ill luck would have it, from the wrong quarter. 
 
 As taking the brig out of the river was now out
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 15 
 
 of the question, I resolved to do the next best thing, 
 — run her ashore. So, after throwing overboard all 
 her guns except those in the hatches, we put the 
 ship about and steered straight for the nearest land ; 
 but before we could reach it Le Bonnet Rouge 
 grounded on a sand-bank with a shock that made 
 her shiver from stem to stern ; the main-mast snapped 
 like a stick, and, as the top hamper came down with 
 a run, the Frenchmen below, thinking their last hour 
 was come, set up a yell that might have been heard 
 a mile off. 
 
 I ordered the brig's launch to be lowered, but she 
 was hardly loosed from the tackles when one of the 
 luggers and half a dozen boats came alongside ; at 
 the same time the brig's crew swarmed out of the 
 port-holes, and we were attacked by a force that 
 outnumbered us ten to one. 
 
 After a hot fight of five minutes, during which 
 time as many of my men were killed and wounded, 
 we were overpowered and compelled to surrender. 
 All of us who were not hors de combat were 
 taken to Havre-de-Grace and lodged in the town 
 prison. 
 
 Captain Wharton, getting wind of what had 
 happened, sent in a cartel (forwarding at the same 
 time my clothes and some money) with a proposal
 
 i6 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 to exchange me for a French lieutenant whom he had 
 captured a few days previously ; but the authorities 
 of the port, having meanwhile communicated with 
 the Directory and received orders to send me to 
 Paris, refused. 
 
 They had taken it into their heads that we were 
 acting in concert with the royalists, and that the 
 cutting out of Le Bonnet Rouge was to have been 
 the signal for a general rising. 
 
 In no other way could they explain the temerity 
 of twenty men in a long-boat attacking a heavily- 
 armed brig, anchored under the guns of a fort, and 
 within pistol-shot of half a dozen gunboats and 
 armed luggers. 
 
 I was taken before the port captain and a juge de 
 paix and closely questioned as to the designs of the 
 royalists and my part in the supposed conspiracy. 
 But, as I knew nothing of the designs in question, 
 and the conspiracy was purely imaginary, they 
 naturally got but little out of me. 
 
 A few days afterwards I was sent to Paris in a 
 post-chaise, under so strong an escort as to render 
 escape out of the question. Two gendarmes with 
 cocked hats and half-cocked pistols sat opposite 
 me all the way, and two fully-armed dragoons rode 
 alongside.
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 17 
 
 But it was by no means an unpleasant journey. 
 Being regarded as a prisoner of importance, I fared 
 well and was treated with great respect. I made 
 friends with my companions, who were very good 
 fellows, and saw more of la belle France than I had 
 ever seen before.
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 THE ABBAYE 
 
 On my arrival at Paris I was taken to the 
 Abbaye, an ancient building, now, I believe, no 
 more. 
 
 After breakfasting with the governor and his 
 daughter, the former of whom was very polite and 
 the latter very pretty, I was shown into the common 
 room, a room, as I afterwards learned, of terrible 
 memories, for here, in the September massacres, 
 scores of men and women were slaughtered like 
 sheep. During the Reign of Terror it was a vesti- 
 bule of death, thronged continually with prisoners 
 on their way to the scaffold, whose places, as fast 
 as the doomed of the day were dragged to the 
 guillotine, were taken by fresh victims. Its aspect 
 was sombre and depressing ; the walls were grimy, 
 the long windows strongly barred, and here and 
 there on the floor could be discerned dark stains 
 as of blood. 
 
 18
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 19 
 
 In this room were five or six men, one of whom 
 came forward to greet me. He was a man of about 
 my own height, — that is to say, a Httle over middle 
 height, — but sHghtly built, and with a pale worn face 
 and dark expressive eyes. 
 
 ' Good morning, sir,' he said, making a low bow. 
 
 'Good morning, sir,' I answered, also making a 
 low bow. 
 
 'You are English, — if I may judge by your 
 uniform and your accent.' 
 
 ' Not exactly. But English is my mother tongue, 
 and I am a subject of King George, and hold a 
 commission in his navy.' 
 
 ' Scottish or Irish, then ; it comes to the same 
 thing. Pray excuse my seeming inquisitiveness. 
 But, as we are a very small community here, and 
 it is as well to be on friendly terms, I have been 
 deputed to act as master of ceremonies and introduce 
 you to our society. But, first of all, allow me to 
 introduce myself Before the Revolution I was the 
 Chevalier de Gex, captain in the royal regiment 
 of Languedoc ; now they call me Citizen Gex, and 
 I am a prisoner of the republic' 
 
 ' And I am Mark Roy, first lieutenant of His 
 Britannic Majesty's ship Sylph, and a prisoner of 
 war.'
 
 20 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 ' Good ! Now I shall have the honour of intro- 
 ducing you to our fellow-captives.' 
 
 When we were done with our introductions and 
 a few more questions had been asked and answered, 
 the chevalier, putting his arm within mine, asked 
 me in very passable English to take a walk with him. 
 
 ' Where ? ' I asked. 
 
 ' Here. This room is exactly forty paces long and 
 thirty paces wide, — not bad for a prison. We can 
 stretch our legs and wag our tongues at the same 
 time. What say you t ' 
 
 ' I am entirely at your service. How well you 
 speak English ! ' 
 
 ' Yes ; I know English. It would be strange if I 
 did not, seeing that I have lived several years in 
 London ; and if I had been wise I should be there 
 still.' 
 
 ' You are likely to be a prisoner some time, then } ' 
 
 ' My faith, I wish I was ! I am much more likely 
 to lose my head.' 
 
 ' Lose your head ! I thought the Reign of Terror 
 was over.' 
 
 ' So it is, except for the class to which I belong. 
 I am a returned emigrant, and returned emigrants 
 receive little mercy.' 
 
 * Did you know this before you left London } '
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 21 
 
 ' Surely. But I had a purpose, and London is not 
 gay, and teaching young ladies and gentlemen the 
 French language at a guinea a quarter is neither 
 lucrative nor amusing.' 
 
 ' Better than having your head sliced off, though.' 
 
 'Well, I am not so very sure. To be moneyless 
 ici bas is almost as bad as being headless, and I was 
 often very moneyless in that sacre, London. It was 
 to replenish my purse that I put my head into 
 the lion's mouth. You are an officer and a gentle- 
 man, Mr. Roy } ' 
 
 This observation, or question, a propos of nothing, 
 sounding mighty like an impertinence, made me 
 stare. 
 
 ' I am certainly an officer, and, I hope, also a 
 gentleman,' I answered, coldly. 
 
 ' Pardon me, I pray you,' said the chevalier, 
 earnestly. ' It was an unnecessary question, — almost 
 impertinent, indeed. English officers always are 
 gentlemen: the one implies the other. And your 
 face is enough. I can read faces, and in yours I 
 read high courage, honour, and sincerity. You are 
 just the man to lead a boarding-party or stand by a 
 friend to the death.' 
 
 This time I merely bowed. I did not like these 
 extravagant compliments; and when a man begins
 
 22 ROY OF ROY'S C0UR7 
 
 by buttering you up he generally ends by asking 
 a favour. 
 
 ' You are surprised that I, an utter stranger, should 
 address you thus/ continued De Gex, after a short 
 pause. ' But necessity has no law. I stand in sore 
 need of a friend, and among the men to whom you 
 were just now introduced there is none that I dare 
 trust. At least one of them — that smiling rascal 
 with the slightly-hooked nose — is a mouton^ a police 
 spy, and the others are nobodies. You will under- 
 stand why I need a friend when I tell you that I am 
 under sentence of death.' 
 
 ' Under sentence of death ! Is it then so bad 
 as that ? I thought you only feared ' 
 
 ' Feared ! Do I look as if I were afraid ? ' asked 
 the chevalier, haughtily. 
 
 * I beg your pardon. I should have said appre- 
 hended. At the same time, though I have faced 
 death pretty often and may have to do so again, 
 I frankly confess that if I were going to be beheaded 
 I should be afraid.' 
 
 ' Well, I do not like it. But it would ill become a 
 De Gex not to meet his fate with sang-froid, and 
 I would rather perish a thousand times than give 
 these canaille the satisfaction of thinking they had 
 made me afraid. The worst of it is that I know
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 23 
 
 not when I am to die. I may be roused from my 
 sleep before to-morrow's dawn and told that my last 
 hour is come, or they may let me live a month. But 
 you are wondering why I tell you this. It is not 
 merely to enlist your sympathy : it is something 
 much more practical. I told you that I had been 
 in London. I was there with my mother and sister, 
 and though we all worked — when we could find 
 anything to do — we found life so hard that I resolved 
 to return to France and make an effort to recover 
 a treasure which belonged to my family. 
 
 'I must tell you that at the outbreak of the 
 Revolution the regiment to which I belonged joined 
 the Rebels. As I could not turn my sword against 
 the king, I left the army, and, escaping from Paris by 
 the skin of my teeth, went to my ancestral home, — 
 the chateau de Gex, in the romantic Jura country, 
 which the flood of sedition and treason had not yet 
 reached. My father had always dwelt among his 
 people, and so confident was he in their loyalty that, 
 although the peasants in other parts of the province 
 were burning down the chateaux and murdering the 
 seigneurs, he felt sure that no harm would befall him 
 or his. I did not agree with him; I knew that 
 sooner or later our place would be attacked like the 
 others ; and I prevailed on him to send my mother
 
 24 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 and my sister to Geneva, where, as I thought, they 
 would be safe. But my father refused to budge. 
 He was resolved to stay at Gex and defend his 
 property to the last; and, albeit the result was 
 disastrous, I think he was right. If French gentle- 
 men, instead of deserting their posts at the first 
 alarm, had stayed at home and done their duty, the 
 Revolution, though it might not have been averted, 
 would have been shorn of half its terrors. The 
 canaille were left to themselves, and the republic 
 they set up has become one of the vilest tyrannies 
 upon earth. 
 
 ' After a while we heard that a band of miscreants 
 from Lyons were marching northward, stirring up 
 the peasants to insurrection and murdering and 
 plundering in the name of liberty. Still my father 
 did not believe that they would trouble us, and it 
 was only when they were in the next commune that 
 he allowed me to prepare for the worst. I did all I 
 could, — furbished up our arms, got in supplies of 
 food and ammunition, barricaded doors and windows 
 and organised a small garrison, consisting of the 
 gamekeepers and three or four old servants whose 
 loyalty was beyond doubt. 
 
 'The old chateau, though strongly built, was, of 
 course, quite incapable of withstanding artillery, but.
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 25 
 
 to a force armed only with muskets and pitchforks it 
 could offer a stout resistance. 
 
 ' My father was not rich in money, but he 
 possessed an exceptionally rich collection of gold 
 and silver plate, old coins, and antique gems, which 
 he had been gathering the greater part of his life, 
 and several almost priceless paintings. These he 
 and I placed at dead of night in a hiding-place 
 the whereabouts of which was known only to him 
 and me. 
 
 ' The next day we were beset by the Lyons mob, 
 reinforced by several hundred peasants, among 
 whom were many of our neighbours and tenants. 
 
 * The last thing they expected was resistance. 
 All the other seigneurs had either left their houses 
 to take care of themselves, or yielded at the first 
 summons; and when we answered their demand to 
 surrender with a volley of musketry the scoundrels 
 scattered like chaff before the wind. But, quickly 
 rallying, they returned to the charge and opened a 
 regular siege. A great deal of gunpowder was 
 burnt, and, though little impression was made on 
 the chateau, we were kept continually on the alert 
 and forced to expend our ammunition at a rate that 
 rendered our defeat a mere question of time, and a 
 very short time. And we had nothing to hope from
 
 26 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 the authorities ; they were against us ; and the 
 number of our assailants increased every hour. 
 
 * At the close of the third day we had burnt our 
 last cartridge, save a few which we reserved for the 
 final struggle, and had to consider what we should do 
 next, — whether to await assault and die fighting, or 
 make a sortie and try to escape. 
 
 'We decided for the sortie, and took our measures 
 accordingly. 
 
 ' The Jacobins kept an indifferent watch, and at 
 dead of night, when most of them were sleeping, we 
 stole unperceived from the house, and but for one of 
 those accidents which so often mar the best-laid 
 plans we should have got safely through the investing 
 lines. As we passed the last bivouac fires a barking 
 dog roused the sleepers, and we had to run for our 
 lives. My father was shot dead by my side, and of 
 the thirteen who formed our party only three 
 succeeded in getting away. All the others were 
 either slain in the fight or killed in cold blood on the 
 following morning. 
 
 ' Once in the mountains, we three were safe from 
 pursuit, and I eventually reached Geneva, and joined 
 my mother and sister. 
 
 ' From Geneva, where (as it was becoming a hot- 
 bed of sedition) we did not consider ourselves safe,
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 27 
 
 we travelled to London by way of Germany and 
 Holland. 
 
 'And then began another struggle for life. Our 
 resources — my mother's jewellery and the rest — were 
 soon exhausted, and we had to keep the wolf from 
 the door as best we could. I gave lessons in French, 
 my sister in painting, my mother made lace ; but, as 
 we knew little English and had neither influence 
 nor friends, pupils and customers were hard to find. 
 More than once we were on the verge of starvation ; 
 and in the end, as I have already mentioned, I 
 resolved to return to Gex and try to recover the 
 hidden treasure. 
 
 'A compatriot lent me money for the journey, 
 which I accomplished by way of Switzerland. I 
 found the chateau unoccupied and dismantled ; and 
 if an old servant to whom I made myself known had 
 not betrayed me I should have succeeded. 
 
 ' I need not go into details. I was arrested, sent 
 to Paris, and ten days ago sentenced to death as a 
 returned emigrant. 
 
 ' You see now why I require a trustworthy friend. 
 My sister and mother are eating the bitter bread 
 of exile, — when they can get it, — yet there is property 
 at Gex, rightly ours, a small portion of which would 
 render them independent for life. But I cannot help
 
 28 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 them : my days, my very hours, are numbered. Will 
 you undertake the enterprise in which I have failed, — 
 the saving of the treasure ? ' 
 
 ' You forget that I am a prisoner like yourself. 
 Moreover ' 
 
 ' A prisoner of war, sure sooner or later to be 
 exchanged. But hear my proposal. I do not ask 
 you to do this merely for the sake of two women 
 that you never saw and for whom you cannot care. 
 The collection at Gex is worth, at the very least, fifty 
 thousand pounds sterling, and would find ready 
 purchasers in London. Half this sum will make my 
 mother and sister more than happy. The other half 
 I offer to you as a compensation for your risk and 
 and trouble ; and if you succeed you will richly 
 deserve it. It may also weigh somewhat with you 
 that by agreeing to my proposal you will lift a 
 heavy load from the mind of a doomed man, and 
 confer a great favour on two forlorn women, who, 
 I can promise you, will not be ungrateful.'
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 A HAPPY THOUGHT 
 
 Truly a tempting offer. Twenty-five thousand 
 pounds, the gratitude of two noble ladies, and 
 the sense of satisfaction that comes of doing a 
 good action ; and all I had to do for it was 
 the recovery of a treasure the whereabouts of 
 which were well known and w^ould be imparted 
 to me. 
 
 It seemed almost too good to be possible; but 
 there were several little difficulties in the way which 
 the chevalier had seemingly not taken into account. 
 
 ' What I can do to oblige the ladies and yourself 
 I will,' was my answer ; * but you forget that I, also, 
 am a prisoner.' 
 
 'You will be exchanged.* 
 
 ' When it pleases the Directory ; and that may 
 not be for a long time. And, though I were 
 exchanged, I should not like to abandon a career 
 which I prefer to any other, and in which I hope 
 
 29
 
 30 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 to gain distinction, even for twenty-five thousand 
 pounds.' 
 
 ' You could get leave/ 
 
 * No, my ship is in commission, and, as she is one 
 of the smartest frigates in the service, will remain 
 so as long as the war lasts. Besides, I should lose my 
 chance of promotion, to say nothing of the chance of 
 being arrested and shot as a spy.' 
 
 ' The war will not last' 
 
 ' You think so 1 ' 
 
 ' Yes, the royalist feeling is gaining ground daily, 
 and I have reason to believe that General Bonaparte 
 will play the part of Monk and bring back the king.' 
 
 * In that case your mother and sister will come 
 back with him and claim their own.' 
 
 ' Unfortunately, there is nothing for them to claim. 
 The chateau and estates were confiscated by the 
 National Convention, and are now the property of 
 various occupying owners, who would perish rather 
 than give up possession. My mother's right to the 
 treasure would be contested, and she would end by 
 getting nothing, even though she had the wherewithal 
 to fight a protracted law-suit. No, it can be recovered 
 only through stratagem and address, and by a man 
 of energy and resource like yourself 
 
 ' You are pleased to be complimentary ; but never
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 31 
 
 mind that/ I said, after a moment's thought. * To 
 the point. Apart from any advantage to myself, I 
 should be really glad to help Madame de Gex and 
 her daughter to their own ; and I promise you that 
 so soon as the war is over, or sooner if opportunity 
 should offer, I will make the attempt ; and the first 
 time I am in England I will see these ladies.' 
 
 * That is all I ask or can expect,' exclaimed the 
 chevalier, grasping my hand, 'and I thank you w^ith 
 all my heart. I will draw a little sketch of the 
 chateau, and show you where the treasure is con- 
 cealed. I must also give you a letter to my mother, 
 in which I shall set forth our agreement, so expressed, 
 however, that only you and herself will understand 
 its purport. Perhaps I had better do this to-day : I 
 may not be here to-morrow.' 
 
 I could not help shuddering. I was beginning to 
 like the man ; he had a winning way with him ; and 
 it made me feel bad to think that within twenty-four 
 hours he might have to lay his head on the block. 
 
 'I am sure you will be here to-morrow; and I 
 don't believe this shameful sentence wdll be carried 
 out. It would be sheer murder.' 
 
 ' My dear sir, the Directory don't stop at murder, 
 and to returned emigrants they show no mercy. I 
 have abandoned hope.'
 
 32 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 ' You have done a very bad thing. I would not 
 abandon hope though I were on my way to the 
 scaffold. Why shouldn't we try to escape ? ' 
 
 'Escape! How?' 
 
 * I don't know yet. I have not seen my room. 
 But men have got out of stronger places than this, 
 and what others can do we can do.' 
 
 ' It is impossible : the windows are barred, and the 
 prison well guarded, both within and without' 
 
 ' All the same I mean to try. I made up my mind 
 to escape within five minutes of my capture; I have 
 been on the lookout for an opportunity ever since, 
 and I know that it will come.' 
 
 * Very likely ; but I fear that it will not come soon 
 enough to save my life. We cannot escape by a coup 
 de main. We need time, patience, opportunity, and 
 this day may be my last. I can think of only one 
 possibility which offers a gleam of hope, and that is 
 so remote as not to be worth thinking about, — the 
 immediate overthrow of the Directory by General 
 Bonaparte.' 
 
 ' You think General Bonaparte would revoke your 
 sentence ? ' 
 
 ' I do. They say he is opposed to the execution 
 of returned emigrants ; and Madame Bonaparte must 
 be a royalist at heart. She comes of a noble family,
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 33 
 
 and as her first husband, Viscount Beauharnais, 
 was guillotined, she cannot have much love for the 
 Revolution.' 
 
 * By Jove, it is come ! ' I exclaimed, excitedly. 
 ' How was it I did not think of it before ? ' 
 
 ' What is come ? ' asked De Gex, looking as if he 
 thought I had suddenly gone mad. 
 
 ' A stroke of luck ; a chance of recovering my 
 liberty and saving your life. I will see Madame 
 Bonaparte.' 
 
 De Gex stared in mute surprise. 
 
 ' Yes. I will see Madame Bonaparte. She is a 
 Creole of Martinique; my mother is a Creole of 
 Martinique. They knew each other when they were 
 girls. I was in London on short leave just before 
 the Sylph was commissioned ; and my mother was 
 talking of her old friend Josephine de la Pagerie, 
 and the strange fortune which made her the wife of 
 one general who died on the scaffold and of another 
 who was marching from victory to victory. I will 
 write to Madame Bonaparte, tell her who I am, 
 and ask for an interview, — which she is sure to grant 
 — and when she receives me I will ask her to get 
 me exchanged and you reprieved.' 
 
 ' Ma foi ! you also mean to march from victory 
 to victory, I think. Still, it is possible; though I
 
 34 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 doubt whether even Bonaparte has the power to 
 revoke a regular sentence. And there is a serious 
 preliminary difficulty. How will you forward your 
 letter to Madame Bonaparte } If in the ordinary 
 way and openly, it may be detained by the director 
 of prisons, and, as likely as not, never reach its 
 destination. You will also have an agent of 
 police here, and perhaps be interrogated ; for these 
 gentlemen of the Directory are terribly jealous of 
 Bonaparte.' 
 
 'And time is of the utmost importance. How 
 would it do to- give one of the warders a five-franc 
 piece and ask him to put the letter in the post ? ' 
 
 ' He will take the money and keep the letter, or 
 get credit for himself by handing it to the governor.' 
 
 'Well, it must be arranged somehow. My letter 
 must reach Madame Bonaparte this very day, or, at 
 latest, to-morrow morning. Stay ! I have another 
 idea. You know Mademoiselle Carmine.'*' 
 
 ' The governor's daughter.' 
 
 * Yes. I breakfasted with her this morning. She 
 is good-looking, and, better still, has kindly ways and 
 sympathetic eyes. I think I could persuade her to 
 help us, either by taking my letter to Madame 
 Bonaparte herself or sending it by a sure hand. 
 Would it be possible to see her, do you think ?'
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 35 
 
 ' Did I not say you were a man of resource ? ' said 
 De Gex, his face for the first time relaxing into 
 a smile. *A man of ideas, too ! And I should not 
 be at all surprised if you have made an impression 
 on Mademoiselle Carmine's heart. She is dark and 
 you are fair, and I have noticed that brunettes always 
 take kindly to blonde men with blue eyes, like 
 yourself As for seeing her, there is nothing easier. 
 I will manage that. But first of all write your 
 letter.' 
 
 As to this there was no difficulty, for, being 
 political prisoners, we were treated with every 
 indulgence compatible with our safe-keeping. 
 
 When the letter, into the composition of which 
 I put a good deal of thought, was written, De Gex 
 called the warder on duty, and, slipping a poiir-boire 
 into his hand, asked him to inform Citoyenne 
 Carmine, Avith his compliments, that the English 
 prisoner. Citizen Roy, would very much like to 
 see her ; he had found the answer to the conundrum 
 which she asked him at breakfast. 
 
 The warder answered with a knowing look that he 
 understood perfectly (which I am sure he did not)^ 
 and would see Citoyenne Carmine as soon as 
 possible, and let us know what she said. 
 
 ' Why on earth did you say that ? ' I asked De
 
 36 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 Gex, when the man was gone. ' There was nothing 
 about a conundrum/ 
 
 ' To puzzle the warder and pique the lady's 
 curiosity. She will scent a mystery and send for 
 you at once.' 
 
 De Gex proved a true prophet. The warder 
 returned in a few minutes and said that Citoyenne 
 Carmine would receive me in the salon. But he 
 must ask me to give him my parole d'honneur not 
 to attempt to escape: unless I did, it would be his 
 duty to assist at the interview. 
 
 I gave my parole and told him to lead the way; 
 and as we walked across the courtyard to the 
 governor's apartments, I made up my mind to be 
 perfectly frank with the citoyenne, and try to obtain 
 her co-operation in my enterprise. 
 
 After ushering me into the little salon and saying 
 he would return for me in half-an-hour, the warder 
 withdrew. 
 
 ' Ah, Citizen Roy, what a strange message is this 
 you send me ! ' said the citoyenne, who just then 
 entered the room. ' A conundrum, indeed ! You 
 have set me a conundrum. What does it mean } ' 
 
 'Ah, mademoiselle ' 
 
 'Hush! you must not say "Mademoiselle:" it is 
 against regulations.'
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 37 
 
 * Never mind the regulations : we are en tete-a-tete, 
 and "Mademoiselle" is ever so much prettier than 
 " Citoyenne," don't you think ? As for the conun- 
 drum — well, it was absolutely necessary for me to 
 see you.' 
 
 ' And so you made me the victim of a trick.' 
 ' Ah, mademoiselle, I am sure that when you know 
 my object you will forgive me. Those beautiful eyes 
 bespeak a tender heart' 
 
 And with that I took her hand. Though not in 
 the first bloom of youth, she was a fine young 
 woman, and in her Directoire dress, which showed 
 her beautifully-rounded arms, looked really charming. 
 
 'And your object is, monsieur V she said, 
 
 making a not very energetic efibrt to free her hand. 
 ' Your object is } ' 
 
 ' To save the life of a brave man.' 
 
 'Who?' 
 
 ' The Chevalier de Gex.' 
 
 ' It is useless, monsieur. He is condemned. 
 Nothing can save him.' 
 
 ' I think I can, mademoiselle, — with your help.' 
 
 ' I ! How can I help you ? ' 
 
 ' By conveying this letter to Madame Bonaparte. 
 See ! you can read it. I have no secrets from you.' 
 
 She ran her eye over the letter.
 
 38 J^OY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 * Your mother was French, yet you are English/ 
 she said, regarding me rather suspiciously. 
 
 ' That is quite possible, mademoiselle. My father 
 and myself, like several of our ancestors, were born 
 in a British colony, yet we come of an ancient and 
 illustrious English family.' 
 
 'And you think Madame Bonaparte will use her 
 influence in favour of M. de Gex ? ' 
 
 ' I think if she would receive me I could persuade 
 her to do so ; and her husband is very powerful.' 
 
 * He is our best general : he is the greatest man 
 in France. Yes, it is possible that if General 
 Bonaparte were to interfere the sentence of M. de 
 Gex might be revoked.' 
 
 'And you will help me in this, will you not, 
 mademoiselle } Beautiful women always have good 
 hearts, and it is a good cause. Think of his poor 
 mother and sister.' 
 
 * He has a sister, then ! Is she very charming ? ' 
 
 * Probably. But, as I never saw her, I cannot tell. 
 Before to-day I never saw the chevalier.' 
 
 'And you are taking all this trouble for a 
 stranger ! ' 
 
 * I would do a great deal, mademoiselle, to save a 
 brave man from the scaffold. You will convey this 
 letter to Madame Bonaparte, will you not } '
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 39 
 
 ' Would it oblige you very much, monsieur ? ' she 
 murmured. 
 
 * You would confer on me an obligation which I 
 should never be able to repay/ I answered, as I 
 pressed her hand. 
 
 ' Then I will send — no, I will take this letter 
 myself to Madame Bonaparte, give it into her own 
 hands, and ask for an answer.^ 
 
 ' ' Thanks, mademoiselle, — -a thousand thanks ! You 
 are good ; you have a true woman's heart : I shall 
 never forget your kindness.' 
 
 Again I kissed her hand; and her lips looked 
 so tempting that I was just going — when the stupid 
 warder opened the door and informed me that the 
 half-hour was up.
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 A FRIEND AT COURT 
 
 De Gex and myself could not well ' keep ourselves 
 to ourselves ' all the day : the mouton would have 
 been suspicious, our other comrades offended : so 
 we joined in some of their games, and made 
 ourselves agreeable by pledging them in sour wine 
 and treating them to bad cigars. 
 
 After supper we were marched off to our cells. 
 
 ' You see there is no answer to your letter,' 
 whispered the chevalier despondently, in English, 
 as we parted for the night. 
 
 ' Time enough yet. Don't worry yourself, my dear 
 sir. I shall have an answer in the morning, and I 
 am sure it will be favourable,' I whispered back, 
 with considerably more confidence than I felt, for 
 if Mademoiselle Carmine had been as good as her 
 word there was no reason why I should not have 
 received Madame Bonaparte's reply in the course of 
 the day. 
 
 40
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 41 
 
 However, there was nothing for it but to wait for 
 what the morrow might bring forth ; and, deferring 
 inspection of my quarters until daylight, for the 
 very sufficient reason that I had no candle, I turned 
 in, and in a few seconds was fast asleep. 
 
 I awoke with the sun, and looked round. For a 
 prison my room was by no means bad. It had a 
 vaulted ceiling, a window barred on the outside, and 
 an oaken iron-bound door. The furniture consisted of 
 a table, two chairs, a wash-stand, and a truckle-bed. 
 
 When I had dressed I put a couple of chairs on 
 the table, climbed up to the window, and looked 
 out. Below me was the courtyard and the gloomy 
 entrance to the prison. Beyond the gates I spied 
 a picturesque little house and a pleasant garden, in 
 which two women were walking. Their gait and 
 their figures told me they were young, and I hoped 
 they were pretty. 
 
 After a while they turned their faces towards the 
 prison, whereupon I put one of my hands through 
 the bars and waved my pocket-handkerchief. 
 
 Women have always a kindly feeling for prisoners 
 and captives ; and it had come into my mind that, 
 in the event of my appeal to Madame Bonaparte 
 being unsuccessful, these young ladies might help 
 me to escape.
 
 42 ROY OF ROTS COURT 
 
 To my great delight, one of them acknowledged 
 my greeting with a friendly wave of her hand and 
 a graceful courtesy; and I was considering how I 
 could arrange a code of signals, when I heard a 
 clatter of wooden shoes on the corridor. I was on 
 the floor in an instant, and when the warder entered 
 he found everything in its place. 
 
 ' Bonjour^ citoyenl he said. ' I come to take you 
 to breakfast ; and here is a bit of paper for you.' 
 
 The bit of paper was a note from Mademoiselle 
 Carmine, and ran thus : — 
 
 ' I only succeeded in seeing Madame Bonaparte last night. 
 She read your letter, and I dare say you will hear from her 
 during the day. Julie.' 
 
 As I read it, I thought of the poor chevalier. 
 
 * How is Citizen Gex this morning t — still alive ? ' 
 I asked the warder, anxiously. 
 
 ' Alive } Ah, I understand. The head of Citizen 
 Gex is still on his shoulders. Alhns !^ 
 
 After breakfast I showed the chevalier Mademoiselle 
 Carmine's letter. 
 
 ' It is well,' he said, with a smile, yet half sadly, 
 — 'well for you, whatever it may be for me.' 
 
 ' And why is it not well for you } ' 
 
 ' Time presses, my friend. I have had a hint that 
 to-morrow or the next day '
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 43 
 
 ' I shall see Madame Bonaparte to-day, and when 
 she knows the facts I am sure she will intercede 
 for you.' 
 
 * In Madame Bonaparte is my only hope. From 
 all I hear of him, Bonaparte is not tender-hearted. 
 But his wife is, and she has great influence, — especially 
 with Barras, who, they say, was once her lover and 
 is still her obedient servant. And you seem to be 
 very successful with the ladies. Here is Mademoiselle 
 Carmine, whom you saw for the first time yesterday, 
 sending you confidential notes and signing herself 
 "Julie."' 
 
 ' She is moved with compassion for you, chevalier, 
 and would save your life.' 
 
 * Seeing that I have been here a month, her 
 compassion comes rather late. No, Mn Roy, she 
 is moved by your bright blue eyes and ruddy 
 countenance.' 
 
 This being rather personal, I gave the talk 
 another turn, by asking De Gex whether 
 Mademoiselle Carmine's note portended a visit or 
 a summons. 
 
 * Perhaps both. Nous verrons. In either case 
 you will need to be very diplomatic. Sailors are 
 naturally outspoken. But French society is just 
 now in a very strange condition. Everybody is
 
 44 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 watched, or suspected, by some other body ; and 
 if you come in contact with Bonaparte and his 
 entourage you must think before you speak, and let 
 your wit bridle your tongue.' 
 
 ' You think I shall meet General Bonaparte, 
 then ? ' 
 
 * Certainly, if you go to his house.' 
 
 ' I should like to see him very much. He is the 
 first general in France, don't you think ? ' 
 
 ' Say in Europe, — and the strongest man, the 
 only man who can restore royalty and give peace 
 to France. The royalists have great hopes of him.' 
 
 And then the chevalier proceeded to give me a 
 detailed account of French politics, of the jealousies 
 that prevailed among the members of the Directory, 
 of the intrigues that were going on under the surface, 
 and of the evils under which the country groaned, 
 and which in his opinion could be cured only by 
 giving it a master. 
 
 I was trying to suppress a yawn, for at that time 
 French politics did not interest me much, when a 
 hand was laid lightly on my shoulder. 
 
 Turning round, I found myself in the presence of 
 Citoyen Carmine, the governor of the prison, and a 
 gentleman in military uniform. 
 
 ' I beg your pardon. Citizen Roy,' said the
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 45 
 
 governor, respectfully, 'but here is le Capitaine 
 Lacluse, aide-de-camp of General Bonaparte. He 
 desires to speak to you/ 
 
 And with that the governor, though he remained 
 within hail, left us to ourselves, as did also De Gex. 
 
 Captain Lacluse bowed, I bowed, and each pro- 
 tested that he was delighted to make the other's 
 acquaintance. 
 
 This ceremony over, the captain explained that 
 he came on behalf of Madame Bonaparte, who sent 
 her compliments and would be glad to see me at 
 her house in the Rue de la Victoire (so called in 
 honour of Bonaparte). 
 
 ' But will the governor let me go ? ' I asked. 
 
 ' I think so. But we will soon ascertain. What 
 say you. Citizen Carmine ? will you allow your 
 English prisoner to accompany me to the house of 
 Madame Bonaparte } * 
 
 ' Have you brought an order from Barras or 
 
 Bottot r 
 
 'No; merely a verbal invitation from the wife of 
 the conqueror of Italy ; and I dare say Citizen Roy 
 will give us his parole not to escape while he is in 
 my charge.' 
 
 ' That is enough. You may go,' said the governor, 
 when I had given my parole.
 
 46 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 After making myself presentable by donning the 
 handsomest suit of mufti in my sea-chest (which 
 Wharton had thoughtfully sent ashore with the 
 cartel), we left the prison, and were driven to the 
 Rue de la Victoire in a carriage which the aide-de- 
 camp had in waiting at the door. 
 
 When we arrived at General Bonaparte's house, 
 Captain Lacluse knocked at the door, and, after 
 whispering something in the ear of the servant who 
 opened it, went away, saying that he would return 
 in an hour. 
 
 When he was gone the servant ushered me into 
 a salon, and, after inviting me to be seated and 
 saying that he would inform Madame Bonaparte 
 of my arrival, left me to myself. 
 
 It was a large room, and handsomely furnished, 
 and on the walls hung several fine paintings, which 
 I fancied the general had brought with him from 
 Italy. 
 
 While I was looking at one of them, — a battle- 
 scene, if I remember rightly, — I heard the door open, 
 and, turning rounds saw coming towards me a gentle- 
 man dressed in some sort of civil uniform. He had 
 a sallow skin and sunken cheeks ; his dark hair, long 
 at the back, was cut short in front, and plastered 
 on his forehead with pomatum. This gave him a
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 47 
 
 singular and almost a sinister look ; but he had 
 square jaws and a resolute mouth, wonderfully well- 
 cut features, and the most piercing black eyes I ever 
 saw. In person he was insignificant, his meagre little 
 body and short neck contrasting strangely with his 
 large head and dark powerful face. 
 
 'Who are you f he asked, abruptly, almost rudely 
 indeed. 
 
 ' Lieutenant Roy, late of His Britannic Majesty's 
 ship Sylph, now a prisoner of war.' 
 
 ' Why are you in Paris ? ' 
 
 ' I was sent here from Havre, I believe by order 
 of the government.' 
 
 ' Ah ! I think I have heard something about you. 
 You are the man who tried to cut out Le Bonnet 
 Rouge from under the guns of a heavily-armed 
 fort' 
 
 • I did cut her out, and if it had not been for a 
 sudden change of wind I should have carried her 
 off. But I did nearly as well, — threw all her guns 
 overboard and ran her aground.' 
 
 I knew, of course, that I was talking to General 
 Bonaparte, and I guessed that he knew all about me; 
 but, as he evidently desired to keep his incognito, 
 I thought it expedient to fall in with his whim, and 
 make as if I did not recognise him.
 
 48 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 ' How many men had you ? ' 
 ' Twenty.' 
 
 * And the brig ? ' 
 
 ' Her full complement would be about two hundred.' 
 ' And yet you dared to attack her with twenty ! ' 
 'Why not? If you begin to count odds in war 
 you will do nothing. If Clive had counted odds at 
 Plassey the English would never have won India; 
 if your General Bonaparte had counted odds at 
 Areola he would not have conquered Italy.' 
 
 'You are right. It is audacity that wins. 
 Uaiidace, toujours laiidace, as Danton said. But 
 they say you played the spy and were in league 
 with the royalists.' 
 
 * They say what is not true, then. I merely 
 reconnoitred the harbour in a fishing-boat ; while of 
 the royalists I know nothing whatever ; and we have 
 had no communication with the shore except openly 
 and under a flag of truce.' 
 
 ' Well, I only tell you what I have heard. How 
 old are you } ' 
 
 ' Twenty-one.' 
 
 *You are very young to be a first lieutenant and 
 intrusted with an independent command.' 
 
 ' Youth is no more a bar to promotion in our navy 
 than in your army. Nelson was a post-captain at
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 49 
 
 twenty, Sir Sidney Smith at nineteen, and the 
 conqueror of Italy is still under thirty.' 
 
 * Milk tonnerres ! young man, you are indeed 
 audacious to compare yourself with Bonaparte and 
 Nelson/ 
 
 I was about to protest that nothing was further 
 from my thoughts, when the door opened a second 
 time, and there entered the room a gracious-looking 
 lady, with a smiHng face, and dressed in the height 
 of the prevailing fashions. 
 
 ' M. Roy, I think,' she said, offering me her hand. 
 'You have already made the acquaintance of my 
 husband ? ' 
 
 ' General Bonaparte ! ' I exclaimed, in feigned 
 surprise. 
 
 'You don't think I look like the conqueror of 
 Italy, eh } ' said Bonaparte laughing. 
 
 ' I beg your pardon, general ; but that uniform ' 
 
 ' Is the uniform of the Institute, and I am prouder 
 of it than of my uniform of general. — Yes, we 
 have made each other's acquaintance, Josephine, 
 and M. le Lieutenant has been giving me a lesson 
 in the art of war, and, my faith, not a bad one, 
 either.' 
 
 'And you are really the son of my old friend 
 
 Gabrielle de Launay ! She was two or three years 
 
 D
 
 50 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 my senior, but I remember her well. Where is she 
 
 now ? ' asked Madame Bonaparte. 
 
 ' With my father in the neighbourhood of London/ 
 ' London ! One forgets things in so many years, 
 
 but I was under the impression that Mademoiselle 
 
 de Launay married a gentleman from Louisiana, — or 
 
 was it Virginia } ' 
 
 * My father, like myself, madame, is a native of 
 Virginia.' 
 
 ' You are Americans, then ? ' interposed Bonaparte. 
 
 ' Of course, just as people born in France are 
 
 Europeans. But we always call ourselves Virginians.' 
 
 * How comes it that you, a native of the United 
 States, are an officer of the British navy? ' 
 
 ' I belong to an old Royalist family, general. 
 Loyalty runs in our blood. My father's grandfather, 
 who commanded a regiment of horse at Marston 
 Moor, went to Virginia after the execution of King 
 Charles, and settled there. When the Revolutionary 
 War broke out, my father, though he disapproved of 
 many of the measures of the home government, 
 remained true to his principles and loyal to his king. 
 But as he could not bring himself to fight against his 
 friends and neighbours, and was moreover getting 
 into years, he went to England, and when I was old 
 enough put me into the navy.'
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 51 
 
 ' So that is your story, M. Roy/ said the future 
 empress. ' How could anyone with such a name be 
 other than a royalist ? And now you are a prisoner 
 of war, which you doubtless regard as a great 
 misfortune.' 
 
 'Not so great as I deemed it a little while ago, 
 madame.' 
 
 * How so .? ' 
 
 ' If I had not been taken prisoner I should not 
 have had the pleasure of seeing my mother's old 
 friend, nor the honour of an interview with the 
 greatest general of the age.' 
 
 Bonaparte seemed pleased. Madame Bonaparte 
 sjniled, and said, — 
 
 'And I should not have had the pleasure of 
 seeing you. When you see your mother, say how 
 glad I am to have news of her, and give her my 
 amities^ 
 
 * With pleasure, madame ; and if you would enable 
 me to see her by using your influence to obtain my 
 exchange, you would confer a great favour on us both.' 
 
 ' So ! You are tired of France already } ' said 
 Bonaparte, rather harshly, as I thought. 
 
 ' I am tired of inactivity, and one does not see 
 much of France in the Abbaye.' 
 
 * You like active service.' 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
 
 52 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 * Of course.' 
 
 'But yours is the wrong service. It is not for 
 these English, who wronged your country and would 
 crush ours, that a man born of an American father 
 and a French mother should be fighting. Listen ! 
 I am not the government of France, but I have 
 influence, and those whom I protect are sure to rise. 
 The French navy has need of men who don't count 
 odds, even though they are two hundred against 
 twenty. That was a glorious exploit of yours at 
 Havre the other day. I can admire great qualities, 
 even in an enemy. But why be an enemy t Join 
 our navy. You shall be made full captain at once, 
 and have the finest frigate we possess. In three 
 years you will be an admiral, and sweep the flag of 
 England from the sea, and your name shall live in 
 history. You say that loyalty runs in your blood. 
 It is well ; I like men who are loyal ; while as for 
 royalty, the republic is a farce, the Directory is 
 composed of villains and fools, and the day is not 
 far distant when France will once more have a 
 master and a king. Your answer ! ' 
 
 All this was spoken so rapidly and imperiously, 
 and with so much fire and animation, as nearly to 
 take my breath away. But I had no doubt as to my 
 answer, and I was about to give it, when I bethought
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 55 
 
 me that as my liberty depended in a great measure 
 on this man's goodwill, it would not be wise either in 
 my own interest or De Gex's to meet his proposals 
 with the indignant refusal which was on the tip of 
 my tongue. 
 
 * What do you say to my offer, M. Roy ? Is it 
 not sufficiently brilliant ? ' he repeated. 
 
 *So brilliant that I hardly realise it. It dazzles 
 me. But it is not easy to make up one's mind to 
 leave a service in which one has achieved a little 
 distinction and made many friends. And there are 
 family considerations. What would my father say 
 if I were to desert to the enemy ?* 
 
 'You would not desert. I do not ask you to 
 desert. You would resign your commission ; and 
 you have as much right to serve France as your 
 father has to live in England. Tell him that your 
 conscience will no longer allow you to fight for the 
 enemies of your country, — that you have decided to 
 throw in your lot with the generous nation without 
 whose help America would never have obtained her 
 independence. He will know how to appreciate 
 your motives.' 
 
 There was no question of that, — my father would 
 know how to appreciate my motives, — and I was 
 again about to give an answer that would probably
 
 54 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 have provoked a storm, when Madame Bonaparte 
 interposed. 
 
 'Give M. Roy time to reflect, Napoleon,' she said. 
 ' I- like him all the better for hesitating to accept 
 your proposals, brilliant as they are. A man who 
 renounces one allegiance lightly may as lightly 
 renounce another. Give me a little time, and see if 
 I don't make a good Frenchman of him.' 
 
 ' He owes no allegiance to England. Well, let it 
 be as you say ; and I will ask the United States 
 minister to have him inscribed as an American 
 citizen and provide him with American papers. 
 Then he will only need to send in his resignation.' 
 
 I was going to speak, when he stopped me with 
 an imperious gesture, and observed, — 
 
 * That is enough ! How do they treat you at the 
 Abbaye } ' 
 
 ' I have no reason to complain.' 
 ' Are there many prisoners ? ' 
 
 ' Only six or seven. One of them is under 
 sentence of death.' 
 ' What is his crime ? * 
 ' Liking France better than England.' 
 ' You mean that he is a returned emigrant ? ' 
 
 * Yes.' 
 
 ' Has he joined the enemies of France ^ Men vyho
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 55 
 
 intrigue or fight against their country deserve to 
 die. 
 
 ' De Gex has done neither.' And then, being 
 asked for further particulars, I told them the 
 chevalier's story. 
 
 * This law against returned emigrants is infamous/ 
 exclaimed Madame Bonaparte, warmly. 'It is a 
 relic of the Terror. It ought to be abolished. You 
 must save this poor man, Napoleon. Think of his 
 mother and sister. How they must suffer ! ' 
 
 * You are right. It is infamous. But what can I 
 do } I don't make the laws. I am not a member 
 of the Directory. Though Bourrienne is my personal 
 friend and my secretary, I cannot get his name 
 removed from the list of emigrants.' 
 
 ' All the same, they let Bourrienne alone. Could 
 you not give De Gex also a post abbut your person ? 
 — make him one of your aides, for instance t ' 
 
 ' What would the Jacobins say if I were to 
 appoint as my aide-de-camp a returned emigrant .-^ 
 What would the army say ? No, that must not be, 
 Josephine. — This De Gex is your friend, M. Roy ? ' 
 
 * As much as a man can be whom one has 
 known only twenty-four hours. But he is a brave 
 gentleman, and I would do a great deal to save 
 his life.'
 
 56 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 ' Well, I think there is a way. The Directory 
 both hate and fear me, and thwart me when they 
 dare. If I were to ask for this man's life they 
 would probably put me off until the next day, and 
 execute him in the meantime. But he is, fortunately, 
 a soldier. He was a captain in the regiment of 
 Languedoc, you say. He shall have a commission 
 in the ninety-seventh of the line, now in Italy. 
 We can easily get him out of the Abbaye — the 
 production of his commission and my order will be 
 enough — and once with the army he is safe — always 
 provided, of course, that your friend will serve.' 
 
 * Why should he not 1 He is a soldier by profes- 
 sion, and a great admirer of yours, general.' 
 
 * Cest bien ! But you have no idea what these 
 royalists are. Some of them are so stupid that they 
 would not serve the republic even to save their lives. 
 Ah ! here comes Lacluse.' 
 
 ' For me,' I said. ' He promised to return in an 
 hour/ 
 
 ' But you must not go back to the Abbaye, M. 
 Roy. How can I keep my word and make a 
 Frenchman of you 1 ' observed Madame Bonaparte. 
 
 ' I am afraid I must. Captain Lacluse undertook 
 to see me safely back, and I gave my word to return 
 with him.'
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 57 
 
 'That can easily be arranged,' said Bonaparte. 
 ' Write an order for M. Roy's discharge, Lacluse, 
 and I will sign it. You can find him accommodation 
 at your quarters ? ' 
 
 * Certainly, general' 
 
 And with that the aide-de-camp sat down at a 
 writing - table and scribbled a few lines, which 
 Bonaparte signed. 
 
 ' Allans r said Lacluse, as he put the paper in his 
 sabretache. 'Will you accompany me, M. Roy?' 
 
 'Of course I must keep my word with Carmine; 
 and I have to see De Gex and get my things.' 
 
 ' I shall hope to see you again this evening,' said 
 Madame Bonaparte, kindly, as we took our leave. 
 ' M. de Gex ought to be very grateful to you for so 
 ably advocating his cause.' 
 
 ' Nay, madame, it is to you and the general that 
 his gratitude is due ; for it is to you that he will 
 owe his life, and I thank you with all my heart for 
 your kindness to him and to me.'
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 THE chevalier's CHOICE 
 
 When Governor Carmine read the order for my 
 release, he shrugged his shoulders and smiled 
 dubiously. 
 
 ' My faith, Citizen Captain, but this is highly 
 irregular I ' he exclaimed. ' Since when has General 
 Bonaparte become minister of justice or a member 
 of the Directory ? However, as he takes all the 
 responsibility, and is one of the glories of France, 
 and it concerns only a prisoner of war, I think I may 
 comply with his request. — You are free. Citizen Roy. 
 I will direct one of the warders to fetch your effects.' 
 
 ' Thank you, monsieur.' 
 
 ' Citizen, if you please, citizen.' Carmine was a 
 great stickler for the republican proprieties. 
 
 ' I beg your pardon, citizen. I was going to ask 
 you if I might go inside. I have something to say 
 to Citizen Gex.' 
 
 ' You may, citizen. I never object to my friends 
 
 68
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 59 
 
 going inside, though it is sometimes my duty to 
 prevent them from going out' 
 
 I found the chevalier walking automatically to and 
 fro in the common room, and so absorbed in thought 
 that, until I touched his arm, he did not observe my 
 presence. 
 
 ' I have brought you good news, chevalier,' I said. 
 ' Not only is your life to be spared, but in a day 
 or two — probably to-morrow — your prison doors will 
 be opened, and you will be a free man.' 
 
 The chevalier, rather to my surprise, put his 
 arms round my neck and kissed me on both 
 cheeks. 
 
 * And I owe this to you, my dear friend ! ' he 
 exclaimed. ' Thank you ! thank you ! And my 
 mother and my sister, they will also thank you ! 
 We shall be your debtors for life.' 
 
 ' Wait until you know how little I have done. I 
 merely explained your case to Madame and General 
 Bonaparte. It is they whom you must thank.' 
 
 And then I told him of all that had passed ; but 
 when I mentioned Bonaparte's expedient for saving 
 him from death and getting him out of danger, I 
 observed with surprise that his countenance, which 
 had been beaming with happiness, became deeply 
 troubled. He turned abruptly away from me,
 
 6o ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 and bowing his head, remained silent for several 
 minutes. 
 
 When he looked up his face was deathly pale, and 
 there was a glitter in his dark eyes which bespoke 
 intense nervous excitement. 
 
 ' This cannot be, my friend,' he said, in a voice 
 which, though it slightly trembled, — as well it might, 
 for he was pronouncing his own doom, — showed no 
 sign of irresolution. ' This cannot be.' 
 
 ' Cannot be ! What do you mean } ' 
 
 *I mean that I cannot accept my life on these 
 conditions. I cannot serve in the army of the 
 republic' 
 
 ' Come, now, chevalier, this is surely carrying 
 quixotism too far! It is a rascally republic, I admit; 
 but it is the de facto government of the country, 
 and soldiers have only one duty, — to obey orders and 
 leave politics to politicians.' 
 
 ' I know all that, and I am no fanatical royalist. 
 I would willingly serve a merely rascally republic 
 faute de niieux. But the Directory is more than 
 rascally. It is composed of assassins and terrorists, — 
 men whose hands are imbrued with innocent blood. 
 Every one of them voted for the death of Louis 
 the Sixteenth. Barras, their chief, was also a leader 
 in the Terror. A man can die but once, my friend ;
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 6i 
 
 and I would rather die a hundred times than own 
 as masters the men who murdered my king.' 
 
 This was a view of the case which had not occurred 
 to me, and against which I had nothing to urge. 
 I felt that the chevalier was taking the only course 
 open to a man of his principles ; and though, as I 
 frankly told him, I deplored his decision, I honoured 
 him for his loyalty and courage. 
 
 Nevertheless, I refused to abandon hope. 
 
 *I shall see Bonaparte again/ I said, 'and 
 try to prevail on him to release you without 
 conditions.' 
 
 De Gex shook his head. 
 
 ' It is out of Bonaparte's power,' he said. ' If he 
 cannot get his own secretary's name removed from 
 the list of emigrants, how can he get mine } More- 
 over, I don't think that he would even though he could. 
 My refusal to serve in the army of Italy will vex 
 him. Yet there is one boon which you may induce 
 him to obtain for me, — that I may be shot instead 
 of being guillotined, and as soon as possible put out 
 of my misery.' 
 
 I was so much distressed by the turn things had 
 taken that I could scarcely speak. I took both the 
 chevalier's hands in mine, and assured him that even 
 yet I could not believe the worst would happen, but
 
 62 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 that if I failed in my final effort to save his life 
 I would certainly mention his request to Bonaparte, 
 and in any case would see him again on the morrow. 
 Then I went sorrowful away. 
 
 When I returned to the governor's apartments 
 I found Citizens Lacluse and Carmine (who was 
 an old soldier) fighting their battles over again 
 with the help of a bottle of Burgundy. Citizeness 
 Julie sat in a corner, busied with her knitting, and 
 looking very thoughtful. My conscience smote me, 
 for until that moment I had completely forgotten 
 her. 
 
 ' So you are going to leave us,' she said, reproach- 
 fully, as I took a seat near her. 'Are you 
 glad .? ' 
 
 * I am glad to be free, of course, but sorry to 
 leave you, mademoiselle, all the more so as I have 
 to thank you for being the means of obtaining my 
 release. But we shall meet again, — often, I hope. 
 For the present, at least, I remain in Paris.' 
 
 ' And then } Ah, monsieur, it is very hard to 
 make friends only to lose them,' she murmured, 
 tearfully. ' I thought the letter I took to Madame 
 Bonaparte concerned only Citizen Gex. If I had 
 known what would have been the result, I don't 
 think I would have taken it.'
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 63 
 
 The chevalier was right. It was quite clear that 
 it was not him she cared about. Yet though her 
 preference was flattering it was also embarrassing, 
 and when Carmine put an end to our colloquy by 
 asking me to take a glass of wine with him, I felt 
 decidedly relieved. 
 
 After leaving the prison we went to Lacluse's 
 quarters, where I was provided with a comfortable 
 bedroom next his own. In the evening we supped 
 at a restaurant in the Palais Royal, and then betook 
 ourselves to the Rue de la Victoire, in fulfilment 
 of my promise to Madame Bonaparte, and in the 
 hope that I might have an opportunity of speaking 
 to the general about De Gex. Two or three carriages 
 were at the door, and in the salon we found several 
 officers in uniform, among whom Lacluse pointed 
 out Lannes, Murat, Berthier, and Kleber. Bonaparte 
 wore his general's uniform, which, as I thought, 
 became him much better than that of the Institute. 
 Though physically the smallest man in the room, 
 he had beyond all compare the most powerful face. 
 In looking at him one quite forgot that he was 
 little; and the group of generals, to whom he was 
 speaking with characteristic energy, listened to him 
 with marked deference. 
 
 Madame Bonaparte beckoned me to her.
 
 64 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 ' I am glad you are come/ she said. ' You have 
 seen this poor M. de Gex ? ' 
 
 ' Yes, madame.' 
 
 ' And left him happy, I suppose ? ' 
 
 * As happy as a man can be who expects to 
 die.' 
 
 ' You surely don't mean ' 
 
 ' He thanks you warmly for your kindness, 
 madame, and, though he would gladly serve under 
 your glorious husband, regrets deeply that his 
 principles will not permit him to accept a com- 
 mission from the Directory; though he knows, of 
 course, that his refusal is likely to cost him his 
 life.' 
 
 Madame Bonaparte appeared to be much hurt. 
 
 ' This comes of trying to serve people,' she said, 
 bitterly. ' It is nothing less than an insult. These 
 royalists are too stupid for anything. Bonaparte will 
 be very angry.' 
 
 As she spoke he came up to us, smiling, and 
 with the air of a man who has something pleasant 
 to impart. 
 
 ' It is all arranged,' he said. 'The commission of 
 Captain de Gex will be signed in the morning, 
 and on Thursday he must be en route for Italy. 
 I have given the necessary orders. I hope you are
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 65 
 
 satisfied with what I have done for your friend, 
 M. Roy ? ' 
 
 How should I tell him ? I looked at Madame 
 Bonaparte, but instead of helping me out she 
 murmured something about wanting to speak to 
 Murat, and left me in the lurch. 
 
 ' I am very sorry, general,' I began, ' but De 
 Gex ' 
 
 ' Enough ! I know what you are going to say,' 
 interrupted the general, sternly. ' He refuses to 
 serve.' 
 
 ' His principles ' 
 
 * Principles ! Don't talk to me of the prin- 
 ciples of a man who lived at his ease in 
 London while his country was engaged in a 
 struggle for existence with the coalesced kings of 
 Europe. I understand him perfectly. He is one 
 of those men who believe that it were better for 
 France to perish than not to be ruled by a 
 Bourbon.' 
 
 * I do not presume to argue the point with you, 
 general. De Gex knows best what comports with 
 his own honour. And he has no illusions ; he is 
 quite aware that in refusing your offer — for which 
 he desired me to tender you his warmest thanks — 
 he pronounces his own doom. He asks only one
 
 66 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 favour, — that his sentence may take place without 
 further delay, and that he may be executed as a 
 soldier.' 
 
 * As to that I can say nothing. I have done with 
 him. You can ask Barras, if you like. He is here. 
 Shall I introduce you to him .-* ' 
 
 Without waiting for my answer, Bonaparte turned 
 to a tall personage of commanding presence, with 
 a haughty, dissolute face, to whom he talked 
 earnestly for a few minutes ; then he beckoned to 
 me, and after formally introducing us, rejoined his 
 generals. 
 
 ' So your friend De Gex is too high-minded to 
 serve in the armies of the French republic,' said 
 Barras, with a sneer. * He is also in a hurry and 
 wants to be shot. He really does not deserve any 
 such indulgence ; but, to oblige you, sir, I shall try 
 to meet his views. Gex will be shot at ten o'clock 
 to-morrow morning, within the precincts of the 
 prison. And you may tell him from me that had 
 he been a little more patient and not asked you 
 to intercede for him his sentence would probably 
 have been commuted to a short term of imprison- 
 ment or a few years' banishment. We are beginning 
 to make a distinction between emigrants who have 
 fought against France and those who have not.
 
 RO V OF RO Y'S CO URT 67 
 
 Citizen Gex belongs to the latter category, and 
 would have been the first to profit by the new 
 regulation. You know now why his execution was 
 delayed.' 
 
 * But surely, Citizen Director, you will not punish 
 him for another's fault ? I alone am to blame. It 
 was I who appealed to General Bonaparte.' 
 
 * He will not be punished for another's fault. He 
 has refused to serve ; and the man who will not fight 
 for his country is only one degree better than the 
 man who fights against her. Besides, I always keep 
 my promise, and I have promised that De Gex shall 
 be shot.' 
 
 Having delivered this parting shot, Barras left 
 me to my thoughts, and was presently engaged in 
 a lively conversation with Madame and General 
 Bonaparte. 
 
 These thoughts, as may be supposed, were none 
 of the pleasantest. I had played my game badly. 
 Instead of saving the chevalier's life I had lost it. 
 Had I not meddled in the matter, his reluctance 
 to serve would never have been known, and they 
 would have released him in a few days, — if Barras 
 spoke the truth ; which, however, I took leave to 
 doubt. I began also to think, despite what De Gex 
 had said, that Bonaparte could easily have obtained
 
 68 RO V OF RO Y'S CO URT 
 
 the chevalier's release without resorting to a subter- 
 fuge, and that even now he might save him by a 
 word. But another appeal would only have pro- 
 voked another rebuff. And I had no chance of 
 making one ; he studiously avoided me, so did 
 Madame Bonaparte, and, perceiving that I was no 
 longer a welcome guest, I quietly withdrew.
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 SHOT 
 
 I HAD not gone many yards down the Rue de la 
 Victoire when an arm was thrust within mine. 
 
 'You are departing early, Citizen Roy, and you 
 were not looking very happy a little while ago. 
 What has arrived ? ' asked the aide-de-camp. 
 
 As I had nothing to conceal, I told Lacluse all 
 that had passed. 
 
 ' It is very unfortunate,' he said. ' De Gex might 
 as well have accepted this commission. We soldiers 
 fight for France, and for France alone. Governments 
 are an accident ; they are here to-day and gone 
 to-morrow. And the Directory won't last. How- 
 ever, the die is cast. There is nothing more to 
 be done. By refusing Bonaparte's offer De Gex 
 has made an enemy who neither forgets nor 
 forgives.' 
 
 'Then De Gex is going to be shot merely for 
 offending Bonaparte } '
 
 70 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 ' I did not say that ; but you can draw your own 
 conclusions. I am afraid you also have offended 
 him.' 
 
 'Why? How could I know that De Gex would 
 refuse an offer which gave him his life ? ' 
 
 ' But the general will say that you ought to have 
 known. He may even imagine that De Gex has 
 placed you in communication with some of his 
 royalist friends and that you are in sympathy with 
 them. The best thing you can do is to keep out 
 of his way for a few days.' 
 
 This was my own opinion. If I had lost his 
 favour because De Gex had refused his offer of a 
 commission in the army, what would he say when 
 I declined his offer of a commission in the navy? 
 And now that De Gex's fate was decided, I had 
 resolved, the next time the subject should be 
 broached, to refuse point-blank, and without any 
 sort of compromise. This resolution was, however, 
 compatible with a desire to put off the evil day as 
 long as might be. I was in no hurrj^ to return to 
 prison, and I meant, if possible, to get out of the 
 country before Bonaparte called on me for a 
 decision. 
 
 Fortunately, he had not asked for my parole, 
 either from inadvertence or because he thought
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 71 
 
 to win me over to his purpose by a show of 
 confidence. 
 
 In any case, my respite was not likely to be long, 
 and it behooved me to act promptly. As yet, however, 
 I could think of no feasible plan. I had no papers, 
 and even though I might get out of Paris without 
 them, I should certainly never reach the coast. And 
 if I reached the coast, how was I to cross the sea ? 
 But that was not a part of the problem which called 
 for immediate solution. It would be quite time 
 enough to think about crossing the sea when I got 
 there. 
 
 What between revolving plans of escape, each 
 more impossible than the other, and thinking about 
 De Gex and wondering whether he had been 
 informed of his impending fate, I passed a dream- 
 haunted and wellnigh sleepless night. 
 
 At five o'clock I got up, dressed, sailor-fashion, in 
 the dark, and let myself quietly out of the house. 
 It was a dismal morning ; fine rain was falling, the 
 narrow streets were slushy and slippery, the lamps 
 all gone out, lights in the windows few and far 
 between, and if I had not been blest with keen 
 vision and a good eye for locality, I should have 
 lost myself before I turned the second corner. But 
 I managed to find my way without asking questions
 
 72 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 (which might have been dangerous), and at six 
 o'clock saw looming before me the great Gothic 
 gate-way of the Abbaye prison. 
 
 The people inside were already astir, and I had 
 no difficulty in obtaining admission. 
 
 I found Carmine in his office. 
 
 ' You are early,' he said. 
 
 ' Yes ; I heard last night that poor Gex was to be 
 shot at ten this morning.' 
 
 'At ten ! He is to be shot as soon as it is light. 
 The firing-party will be here at seven.' 
 
 * Seven ! Good heavens ! But it is impossible ! 
 There is surely some mistake. Barras told me 
 distinctly that the execution would take place at 
 ten.' 
 
 ' There is no mistake in my order. Here are 
 the very words : " The detenu Gex will be shot at 
 dawn. The firing-party will be on the ground at 
 seven o'clock." Citizen Barras has been making a 
 mauvaise plaisanterie at your expense. It is like 
 him.' 
 
 ' The malicious scoundrel ! He lied to me, then,' 
 I muttered between my teeth. ' Pardieu, if I were 
 my own master I would be even with him. Does 
 Gex know t ' 
 
 ' Not yet. I was just going to inform him. Will
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 73 
 
 you accompany me ? Ailons ! there is no time to 
 lose.' 
 
 As we opened the door of his room, De Gex, who 
 was still abed, raised himself on his elbow. 
 
 'Roy! Carmine! What is it?* he exclaimed. 
 * But I need not ask. I can read my fate in your 
 faces. When i* — how soon } ' 
 
 ' At dawn ; in about an hour,' answered Carmine. 
 
 ' And what is it ? — the axe or the platoon ? ' 
 
 * The platoon.' 
 
 'Thank God I Well, I shall be ready.' And 
 with that the chevalier threw off the bedclothes 
 and began to dress. 
 
 ' I will leave you to yourselves for a while,' said 
 Carmine, setting down his lamp. * What would you 
 like for breakfast, Citizen Gex } ' 
 
 ' Breakfast ! When one has only an hour to 
 live 1 ' 
 
 'All the same, you had better take something. 
 It is a cold, wet morning.' 
 
 'You are right. I must not tremble, even with 
 cold. Will you kindly send coffee for two, rolls, 
 and cognac } ' 
 
 ' You shall have them in ten minutes ; and I will 
 come again when all is ready.' 
 
 ' He is a good old fellow, — Carmine,' observed the
 
 74 RO V OF RO Y'S COURT 
 
 chevalier when we were alone. * You are silent, my 
 friend ; you say nothing.' 
 
 ' Because my heart is full ; and what can I say } 
 This is terrible, De Gex, — terrible for you, and for 
 me both a grievous disappointment and a defeat. I 
 made sure I should succeed.' 
 
 ' Fortunately for me, I did not. And please 
 remember that it is my own doing. You offered me 
 my life, and if I did not choose to accept it that is 
 my own affair. You acted the part of a true friend. 
 And see, I have everything ready. Here is the 
 letter for my mother, and here a plan of the chateau, 
 which, with the explanation I shall give you, will 
 enable you to find the treasure, even though the 
 building should be in ruins.' 
 
 Our conversation was interrupted for a moment by 
 the arrival of the coffee, which De Gex mixed with 
 cognac and leisurely drank, eating at the same time 
 a roll, and courteously inviting me to follow his 
 example. 
 
 Breakfast over, he added a brief postscript to the 
 letter, of which, as also the plan of the chateau, I 
 took possession and put inside the lining of 
 my doublet. But, even though they should fall 
 into the hands of the enemy, nobody would be 
 able to make aught of either of them without
 
 RO V OF RO Y'S CO URT 75 
 
 the clue, and that I had in a still safer place, — 
 my head. 
 
 When I told De Gex what had happened the 
 night before, he agreed with me in thinking that 
 Bonaparte was the instigator of his execution, Barras 
 being merely the instrument, though doubtless a 
 very willing one. 
 
 'You are right; it is Bonaparte's answer to my 
 refusal of his offer,' said the chevalier. ' I have been 
 mistaken in him. He is a great captain ; I thought 
 him an honest man. Those who judged him less 
 favourably judged him more truly. If he does 
 restore the monarchy I much fear that himself will 
 be the monarch. Poor France ! ' 
 
 Shortly afterwards De Gex inquired about the 
 time. I looked at my watch. It was a quarter to 
 seven. 
 
 * My mother is a good woman,' he said. ' I was 
 brought up in the fear of God. You will not think 
 me weak or foolish if I say a prayer t ' 
 
 My answer was to kneel by his side. 
 
 When we rose from our knees the great clock of 
 the Abbaye was striking the hour. 
 
 De Gex put his arms round my neck and kissed 
 me on both cheeks. 
 
 * You have been very good to me,' he said. ' God
 
 76 RO V OF RO Y'S CO URT 
 
 bless you for it ! You will stay with me to the last, 
 and tell my mother and Antoinette ' 
 
 My heart was so full that I could only press his 
 hand and murmur an inarticulate assent; the 
 same moment the door opened, and Carmine, 
 followed by two turnkeys, entered the cell, while two - 
 soldiers with fixed bayonets stood on guard without. 
 
 ' I am ready. Lead on,' said the chevalier. 
 
 I would have taken his arm ; Carmine also offered 
 to support him. But he kindly, yet firmly, refused 
 us, saying that he could walk quite well alone and 
 would rather do so. 
 
 He walked between Carmine and me, the turnkeys 
 leading and the soldiers following. 
 
 At the foot of the staircase we were received by 
 the officer in charge of the firing-party. After giving 
 us the military salute, which we duly acknowledged, 
 and saying something about the unpleasantness of 
 the duty he was called upon to perform, he ordered 
 the prisoner to be pinioned and blindfolded. 
 
 De Gex objected, and asked as a favour that he 
 might die free, and himself give the word of 
 command. 
 
 The officer assented, and we all went into the 
 courtyard. De Gex doffed his coat and waistcoat, 
 and, after shaking hands with Carmine and the
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 77 
 
 turnkeys and again embracing me, walked to the end 
 of the enclosure and turned his back to the wall. 
 The officer ordered his men to fall in. The chevalier 
 folded his arms and raised his head, and the next 
 moment his voice rang out as loud and clear as if he 
 were giving an order on the field of battle : 
 
 * Make ready ! Present ! Fire ! * 
 
 The muskets went off, and De Gex fell on his face 
 riddled with bullets. 
 
 After a short pause the turnkeys raised the body 
 tenderly — the chevalier had been a popular prisoner 
 — and put it in a rude coffin. Within an hour it was 
 laid in the ground. 
 
 I was going slowly away, — my heart wellnigh 
 bursting with impotent rage and bitter sorrow, for 
 though I had known this man only three days I had 
 come to love him as a brother, — when I heard a 
 broken voice speaking my name. 
 
 It was Julie Carmine, whom in my preoccupation 
 I had not noticed. 
 
 ^ Oh, this is terrible ! ' she exclaimed, weeping. 
 ' I did not see it, but I heard the muskets. He was 
 so gentil, this poor Monsieur Gex, the best man in 
 the Abbaye, they say ; and yet they have killed him. 
 Did I not speak truly when I said they never 
 forgive returned emigrants ? ' And then, lowering
 
 78 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 her voice, for there were several people about, she 
 added, 'Meet me this evening- at sunset in the 
 Tuileries Gardens. I have something very important 
 to tell you. You are going? An revoir, Citizen 
 Roy. You must not leave Paris without calling 
 pour prendre conge.' 
 
 I protested that nothing was further from my 
 thoughts, shook hands with her and her father, and 
 went my way.
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 Julie's warning 
 
 Julie had given me a rendezvous. To what end ? 
 
 A Frenchman would have imagined that he had 
 made a conquest. I was less vain. That Julie had 
 a kindly feeling for me was likely enough ; yet I 
 could not think that she meant either to propose an 
 elopement or make me an offer of marriage ; while 
 as for myself, I need scarcely say (the poor chevalier 
 being hardly cold in his grave) that I was in no 
 mood for flirting or love-making. 
 
 On the other hand, why had she asked me to meet 
 her secretly and at night, and what had she to say 
 which she could not say equally well at her own 
 house ? 
 
 After trying a long time to make it out, I gave it 
 up and possessed my soul in patience. A few hours 
 would bring the reading of the riddle ; and the 
 incident was so far useful that it helped to divert my 
 thoughts from the tragedy which I had just witnessed, 
 
 79
 
 So ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 and which redoubled my desire to get out of a 
 country where such things were possible. 
 
 By the time I reached my quarters Lacluse was 
 sitting down to second breakfast. He invited me, 
 politely enough, to join him ; but I was not in the 
 best of tempers, and the indifference with which he 
 heard of De Gex's execution and the dirty trick 
 played me by Barras increased my irritation. 
 
 * A man's life counts for very little in these times,' 
 said the captain, flippantly, ' and if you had seen as 
 many men killed as I have you would not be so 
 much affected by a single execution.' 
 
 ' I have seen men killed, and I have killed a few 
 myself, — in fair fight, — but I never saw a man 
 deliberately murdered before.' 
 
 * Murdered ! Do you know what you are saying ? ' 
 ' Certainly, and I repeat it. De Gex was murdered,' 
 
 I answered, doggedly. 
 
 ' In that case, Lieutenant Forget, who commanded 
 the firing-party, is a murderer, and in making this 
 charge you insult, in his person, the whole French 
 army.' 
 
 * I have no desire to insult either Lieutenant 
 Forget or the French army ; but what I have said I 
 have said.' 
 
 ' You refuse to retract, then ? '
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 8t 
 
 ' I do.' 
 
 * Perhaps you will also refuse to give satisfaction 
 for uttering a base slander,' said Lacluse, who was 
 now white with rage. 
 
 'It is no slander; and I am ready and willing to 
 give you any satisfaction you may desire.' 
 
 * Good ! But, as it is Lieutenant Forget whom you 
 have maligned, it is to him, not to me, that you will 
 have to answer. Moreover, as you are my guest, it 
 would not be comme il faut for me to call you out. 
 Afterwards, if you like ' 
 
 ' I shall be ready and willing to answer to you 
 or any other man, M. le Capitaine.' 
 
 ' Good, again, M. Roy ! I can appreciate courage 
 even in a foe, though I hope you will soon cease to 
 be a foe. Now that we have settled this little affair, 
 so far as we are concerned, let us finish our breakfast. 
 Have you seen the Moniteur this morning } ' 
 
 * No. Why do you ask ? ' 
 
 * Here is something which may interest you.' 
 Whereupon he took the paper and read a paragraph 
 to the effect that the preparations for the invasion 
 of England were being energetically pushed forward, 
 and that General Bonaparte would leave Paris on 
 the following day for an inspection of the coast, and 
 a visit to Antwerp, Dunkirk, Ambleteuse, Walcheren^
 
 82 ROY OF RO Y'S CO URT 
 
 and Boulogne, where he would review the army of 
 invasion. 
 
 By this time I was somewhat cooled down, and 
 so checked the answer which rose to my lips, merely 
 asking Lacluse whether he thought the project of 
 invasion was serious. 
 
 * Why not t England has neither an army nor a 
 general.' 
 
 * But she has a fleet and an admiral.' 
 
 'Well, we shall have to outmanoeuvre your admiral 
 and destroy his fleet. Voila tout! 
 
 ' I quite concede that when you have done that 
 the rest will be easy. How soon is it likely to take 
 place, M. le Capitaine t * 
 
 ' Ma foi ! I am unable to tell you, and, to 
 say the truth, the Moniteur is in error. An 
 expedition is being prepared, but its destination 
 is not England.' 
 
 ' Where, then } ' 
 
 ' I am not at liberty to say. But I hope you will 
 have an important command in the fleet, which, I 
 may inform you in confidence, will be one of the 
 finest France ever sent to sea.' 
 
 Not feeling disposed to reciprocate M. Lacluse's 
 confidences, I parried his query by changing the 
 subject, and he presently became so merry that I
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 83 
 
 began to think he had not been in earnest, and that 
 there would be no duel, after all. 
 
 When we had drunk our coffee and smoked our 
 cigars, the captain said he had an engagement at 
 the War Office which would occupy him for the 
 remainder of the day, and asked me to sup with 
 him and two or three of his comrades at the Trois 
 Freres Provengaux. 
 
 As the time he mentioned (nine o'clock) would 
 not interfere with my rendezvous, I accepted the 
 invitation Svith much pleasure.' I was quite 
 willing to fight; but if it pleased him to let matters 
 rest as they were, it was not for me to complain. 
 I had stood to my guns, and no man can do more. 
 
 So soon as he was gone I turned in for a couple 
 of hours, to make up my arrears of sleep, then 
 strolled about the streets for a while, and towards 
 sunset betook myself to the Tuileries Gardens, where 
 I was not long in finding Mademoiselle Carmine, 
 though she was so closely veiled that had she not 
 spoken first I should have failed to recognise 
 her. 
 
 ' Let us walk on,' she said, taking my arm. ' You 
 were surprised at my asking you to come here.' 
 
 ' Frankly, I was, — ^just a little. All the same ■ 
 
 * Listen, sir I I can stay with you only a iQ\w
 
 84 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 minutes. I wanted to tell you that you are under 
 surveillance and in danger.' 
 
 * Under surveillance t ' 
 
 * Yes, watched continually by an agent secret! 
 'That's the fellow who has been hanging about 
 
 the Rue du Bac all day. I wondered what he was 
 after.' 
 
 ' No doubt ; and you may be sure that either he 
 or another has followed you hither. Captain Lacluse 
 is supposed to take good care of you ; but since 
 you tried so much to save that poor gentleman you 
 have been placed under regular police surveillance, 
 and are more than ever suspected by the Directory 
 of being in league with the royalists.' 
 
 ' How did you get to know all this, Julie } ' 
 ' Well, you see, a citizen high up in the police de 
 surete is a great friend of my father's. He came to 
 the Abbaye this morning about \kv\^ pauvj'e monsieur', 
 and other things. I heard your name mentioned, 
 and when he was gone I asked my father what he 
 had said. My father has no secrets from his fille 
 cherie, and he told me all. I could not tell you 
 then, — there were too many lookers-on, — and if you 
 had called again during the day it would have caused 
 suspicion, for the police de surete, is well informed of 
 what passes at the Abbaye.'
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 85 
 
 'And the danger you spoke about, Julie ? ' 
 
 'You are in danger of being arrested. They say 
 General Bonaparte leaves Paris to-night or to- 
 morrow, and when he is gone Barras will have it all 
 his own way ; and my father has heard that he has 
 taken a dislike to you, and does not approve of the 
 general's offer to make you an officer in the French 
 navy.' 
 
 * It is very good of you, Julie,' I said, softly 
 squeezing her hand, — 'very good of you to take so 
 much interest in an unfortunate English sailor, and 
 I thank you with all my heart' 
 
 ' Ah, sir, I fear you will think me very bold to come 
 here alone; but when I x^va^^Xih^x ce pauvre monsieur, 
 and think that a like fate may be yours, I shudder, 
 I weep, and I forget altogether les convenances^ 
 
 'You are a dear, good girl, Julie, and I shall never 
 forget' (here my arm stole round her waist) — * I shall 
 never forget your kindness. But you are wise as 
 well as good : what would you advise me to 
 do.?' 
 
 ' Be prudent and circumspect. Neither say nor 
 do aught which Barrag can use as a pretext for 
 throwing you into the Conciergerie or the Bicetre 
 (horrible prisons, both of them), and perhaps having 
 you shot like ce pauvre monsieur'
 
 86 RO V OF RO Y'S CO URT 
 
 * Oh, no ! He would never dare to shoot a prisoner 
 of war.' 
 
 ' It is not as a prisoner of war, my father says, 
 you would be shot, but as a royalist conspirator. 
 Remember, monsieur, that the Reign of Terror is 
 not long past ; and it would be so easy to pretend 
 you were a conspirator. Perhaps it would be best 
 for you to leave Paris, — if you can ; and, though I 
 should be sorry for you to go, it would make me 
 happy to think you were safe,' 
 
 I drew the dear girl closer to me, raised her veil, 
 and — what other answer could I make to so kind 
 an avowal } 
 
 * I thank you with all my heart for your goodness, 
 dear Julie. How can I repay it t ' 
 
 ' Ah, monsieur, I fear you are very wicked. 
 In a public garden, too, and that dreadful agent 
 secret !' 
 
 * The night is dark, and the walk shady ; while as 
 for the agent secret, I feel sure we have given him the 
 slip.' 
 
 'You may be sure he is not far off. It is not 
 easy to elude an agent secret. Dame ! I wonder 
 what Victor would say "i ' 
 
 * Diable ! Who is this Victor, mademoiselle } 
 Your sweetheart t '
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 87 
 
 'Not at all. He would like to be, though. He is 
 a sergeant of dragoons, and a brave gargon ; but so 
 bete ! — you have no idea. I amuse myself with him, 
 — nothing more. And now, monsieur, you must let 
 me go. My father will miss me, and who knows 
 that the agent secret is not lurking in those bushes .'' ' 
 
 Before we parted it was agreed that I should call at 
 the Abbaye on the following Sunday; and then I 
 escorted Julie to a fiacre, and told the driver to take 
 her to the Faubourg St. Antoine. But this was a 
 blind. She meant to get out en route and walk to 
 the Abbaye, in order to throw the detective off the 
 scent in case he gave one of his colleagues the 
 office to follow her. 
 
 As I put my head inside the fiacre (merely to say 
 au revozr), she whispered a last warning : 
 
 'Above all. Monsieur Roy, be prudent, and do 
 nothing that may give Barras an excuse for arresting 
 you.' 
 
 I watched the fiacre until it disappeared. So far 
 as I could see, it was not shadowed. But I was, 
 and, do what I would, I could not shake the fellow 
 off. Double and twist as I might, he was always 
 more or less in view, and the sense of being 
 continually dogged so irritated me that I had a good 
 mind to throw him into the Seine, and, if Julie's
 
 88 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 warning had not been ringing in my ears, should 
 certainly have done so. 
 
 After going to the Rue du Bac and changing my 
 clothes, I chartered a fiacre and went to the Trois 
 Fr^res, where I found Lacluse, Forget, and two other 
 officers. Captain Bouillon and Captain Bosquet, to 
 whom I was introduced. 
 
 I looked upon Forget's presence as a sign of peace, 
 and as showing that Lacluse had not repeated to 
 Forget my incautious words of the morning. For 
 the which, being now in a more sober frame of mind, 
 I felt glad, as I perceived that a duel would probably 
 bring me under the notice of the authorities, and 
 might get me into serious trouble. 
 
 We had an excellent supper, and, as the officers 
 were all merry fellows, we spent an enjoyable 
 evenings. 
 
 At midnight Lacluse suggested that it was time 
 we broke up. 
 
 ' But before we separate,' he continued, ' we have 
 to arrange that little affair you know of. I have 
 informed M. Forget that you thought fit to qualify 
 the execution of De Gex as murder.' 
 
 * For the which, unless you retract,' put in the 
 lieutenant, with a bow, * I have the honour to 
 demand satisfaction.*
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 89 
 
 'I stick to what I said, and I am quite at your 
 service/ I answered, also bowing. 
 
 •This, I need hardly say, is highly irregular/ 
 observed Lacluse ; ' but the circumstances are ex- 
 ceptional. Monsieur Roy is a prisoner of war, under 
 surveillance.' 
 
 'Yes: I have been followed about by a rascally 
 spy all day/ 
 
 'Exactly. And I dare say you have no friends 
 in Paris, whom you could ask to act for you/ 
 
 ' Not a soul, — unless it be yourself/ 
 
 'That would not be comme il faut. Lieutenant 
 Forget is my particular friend. But the difficulty 
 is easily surmounted. I have already spoken to 
 ces messieurs, and they will be your seconds.' 
 
 ' I am greatly obliged to them/ I said, bowing 
 to the two captains. 
 
 After acknowledging the salute, Bouillon observed 
 that, as I was the challenged party, it was for me 
 to choose the weapons. * Ship's cutlasses, boarding- 
 pikes, or pistols, as M. le Lieutenant may please/ 
 I answered, carelessly. 
 
 ' Let us say pistols, then. I don't know much 
 about cutlasses and boarding-pikes/ said Forget. 
 
 After some further conversation it was arranged 
 that the two captains should see Forget's seconds
 
 90 ROY OF ROY'S CO URT 
 
 (two officers of his regiment) and that we should 
 fight at daybreak in the Bois de Boulogne, whither 
 I was to go with Lacluse and a surgeon of his 
 acquaintance. In fact, everything had been cut 
 and dried beforehand, and when we got home 
 Lacluse showed me a pair of beautiful duelling- 
 pistols, which he was good enough to place at my 
 disposal for the occasion. 
 
 I should have preferred cutlasses ; but, as I knew 
 how to handle a pistol and could shoot pretty 
 straig-ht, I had not much fear for the result. 
 
 % 

 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 SHADOWED 
 
 We breakfasted by candle-light, the days being 
 still short, and set out in a fiacre at seven, calling 
 on our way for the surgeon, whose presence with 
 his case of instruments was, however, too suggestive 
 to be altogether pleasant. 
 
 When we arrived on the ground the others were 
 already there, and the preliminaries were arranged 
 in a few seconds. 
 
 Forget and I were to fire simultaneously at thirty 
 paces, and, if neither was hit, then at twenty 
 paces. 
 
 This looked serious ; and I inferred from my 
 opponent's manner that he was in a vindictive 
 mood. Moreover, Lacluse had told me for my 
 comfort, as we came along, that the lieutenant was 
 both a fine swordsman and a dead shot. However, 
 the race is not always to the swift, and I had 
 
 91
 
 92 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 the same confidence in my luck that Bonaparte 
 had in his star. 
 
 Neither of us had any appreciable advantage in 
 position, and when Bouillon dropped his handker- 
 chief (the preconcerted signal) I raised my hand 
 and fired as straight as I knew how. The two 
 pistols went off together, and at the same instant 
 I knew that I was hit. But it was nothing to hurt. 
 Forget's bullet had merely grazed the side of my 
 neck. Mine had gone through his hat. 
 
 The seconds handed us fresh pistols, and we each 
 advanced five paces. 
 
 My first pistol had kicked more than a good 
 duelling-pistol should, and this time I held my 
 weapon more firmly and aimed lower. The same 
 signal was given as before, and we fired so true 
 to it that the two pistols seemed to make but a 
 single report, which had scarce died away when 
 Forget gave a little cry and sank in a heap on 
 the turf. 
 
 We all ran to him. He was hit on the right side, 
 a few inches under the arm, and while the seconds 
 raised him up and administered restoratives the 
 surgeon examined the wound, which he pronounced 
 to be serious, possibly mortal. 
 
 As soon as the surgeon had applied a temporary
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 93 
 
 dressing, they lifted the unconscious lieutenant into 
 a fiacre and took him home. Though I felt sorry 
 to see him lying there so pale and death-like, my 
 conscience was clear. I had not sought the quarrel, 
 and the volley which killed De Gex was still ringing 
 in my ears. 
 
 * It is a denouement which I did not expect, and 
 very grave,' observed Lacluse as we walked towards 
 our carriage. 
 
 ' You mean that it would have been less grave if 
 I had been wounded instead of Forget ? ' 
 
 * Well, I don't quite mean that. I thought that 
 one of you would be touched at the first shot, 
 without being much hurt. In that case there would 
 have been no eclat ; but when it goes forth — 
 and it is impossible to keep an affair of this sort 
 secret — when it goes forth that you have insulted 
 the French army, and nearly killed a promising 
 officer ' 
 
 ' I beg your pardon, M. le Capitalne, I did not 
 insult the French army ; and the difference which 
 has ended so unhappily for your friend was your 
 making.* 
 
 ' Mille tonnerres, Monsieur Roy ! do you want to 
 fight another duel ? ' 
 
 * If you like.'
 
 94 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 ' Well, to be frank, I do not like. I have given 
 my proofs both on the field of battle and the field 
 of honour, and I can afford to say that I would 
 rather fight some one else. Moreover, just now it 
 would not be expedient, — hardly possible, indeed. 
 You were wrong to speak of the execution of De 
 Gex as you did. But I also have been to blame. 
 The chances were not equal. You risked a danger 
 which Forget did not. As soon as the Directory 
 are informed of what has happened, an order will 
 be issued for your arrest ; and if you are taken it 
 is quite possible that within the next twenty-four 
 hours you may play a principal part in a scene 
 like that which you witnessed yesterday at the 
 Abbaye. Ah, you see ! ' 
 
 ' Another fiacre ! ' 
 
 * Yes, with your shadow. But, as we have a good 
 horse and a clever Jehu, I shall try to lead the rascal 
 a little dance.' 
 
 As we got into the carriage, Lacluse spoke a (cw 
 energetic words to the coachman ; and the next 
 moment we were off like a shot, the shadow following 
 as fast as his horse could be driven. 
 
 By the time we were fairly in the city the distance 
 between the two vehicles had been considerably 
 increased, but the agent secret still had us in view.
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 95 
 
 At a signal from Lacluse our driver turned into 
 a street which ran at right angles to the course 
 we had been following, and then pulled up short; 
 whereupon we quickly alighted and slipped into a 
 neighbouring cafe. We were no sooner on the 
 pavement than our fiacre was driven on as furiously 
 as ever, and two minutes later we saw from the 
 corner of a window the shadow following in hot 
 pursuit. 
 
 ' Good ! We are rid of him for a few hours, at 
 any rate,' observed the aide-de-camp. * I know the 
 way of these canaille. When he finds that he has 
 been taken in, he will go straight to the Rue du 
 Bac and wait there till you return. In any case, 
 you are safe until noon : so we can take our second 
 breakfast at our ease.' 
 
 And then Lacluse assured me that neither 
 Bonaparte nor himself had caused me to be placed 
 under surveillance. It was the doing of the 
 government and the police. Lacluse had merely 
 taken charge of me at the general's request ; he 
 was my guardian, not my custodian, and had no 
 instructions to interfere with the freedom of my 
 movements so long as I showed no disposition to 
 quit Paris; and without papers and alone I should 
 find quitting Paris about as easy as escaping from
 
 96 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 Vincennes — if I had the ill luck to be locked up 
 there. 
 
 This version differed somewhat from Julie's ; but, 
 as her information had come through several 
 channels, Lacluse's was probably the more truthful. 
 All the same, I did not quite see how he could 
 reconcile the duties of his guardianship with his 
 conduct about the duel. Perhaps he wanted to see 
 how I stood fire. 
 
 When we were through with our breakfast I 
 proposed that Lacluse should wait on Madame 
 Bonaparte, tell her frankly what had befallen, and 
 ask whether she would receive me. It was to 
 her that I owed my release from the Abbaye, and 
 I felt sure that if she knew all the facts she would 
 help me out of the serious difficulty in which I had 
 become entangled. 
 
 * I doubt it,' said Lacluse. ' However, as you think 
 so, I will see her. You wait here. The Rue de la 
 Victoire is not far off. I will return presently and 
 let you know what Madame Bonaparte says.' 
 
 In less than an hour he was back. Madame 
 Bonaparte would receive me with pleasure. 
 
 ' AllonsV said Lacluse. 'No fear of the agent 
 secret spotting you. By this time he is cooling his 
 heels in the Rue du Bfec'
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 97 
 
 We found Madame la Generale in her boudoir, 
 looking fresh and rosy, and dressed in a charming 
 morning costume. She was in excellent spirits, 
 and her manner was more natural than at our 
 first interview, — probably because her husband was 
 out of the way. Everybody seemed to stand in 
 awe of that man. 
 
 Lacluse asked to be excused : he wanted to make 
 inquiries about Forget. 
 
 'You may go,' said Josephine; 'but don't be long. 
 We may want you. — Dame! M. Roy,' she said, 
 turning to me, ' I had no idea you were so reck- 
 less. Not content with offending my husband and 
 Barras, you go and shoot this poor Lieutenant 
 Forget' 
 
 'I assure you, madame, it was done in fair fight, 
 and the quarrel was none of my seeking.' 
 
 'All the same it is very unfortunate, — the 
 more so as it arose from your imprudent ex- 
 pressions about De Gex. It is not wise to 
 say all one thinks ; and when the affair comes 
 to the knowledge of the police they will more 
 than ever incline to the belief that you are in 
 communication with royalist plotters. Who was 
 the lady you met last night in the Tuileries 
 
 Gardens ? ' 
 
 G
 
 98 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 This unexpected question, fired off point-blank, 
 took me all aback. 
 
 'A lady!' I stammered. 
 
 ' Yes, a lady, closely veiled, with whom you pro- 
 menaded in the gardens nearly half an hour. Ah, 
 Monsieur Roy, I fear you are a mauvais sujet! 
 
 ' I assure you, madame, she is a good girl.' 
 
 ' Proof of which is that she gives you a rendezvous 
 in the Tuileries Gardens after dark. Who is she .'* ' 
 
 ' That I am not at liberty to say. As for myself, 
 I have nothing to conceal; but when it concerns 
 another ' 
 
 'And that other a lady. I understand perfectly, 
 M. Roy. But the police think she is a royalist 
 emissary.' 
 
 ' Not at all. She is nothing of the sort.' 
 
 * Did you know her before last night ? ' 
 
 ' I did.' 
 
 ' Before you came to Paris ? ' 
 
 'No.' 
 
 'You cannot have made many acquaintances. 
 You have been all the time with Lacluse. Ha! I 
 have it ! That young woman who brought your 
 letter and pleaded your cause — what is her name ? 
 I remember ; Mademoiselle Carmine. Now, tell me 
 frankly, was not the lady you met Mademoiselle
 
 RO V OF RO Y'S COURT 99 
 
 Carmine? I will respect your confidence. Parole 
 d'honneuK* 
 
 ' I am sure you will, madame, and I cannot deny 
 that you have guessed aright. But Mademoiselle 
 Carmine's object was merely to warn me that 
 I was in danger, and to counsel prudence. 
 She is pleased to take a kindly interest in my 
 fortunes.' 
 
 ' And no wonder. She is a good-looking girl, and 
 you are a beau gargon. Do ladies generally take 
 a kindly interest in your fortunes, M. Roy .'* ' 
 
 ' Several have done, and I am immensely obliged 
 to them, — especially to you, Madame Bonaparte.' 
 
 ' Don't flatter yourself, my dear sir. It is for your 
 mother's sake — not for your beaux yeux — that I 
 interest myself in your welfare. But the question 
 now is, how are you to get out of this new scrape t 
 During the general's absence my influence is at zero : 
 I cannot protect you. There is only one way. You 
 must quit Paris at once.' 
 
 ' I will do what you advise. But how about the 
 police } and whither must I go ? ' 
 
 * I have a plan. Listen ! General Bonaparte is on 
 a tour of inspection. In four or five days he will be 
 at Boulogne. Before he left it was arranged that I 
 should send one of his aides-de-camp to meet him
 
 100 RO Y OF RO TS CO URT 
 
 there, with his letters and my news. I shall send 
 Lacluse. You shall go with him.' 
 
 'When?' 
 
 ' This evening. But you must leave separately. 
 The police, having missed you, will follow him, and 
 his carriage will be closely examined as it passes 
 the barrier.' 
 
 Here Madame Bonaparte paused, at if to reflect. 
 
 ' You must go separately,' she repeated, * and meet 
 at St. Denis, Lacluse in a post-chaise, you in my 
 carriage.' 
 
 ' In your carriage, madame } ' 
 
 *Yes, it will be recognised as the general's, and 
 you will have no difficulty in passing the barrier. 
 But, as it is always the unexpected that happens, 
 and it would not be quite comme il faut for me to 
 accompany you, I shall provide you with a companion, 
 who can answer for you in case of need.' 
 
 ' I thank you with all my heart, madame. It is a 
 brilliant scheme, and I am sure will succeed.' 
 
 'Yes, I think it is rather good,' she said, smiling 
 complacently. ' Dame ! if Bonaparte were not so 
 absurdly particular, and his brothers so watchful and 
 censorious, I would go with you to St. Denis myself. 
 However, I dare say the arrangement I shall make 
 \vill be more to your taste.'
 
 ROY OF ROTS COURT lor 
 
 * That is impossible, madame/ 
 
 Madame Bonaparte smiled, as if at some thought 
 of her own, and then continued : 
 
 'And now let me give you a word of advice. 
 You will arrive at Boulogne two or three days before 
 the general. He went away not very well pleased 
 with you, as you know ; but the moment he arrives 
 go to him and announce your desire to join the 
 French navy, and all will be forgotten. He is 
 organising a great expedition ; your services will be 
 very valuable, and you will return covered with 
 glory.' 
 
 * A great expedition ! For the invasion of 
 England } * 
 
 *No. It was never seriously intended to invade 
 England. Its destination is the East, — Egypt ; and 
 I am sure they will give you an important command.' 
 
 I did not think it my duty to inform Madame 
 Bonaparte of my resolution not to join the French 
 navy. It would be quite enough to inform her 
 husband when we met at Boulogne. 
 
 We were still talking when Lacluse returned. He 
 reported that Forget was still alive, and that the 
 doctors had good hopes of his recovery. 
 
 The aide-de-camp expressed warm approval of 
 Madame Bonaparte's plan. It was agreed that
 
 102 RO Y OF RO Y'S CO URT 
 
 he was to start from the Rue du Bac at six precisely, 
 and that I should start from the Rue de la Victoire 
 fifteen minutes later. As it was not considered 
 expedient for me to leave the house in the meantime, 
 Lacluse would pack up and take with him my 
 belongings. 
 
 'At a quarter past six my carriage will be at 
 the door,' said Madame Bonaparte. * M. Roy can 
 spend the interval in the general's cabinet. I am 
 expecting visitors, but there nobody will trouble 
 him; he will find plenty of books, and, as he 
 is a sailor, I permit him to smoke.'
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 A CLOSE SHAVE 
 
 From twelve to six was rather a long wait; but 
 with my pipe and a book I managed to while away 
 the time not unpleasantly, and at five a servant 
 brought in what he called a slight repast, — soup, 
 filet de bceuf, and a bottle of Bordeaux, to all of 
 which 1 did ample justice. 
 
 At six I received a visit from Madame Bonaparte. 
 
 'Are you ready?' she asked. 'In a few minutes 
 the carriage will be at the door. Put on this military 
 cloak. The night is cold, and if you turn up the 
 collar you will be effectually disguised.' 
 
 I put on the cloak and turned up the collar, as 
 she suggested. 
 
 ' It is well. It fits you to admiration,' she 
 continued. ' Nobody would take you for a 
 sailor. But remember that if any questions are 
 asked you are not to answer. Leave that to 
 your companion.' 
 
 103
 
 104 ROY OF ROTS COURT 
 
 ' My companion ? * 
 
 *Yes. Did I not say that I would provide you 
 with one, as far as St. Denis ? ' 
 
 * A sort of friendly a^-ent secret ? ' 
 
 'Very friendly, and as secret as you like.' And 
 Madame la Generale laughed as merrily as if she 
 had made a capital joke; though I could not for 
 the life of me see the point of it — then. 
 
 At this moment the door opened, and a valet 
 announced that the carriage was at the door. 
 
 ' A quarter past six, to the minute,' said Madame 
 Bonaparte, looking at her watch. 'You must go. 
 Monsieur Roy. The coachman has his orders.' 
 
 * But my companion .'* ' 
 
 * Your companion is already in the carriage. Aii, 
 revoir et bon voyage, M. Roy. I hope we shall 
 soon meet again, and, until we do, pray, for heaven's 
 sake, keep out of scrapes.' 
 
 * I will try, madame ; but, whatever befalls me, 
 I will remember your kindness with undying 
 gratitude.' 
 
 She gave me her hand. I pressed it to my 
 lips, and then, after repeating my thanks, took my 
 leave. 
 
 The valet, who preceded me, opened the carriage 
 door; I stepped inside; the valet put up the steps
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 105 
 
 and closed the door ; the driver cracked his whip 
 and shouted ^ Allez V and the next moment we 
 were rumbhng over the rough pavement of the 
 Rue de la Victoire. 
 
 It was so dark that all I could see of my com- 
 panion was a cloaked and hooded form curled up 
 in a corner. 
 
 * I am greatly obliged to you, monsieur/ I said, 
 'for acceding to Madame Bonaparte's request to 
 bear me company as far as St. Denis. Perhaps 
 you will add to the obligation by saying to whom 
 I am indebted for this kindness. In the hurry of 
 departure, I stupidly forgot to ask Madame la 
 Generale your name.' 
 
 I paused for a reply, and, unless my ears deceived 
 me (the carriage was making a terrible noise), I 
 heard a suppressed laugh. 
 
 ' I beg your pardon, I remarked that I had not 
 the pleasure of knowing your name. Mine is 
 Roy.' 
 
 This time my companion did laugh, unmistak- 
 ably, and, as I thought, mockingly, — conduct highly 
 unbecoming an agejit secret. 
 
 ' You are disposed to be merry, monsieur,' I said, 
 stiffly, ' but you will pardon me if I say that I really 
 cannot see '
 
 ic6 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 ' Don't you know me ? ' interrupted the agent 
 secret^ now laughing without restraint. 
 
 A woman's laugh, and a voice I knew ! 
 
 'You, Julie ? Is it possible ?' I exclaimed, drawing 
 near to my companion and taking her hand. 
 
 ' You did not know me,' she said, in a tone of 
 reproach, but making no attempt to withdraw her 
 hand. 
 
 ' How could I know you with that hood over 
 your face, — let me put it back, — and in this dark- 
 ness ? ' 
 
 * You were going away without saying good-bye.' 
 
 * If I had shown myself in the street I should have 
 been arrested, and Madame Bonaparte and Captain 
 Lacluse insisted on hurrying me off.' 
 
 ' I don't think you care for me in the least,' she 
 said, nestling up to me. 
 
 ' Ah, Julie, if you only knew!' I whispered, putting 
 my arm round her waist. ' I suppose I owe this 
 pleasure to Madame Bonaparte ? ' 
 
 * Yes : she came herself to the Abbaye and told 
 me of the danger you were in, and asked me to 
 see you safely out of the city and bear you company 
 as far as St. Denis. She said it would be much 
 better for you to be accompanied by a lady than 
 by a gentleman.'
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 107 
 
 ' Of course it is, and much pleasanter, especially 
 when the lady is Mademoiselle Carmine. It was 
 very good of you, Julie, to comply with Madame 
 Bonaparte's request. How can I repay you } ' 
 
 * By not thinking ill of me, M. Roy. I know 
 it is not quite comme il faut; but when it was 
 a question of saving you from a great danger, 
 and obliging the Citoyenne Generale, I could not 
 refuse.' 
 
 ' Think ill of you, dear Julie } I shall think of 
 you with gratitude and respect all my life.' 
 
 ' And I shall think of you, I fear, too long. But 
 go away, please : we are approaching the barrier, 
 and you have deranged my coiffure. Sit as far 
 back as you can. You must not be seen : and if 
 any questions are asked, leave me to answer. And 
 now, silence ! ' 
 
 I had hardly obeyed this injunction, and retreated 
 into my corner, making myself as invisible as 
 possible, when I heard a hoarse voice call out, — 
 
 * Stop ! Whose carriage is that ? ' 
 
 * The carriage of General Bonaparte,' answered 
 the coachman. 
 
 ' Ah, yes, I recognise it. But whom have you 
 inside? The Citizen General is on a tour of 
 inspection, they say.'
 
 io8 ROY OF RO TS CO URT 
 
 ' It is I. What do you want ? ' said Julie, sharply, 
 letting down the window and leaning forward so as 
 to prevent me from being seen. 
 
 ' I beg your pardon, Citoyenne Generale ; I should 
 be desolated to give you any annoyance. But we 
 have strict orders to let no one pass the barrier 
 unquestioned. An English prisoner of war has 
 killed an officer and escaped, and it is expected 
 that he will try to leave Paris to-night. But 
 we have his description, and he won't find it 
 easy to slip through my fingers. — You may go 
 on, Citizen Coachman. — Good evening, Citoyenne 
 Generale.' 
 
 * Good evening. Citizen Brigadier.' 
 
 *A narrow escape,' I said, when we were once 
 more en route ; * and but for your quickness and 
 presence of mind, dear Julie, I should have been 
 laid by the heels.' 
 
 ' And yet you are going to leave me ! ' 
 ' What would you have me do 1 Would you 
 like me to stay and not only be laid by the heels, 
 but in all probability lose my life ? ' 
 
 * No ! no ! a thousand times no, cher monsieur ! 
 You must go, though — though it should break my 
 heart.' 
 
 Here Julie laid her head on my shoulder and
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 109 
 
 fell a-weeping. Her affection began to be rather 
 trying ; for, though her kindness and devotion had 
 endeared her to me, and I felt flattered by her 
 preference and enjoyed her company, it would have 
 been decidedly embarrassing if she had proposed 
 to accompany me to Boulogne. Fortunately, she 
 did not. I tried to console her, hinted that our 
 separation was not likely to prove eternal, talked 
 about the probability of an early peace, promised 
 that whenever I could do so safely I would revisit 
 Paris ; and by the time we reached St. Denis, 
 Julie, whose moods were somewhat inconstant, had 
 recovered her composure. 
 
 The carriage stopped near an auberge, known 
 as The Red Cat, hard by which stood a post- 
 chaise. 
 
 * It is a cold night,* said our coachman to the 
 postillion, who was giving his horses a lock of hay, 
 — ' it is a cold night, and I am going to take a 
 drop of something.' 
 
 ' You are wise. Take a glass of eau de vie : it's 
 rare stuff for keeping the cold out.' 
 
 This meant that Lacluse had arrived, and all was 
 right. 
 
 I gave Julie a last embrace. 
 
 * A u revoir'
 
 iro ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 ' Au revoir. You will think of me now and again, 
 cher monsieur ? ' 
 
 ' I will think of you always, mignonne. Don't I 
 owe you my liberty, if not my life ? There, now, 
 don't cry. We shall meet again. A bientot! 
 
 ' Allans, Monsieur Roy ! we have no time to lose,' 
 said Lacluse, opening the door. 
 
 ^ Au revoir, cher monsieur' murmured Julie. 
 
 ' Au revoir! I whispered, pressing her hand. 
 
 Then I got out; the aide-de-camp spoke a few 
 words to the coachman ; the carriage was turned 
 round, and a moment later disappeared in the 
 darkness. 
 
 Poor Julie ! 
 
 ' Who was your companion ? ' asked Lacluse. 
 
 ' A friend of Madame Bonaparte, whom she asked 
 to come with me, in order to prevent any difficulty 
 at the barrier. And it was very well, for had I 
 been alone I should almost certainly have been 
 stopped.' 
 
 * The same if you had been with me. I had to 
 show my papers, and the agents actually looked 
 under the seats to see whether you were not 
 hidden there. And now. Monsieur Roy, as I have 
 undertaken to deliver you safely in Boulogne, and 
 you are still technically a prisoner of war, I must
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT iii 
 
 ask for your parole, — merely as a matter of form ; 
 for I am sure you have no idea of escaping en 
 route! 
 
 * Not the least, M. le Capitaine, and I give you 
 my word of honour not to leave you en route! 
 
 ' That is quite enough. I have no fear of your 
 escaping from Boulogne, even though you desired 
 to do so. The place is full of soldiers; there are 
 gun-boats in the harbour, and men-of-war in the 
 Roads of St. Jean ; and you are not likely, I think, 
 to swim to England, — ha ! ha !' 
 
 ' I give you my word that I shall attempt nothing 
 so absurd.' 
 
 * It is well. We shall stay at the Hotel de la 
 Republique ; and it will perhaps contribute to your 
 comfort, and save me trouble, if I introduce you 
 as an American ; though I must of course tell the 
 commandant and the military police who you 
 are.' 
 
 The weather was vile and the roads were bad ; 
 we made a long halt at Amiens, and we did not 
 reach our destination until the second day after 
 our departure from Paris. We put up at the Hotel 
 de la Republique, as Lacluse had proposed; and I 
 saw that he entered me in the visitors' book as 
 ' M. Roy, des Etats-Unis.' While he went to report
 
 112 ROY OF ROTS COURT 
 
 himself at headquarters, and, doubtless, to tell the 
 military police to keep an eye on me, I strolled 
 round the town, nobody taking any notice of me. 
 But when I tried to go beyond the walls I was 
 brought up standing. The sergeant of the guard 
 asked who I was. 
 
 * Citizen Roy, of the United States.' 
 
 ' Has the citizen a pass ? ' 
 
 'No.' 
 
 ' Then the citizen must give himself the trouble 
 to go back.' 
 
 Every exit, either by land or by water, was 
 equally well guarded, and I very soon saw that 
 my plan of stealing a boat and getting away 
 under cover of darkness was quite out of the 
 question. 
 
 When I met Lacluse at the hotel, I inquired 
 whether he had any news of Bonaparte. 
 
 Yes ; he would be at Boulogne in three days, 
 and, after inspecting the fortifications and holding 
 a review of the troops, would proceed directly to 
 Paris. 
 
 Within three days, therefore, I had to escape, if 
 I escaped at all, for I felt sure that when Bonaparte 
 knew of my decision to refuse his offer he would 
 become my implacable enemy, and send me back
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 113 
 
 to Paris to be dealt with as Barras and his 
 co-Directors might think fit, perhaps with a hint 
 that he would not be displeased if they treated 
 me as they had treated De Gex. 
 
 In the evening we supped at the table -d'hote 
 with a crowd of military and naval officers, several 
 of whom were known to Lacluse, and to whom he 
 introduced me, — always as ' M. Roy, of the United 
 States.' Among them was Captain Cavaroc, of the 
 Jemmapes, a line-of-battle ship then lying in the 
 roads, — a very pleasant gentleman, with a fine 
 humour and a great fund of anecdote. As we sat 
 sipping our coffee and smoking our cigars after 
 supper, the captain was good enough to ask us to 
 dine with him the following day on board his 
 ship. 
 
 The invitation, which included three of the 
 aide's -de - camp military friends, was cordially 
 accepted. We were to be on board at five o'clock. 
 Captain Cavaroc kindly offered to place a boat at 
 our disposal, both for going and coming, but Lacluse 
 protested that he could not think of giving him 
 so much trouble : it would be quite enough if he 
 sent us back. 
 
 When we met at second breakfast next morning, 
 
 the aide-de-camp informed me that he had arranged 
 
 H
 
 114 ROY OF ROTS COURT 
 
 with a boatman to take us to the Jemmapes, and, 
 as she lay a long way out, we had better be at 
 the einbarcadere soon after four o'clock. 
 
 I found that Lacluse rather regretted having 
 introduced me to Cavaroc as an American. 
 
 ' It is like sailing under false colours,' he said. 
 ' If Cavaroc knew that you held a commission in 
 the British navy, I doubt whether he would like 
 you to inspect his ship. But a thing once said is 
 not easily unsaid; and, after all, it is no great 
 matter. You will either join our navy or be sent 
 back to prison. Voila tout I ' 
 
 At four, sharp, we left the hotel, and on our way 
 to the quay fell in with the rest of the party, one 
 of whom, being a man in authority, answered for me 
 to the guard at the landing-place. 
 
 The boat, a small fishing-smack with a lug sail and 
 a running bowsprit, was there, but the boatman was 
 not, — only a big lout of a lad with just sense enough 
 to do as he was bidden. 
 
 ' Where is Vitrac ? ' asked Lacluse. 
 
 ' He will be here in a little moment,' answered the 
 youth. 
 
 When five minutes had passed and Vitrac did not 
 appear, Lacluse grew i'mpatient. 
 
 ' A thousand thunders ! we shall be late ! ' he
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 115 
 
 exclaimed ; ' and if there be one thing I hate more 
 than another, it is keeping a man waiting who has 
 asked me to dinner.' 
 
 This suggested an idea. 
 
 ' There is no need to wait/ I remarked, quietly. 
 ' If you like, I will take charge of the boat, and, with 
 this boy's help, run her alongside the Jemmapes in 
 half an hour. 
 
 ' How do you know where she is ? ' 
 
 ' From the description Captain Cavaroc gave us 
 last night. There she is, — a two-decker, the farthest 
 but one out in the offing you can see. — Isn't that the 
 Jemmapes, boy } ' 
 
 'Vitrac will be here in a little moment. Vitrac 
 knows all the ships ; I don't' 
 
 ' The devil take Vitrac ! I will wait no longer. — 
 Do as you propose, M. Roy. — Montez seulement, 
 messieurs! 
 
 In three minutes we were under way, and as I 
 took the tiller and felt the fresh, salt breeze in my 
 face, my heart leaped with joy. I was on the 
 element I loved, and where I was most at home. 
 
 Fortune had favoured me once more. It was for 
 me to profit by the opportunity. 
 
 But how } 
 
 The wind being off the land and freshening, and
 
 ii6 ROY OF ROTS COURT 
 
 the Fde a good sea-boat, my first idea was to give 
 the Jemmapes the go-by and carry my passengers 
 off to sea. But, as they were four, — not counting 
 the boy, — all armed, and I was weaponless, I con- 
 cluded that the odds would be too great. 
 
 I must try something else ; and presently I 
 bethought me of a plan, more feasible, though 
 requiring nicer management than the other. 
 
 When we reached the Jemmapes I ran the smack 
 under her quarter and close to the gangway. This 
 done, I told the boy, who was forward, to make her 
 fast to the painter ; and, the better to steady her, 
 the tide being at flow and the sea choppy, I drew 
 her stern to the ship's side with a boat-hook. 
 
 The four officers, who for the last five minutes 
 had been ominously silent, and were looking very 
 white about the gills, climbed up the gangway one 
 after the other. 
 
 ' Aren't you coming, M. Roy.^' asked Lacluse, who 
 was the last to leave the smack. 
 
 ' In a moment,' I answered ; but I told the boy 
 in an undertone to cast the boat loose. He obeyed 
 without a word; her head swung round, and then, 
 dropping the boat-hook, I seized the tiller and put 
 the Fee before the wind. 
 
 * Where are you going, M. Roy } Where are you
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 117 
 
 going ? Come back. Come back, or I will fire,' 
 shouted Lacluse, taking a marine's musket and 
 running aft. 
 
 I answered the threat — followed the next moment 
 by a harmless shot — by ordering the boy to hoist 
 the jib; and, as he seemed to hesitate, I told him 
 that if he did not obey ori the instant I would throw 
 him overboard. 
 
 The jib went up. 
 
 I had little to fear from the Jemmapes's guns. 
 She had no swivels aft, and as I kept the smack in 
 a line with the war-ship's stern she could not, without 
 weighing and making sail, bring her broadside guns 
 to bear on me. 
 
 What I did fear was being chased. The Jem- 
 mapes's long-boat, under sail, and manned by a 
 dozen stout rowers, could easily overhaul the smack. 
 Nevertheless, the odds were in my favour. I had 
 a good start. To lower the long-boat, step the mast, 
 and get her fairly under way would be an affair 
 of ten or fifteen minutes. Night was coming on, 
 the wind still freshening, the sea getting rougher 
 every minute. In these circumstances the long-boat 
 was not likely to chase me, for her crew would 
 have to think about getting back, — no easy task 
 against a strong head- wind, — and after sundown they
 
 ii8 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 would be just as likely to fall in with an English 
 cruiser as to overhaul me. Captain Cavaroc was not 
 the man to expose an officer and a boat's crew to the 
 risk of being lost or taken on the mere chance of 
 recapturing an escaped prisoner of war. He would 
 rightly think the game was not worth the candle. 
 
 The attempt was, however, made, after a delay 
 which I ascribed to Cavaroc's reluctance to comply 
 with Lacluse's request to send a boat after me. And 
 then what I had anticipated happened. For a while 
 the boat gained on the smack ; but when it became 
 evident that she could not come up with me before 
 dark she put about, and I saw her no more. 
 
 I felt rather sorry for Lacluse. He had un- 
 doubtedly committed an error of judgment in not 
 seeing me on board the Jemmapes before he left 
 the smack ; and when he gave Bonaparte an account 
 of my escape he would have to pass a very bad 
 quarter of an hour, — perhaps be placed under arrest ; 
 for the Little Corporal had no mercy on people who 
 made mistakes. 
 
 But, though I had escaped, I was a long way fromi 
 being out of danger. I had intended to steer straight 
 for the English coast, and reckoned on making it by 
 sunrise the following morning ; but the wind, which 
 had been blowing steadily sou'-east-by-east, veered
 
 ROY OF ROTS COURT 119 
 
 to nor'- east-by-north. It was horribly cold, and I 
 was thinly clad and drenched with spray; I was 
 hungry, and we had no food ; it was moonless and 
 starless, and I had neither compass nor lantern. 
 
 All I could do was to double-reef the lug sail, 
 put my trust in Providence, and run before the 
 wind. 
 
 The boy, whose name I found was Alphonse, had 
 almost lost all the little wit he ever possessed. He 
 was stupid with cold and fear, talked about his 
 mother, and prayed piteously to his patron saint. 
 I reproached myself for having made him the 
 involuntary companion of my voyage; but there 
 was nothing else for it, and, as I told him again and 
 again, I fully intended to send him back to Boulogne 
 on the first opportunity. Alphonse, however, refused 
 to be comforted. He had quite made up his mind 
 that if the smack were not swamped during the 
 night he would perish of cold before morning. 
 
 I had not much fear of being swamped. The 
 Fee was a splendid little sea-boat, quite capable of 
 living through the gale. The fear was that we might 
 be blown a long way out to sea, — the which, as we 
 had neither food nor compass, would be decidedly 
 unpleasant, — or run down ; the latter being the 
 greater danger of the two, for we were in the track
 
 I20 ROY OF ROTS COURT 
 
 of both outward and homeward-bound merchantmen, 
 and cruisers and privateers, both English and French. 
 I had no Hght of any description, and it was so dark 
 that I could see naught save the dim outline of the 
 lug sail, the black heaving water, and, now and then, 
 the crest of a wave as it broke over the bows. All 
 my faculties were on the stretch, watching the boat, 
 peering into the night, and listening for voices, or for 
 whatever might warn me of the approach of a passing 
 ship. 
 
 Alphonse lay huddled up at my feet, covered with 
 a piece of old sailcloth which he had found in some 
 corner. 
 
 Thus the night wore on. Never did I long so 
 fervently for daylight. Endurance has its limits, and I 
 began to feel that I could not hold out much longer. 
 I was continually drenched with ice-cold spray, and 
 the hand that held the tiller became occasionally 
 so benumbed that when I wanted to change it I had 
 to loosen it with the other, the frozen fingers being 
 unable to relax their grasp. 
 
 Once, my eyes were so strained with watching and 
 sore with the salt spray that I involuntarily closed 
 them, and probably slept, for I was roused by a 
 startling shout, — 
 
 ' Boat ahoy ! '
 
 ROY OF ROTS COURT 121 
 
 Looking up, I saw lights, and above me loomed 
 the bulwarks of a big ship. 
 
 ' Follow me, or you are lost ! ' I called out to 
 Alphonse, at the same time hitting him with my 
 foot. And then, as the ship struck the smack, I 
 caught the boy by the scruff of the neck and sprang 
 with him into the chains. 
 
 ' Hold on, or I'll let you drop,' I said, fiercely, for 
 he was no light weight, and made little effort to help 
 himself. This seemed to rouse'him to a sense of his 
 danger : he clutched at the chains and stuck to them 
 like a limpet. 
 
 The people on deck, having meanwhile caught 
 sight of us, threw us a rope and helped us over the 
 bulwarks. 
 
 ' A close shave, that, master,' said one of them. 
 * The lookout did not see you till you were just under 
 the bows. Where was your lantern? and what's 
 become of your crew } ' 
 
 * I have no lantern, and this is my crew,' pointing 
 to Alphonse. 'All saved, you see. What ship is 
 this.?' 
 
 'The Mercia, Cox master, bound for Calcutta. 
 And who are you 1 ' 
 
 'Take me to Captain Cox, and I'll tell him.' 
 
 ' I am Captain Cox, at your service.'
 
 122 ROY OF ROTS COURT 
 
 ' And I am Lieutenant Roy, of His Majesty's ship 
 Sylph, lately a prisoner of war in France.' 
 
 ' The devil you are ! I congratulate you on your 
 escape, lieutenant. Come into my cabin and have a 
 glass of grog and tell me all about it ; and I'll see if 
 I cannot find you a change of clothes. And some of 
 you see to that boy.'
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 A STRANGE SAIL 
 
 * Any port in a storm,' they say ; and it was well to 
 find myself safe and sound on board an English 
 ship. It might have been a French ship, or, worse 
 still, I might have gone to the bottom with the 
 smack. But it was with a feeling akin to dismay 
 that I heard the Mercia was bound for Calcutta, that 
 being about the last place in the world, except a 
 French prison, whither I wanted to go. My desire 
 was to get to Portsmouth, report myself to the 
 admiral, and, after running up to London to 
 see my parents and Madame de Gex, rejoin the 
 Sylph, or some ship in commission, as soon as 
 possible. 
 
 * I am sorry that it is not consistent with my duty 
 to 'bout ship and put you ashore,' said Captain Cox, 
 when I had told him my story. But there's no call 
 to worry yourself. We shall maybe fall in with the 
 Channel squadron ; and if we don't we are sure to 
 
 123
 
 124 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 come within hail of some homeward-bound ship, on 
 which I can put you aboard/ 
 
 Unfortunately, neither of these things happened. 
 For the next three days we made bad weather, and, 
 though we passed several vessels, the sea was so 
 rough as to render the lowering of boats highly 
 dangerous, and I could not ask Captain Cox to risk 
 the lives of his men merely for my convenience. 
 
 And then, to make matters worse, he crowded his 
 ship with sail and shoved her sou'-west as fast as he 
 could. For, albeit the Mercia was a fine East 
 Indiaman, mounting twenty guns, and quite able to 
 hold her own against any ordinary privateer or 
 pirate, — and French ocean cruisers were too scarce to 
 be much of a bugbear, — her business was trading not 
 fighting. Cox, naturally, steered a course where 
 enemies were least likely to be encountered, likewise 
 friends, the one implying the other, with the result 
 that for weeks after leaving the narrow seas we did 
 not sight a single sail. Moreover, when at length 
 we did sight one. Cox, not knowing whether it was 
 an enemy or a friend, gave it a wide berth. 
 
 After hoping against hope for the greater part of a 
 month, I saw that I was booked for Calcutta, after 
 all. Cox thought that with good luck we should 
 make the voyage in five months. Therefore, if I
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 125 
 
 found a homeward-bound vessel in the Hoogly ready 
 to sail, I might be in England by the end of the 
 year, — ten months after my departure from Boulogne. 
 
 It was a bitter disappointment. I should miss my 
 promotion ; my time on the East Indiaman would 
 not count ; my father and mother would hear of my 
 escape, but not of my rescue, and mourn me as dead ; 
 and nearly a year must elapse before I could convey 
 De Gex's message to his mother and sister. 
 
 But it might have been worse. The Mercia was 
 better than a French prison, and life on board of 
 her, albeit monotonous, was not intolerable. She 
 carried passengers. Among them were two pretty, 
 engaging young women, — Minnie Cartwright and 
 Dora Kilbride, — with whom I naturally fell in love. 
 I had a way of falling in love in those days. Perhaps 
 it would be more correct to say that I was half 
 in love with each of them. I rather think they 
 reciprocated the feeling. At any rate, they were 
 very kind, and after hearing my story made much 
 more of me than I deserved. But, as they were 
 going to India (where they had kinsfolk) on a 
 matrimonial venture, asd I was not an eligible 
 parti, no harm was done. They knew how to take 
 care of themselves, those young women. 
 
 Another passenger was Dr. Joyce, a missionary.
 
 126 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 who had spent the greater part of his life in India, 
 and translated the Bible, or parts of it, into twenty 
 languages. He was a dear, good old man, and 
 offered to teach the young ladies Hindustani and 
 Arabic, the one because it would be the every-day 
 language of their lives, the other because it was 
 the language of poetry and the French of the East. 
 The offer was gratefully accepted, and I asked and 
 obtained permission to join in the lessons, partly 
 pour passer le temps y partly because I liked the 
 company. 
 
 Then one of the mates played the fiddle, and one 
 of the passengers the clarionet; on dark nights we 
 had theatricals below, and, when it was moonlight, 
 dances on deck ; and so, despite the fact that I 
 was voyaging against my will, the days passed not 
 unpleasantly. All the same, it was a slow voyage. 
 We had light baffling winds and frequent calms, 
 and at our second crossing of the equator the 
 Mercia had been at sea nearly five months. Bets 
 were laid that she would not reach Calcutta before 
 September. 
 
 We were now in latitudes where the French flag 
 was seldom seen, and Captain Cox no longer steered 
 clear of every passing sail. One day, a ship being 
 sighted which had an English look about her.
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 127 
 
 he ordered the Mercia's course to be altered a point 
 so as to cross her bows, and as they neared each 
 other the vessels exchanged signals. The stranger 
 proved to be the Strathclyde, homeward bound from 
 Calcutta. On this Cox decided to send a boat to 
 her with the letters which some of the passengers 
 had been industriously writing ever since they left 
 England. It was an opportunity not to be lost. 
 I went with the letters, after quite a pathetic parting 
 with the many friends whom I had made on the 
 Mercia. 
 
 Minnie and Dora let me kiss them. Dr. Joyce 
 gave me his blessing. I shook hands with the 
 captain and his officers and passengers, and as I 
 went over the side the crew gave me a parting 
 cheer. 
 
 Captain Beverly, master of the Strathclyde, was 
 affability itself — affability and dignity combined — 
 for he bore himself somewhat loftily, as became the 
 commander of a fine East Indiaman, owned by 
 the Honourable Company, whose pay and profits 
 exceeded the emoluments of a rear-admiral. In 
 those days a Company's skipper who made less 
 than five thousand pounds every round voyage 
 thought himself an ill-used man. He ranked with 
 members of the Council ; whenever he landed in
 
 128 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 an Indian port he received a salute of fifteen guns, 
 and the guard turned out and presented arms to 
 him as they did to a general. 
 
 Captain Beverly had five mates, sixty prime 
 English seamen, and a swarm of Lascars; his 
 ship mounted sixteen 14-pounders, and carried a 
 valuable cargo, including ten thousand pounds' 
 worth of indigo belonging to himself. Among his 
 passengers were three army officers — a colonel, a 
 major, and a captain — fifty invalided and time- 
 expired privates, in addition to the usual comple- 
 ment of civilians, ladies, servants, and children, — 
 altogether a goodly company, and pleasant withal. 
 
 For several weeks after I joined the Strathclyde 
 the winds were contrary, and we made little way. 
 But what with improvised concerts, amateur 
 theatricals, talking, flirting, walking the deck, whist, 
 chess, and a little gambling, we were never dull, 
 and, for the most part, I think, very happy. 
 
 I did not gamble, for a very good reason — I had 
 nothing to gamble with. On the other hand, I was 
 a fair whist player, and my gains at this game 
 generally exceeded my losses ; but when the play 
 ran high I always withdrew. On these occasions 
 I found a solace in the society of Mrs. Brunton, 
 the well-favoured widow of an up-country collector
 
 ROY OF ROTS COURT 129 
 
 who had died a few months previously. She did 
 not seem inconsolable for her husband's death, and 
 I did my best, partly out of a sense of duty, partly 
 pour passer le temps, to amuse and console her, — an 
 attempt in which, helped by Major Serpa, I think 
 I succeeded. But as I was younger and (I sincerely 
 trust) better looking than the major, the lady showed 
 greater partiality for my company than for his — 
 to his great discontent. He was often absurdly 
 jealous, and Mrs. Brunton sometimes trifled with 
 his feelings in a most unfeeling fashion. 
 
 The major was a round-bellied, broad, set man, 
 on short legs. He had a long yellow face, pitted 
 with smallpox, outstanding eyes which showed a 
 good deal of white, and great straw-coloured 
 whiskers that met under his chin. Though (as I 
 learnt from Captain Steele) he was born in England, 
 and a British subject, his parents were natives of 
 Portugal. Major Serpa's military career had begun 
 and ended in the war department at Calcutta. He 
 owed his advancement to the protection of a friendly 
 director, and his skill in languages. But to hear 
 him talk, you would think he was a warrior and 
 a fire-eater. He also fancied himself as a lady- 
 killer, and divided his time between gambling 
 in the cuddy and paying polite attentions to
 
 I30 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 Mrs. Brunton on the quarter-deck. On the whole, 
 I did not admire Major Serpa ; and as I smiled (I 
 daresay with obvious enjoyment) when the widow 
 teased him, I don't think he admired me. 
 
 But there came a time when we had matters 
 more serious to occupy us than foolery and 
 flirtation. 
 
 About a month after parting with the Mercia 
 we fell in with another outward-bound Indiaman, 
 when letters were exchanged as usual, and Captain 
 Beverly boarded her in person to greet his colleague 
 and hear the latest news from home. He came 
 back looking very grave, and on the following day 
 informed me that he had heard from Captain 
 Soames (the colleague in question) that a heavily 
 armed French privateer, known as La Pucelle, was 
 cruising in the region of the equator, and had 
 already made several prizes. Being low in the 
 water, she looked less than her actual size, and 
 might easily deceive the unwary. As a matter of 
 fact, she was more than a match for any craft less 
 powerful than a frigate, and Soames strongly advised 
 our skipper to give her a wide berth, and gave him 
 such particulars concerning La Pucelle's rig and 
 appearance as would enable him to recognise her 
 at first sight, — all of which Captain Beverly, being
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 131 
 
 commendably desirous not to alarm his passengers, 
 told me in strict confidence ; but as he imparted 
 the same information (also in strict confidence) to 
 every one of his five mates and the three army 
 officers, and as Colonel Flint and Captain Steele 
 had wives, the news was known by every adult 
 passenger on board by sunrise next morning. 
 Besides creating great excitement, it gave us 
 something to talk about, which was a decided 
 advantage. But nobody seemed much frightened. 
 Dangers that are at once invisible, contingent, and 
 remote do not alarm, else were we in continual fear 
 of the death which none may escape. 
 
 Yet I thought that when Colonel Flint's eye 
 rested on his handsome wife and charming children, 
 his face bespoke an anxiety from which his mind 
 had previously been free; and when Mr. Whetstone 
 (of the firm of Whetstone & Waterlow),. who was 
 going home to enjoy with his family in England a 
 fortune amassed in India, heard about the privateer 
 he did not look happy. As for the rest of us, it 
 almost seemed (after the excitement was somewhat 
 abated) that we were merrier than ever, as if the 
 spice of danger added zest to our enjoyment. 
 
 Moreover, now that the cat was out of the bag, 
 Captain Beverly discussed the subject openly,
 
 132 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 reassured the timid, and generally took — in words 
 at least — a sanguine view of our prospects. He 
 pointed out that, even though Captain Soames's 
 information were correct, as to which he had his 
 doubts, the Atlantic was a roomy ocean, and the 
 odds were about a thousand to one against our 
 falling in with La Pucelle. In any event, the 
 Strathclyde, one of the fastest ships of the 
 Honourable Company's fleet, would be able to 
 show her a clean pair of heels. 
 
 All the same, I noticed that the skipper had 
 doubled the look-outs, and kept a very sharp look- 
 out himself. So did I. 
 
 * What would happen to us women if this terrible 
 privateer were to take our ship 1 ' asked Mrs. 
 Brunton, as we reclined under the quarter-deck 
 awning on easy-chairs, she toying with a Maltese 
 terrier, I smoking a fragrant cheroot. ' Not, of 
 course, that I am under any apprehension ; I 
 merely inquire out of curiosity.' 
 
 ' And a very pardonable curiosity. Well, the 
 French don't make war on women. You would 
 probably be taken to France, and then sent home 
 in a cartel.* 
 
 'After seeing a little of the country — perhaps 
 going to Paris. That would be very nice. And my
 
 ROY OF ROTS COURT 133 
 
 portable property — boxes and things — how would 
 they fare ? ' 
 
 • I fear they would be considered good prize. 
 Privateers are so like pirates that they take all 
 they can get, without respect of persons. They 
 generally strip their captives to the "shirt," I am 
 told, and even appropriate their shoes.' 
 
 ' Oh, how dreadful ! ' exclaimed the lady, turning 
 pale. 
 
 ' I don't think, though, they would treat you in 
 a similar fashion. Your sex will protect you. 
 Moreover, none of them could wear those little 
 slippers, or get into that charming robe, which 
 becomes you so well.' 
 
 ' It is very good of you to say so. Yes, I think it 
 is rather a pretty gown (regarding it complacently). 
 And what would become of you, Mr. Roy, in the 
 very improbable event of the privateer overhauling 
 us — that is the right word, I believe ? ' 
 
 ' Yes, that is the right word. Well, I should be 
 sent to France with you and the others, and if I 
 were recognised, and the Directory informed of the 
 fact, I am very much afraid I should have my head 
 sliced off, — unless, as a special favour, they allowed 
 me to be shot' 
 
 Mrs. Brunton turned pale again.
 
 134 ROY OF ROTS COURT 
 
 'Surely they would not be so cruel!' she 
 murmured. ' But how — why ? ' 
 
 ' I will tell you another time. Here comes the 
 major.' 
 
 He made his best bow to the widow, but took 
 very little notice of me. 
 
 ' I have been detained below, or I should have 
 been here sooner,' said he. 
 
 ' I understand, you have been gambling,' she 
 returned, coldly. * You prefer cards to my com- 
 pany. Mr. Roy does not' 
 
 ' Hang — I beg your pardon. I was about to 
 observe that, being in the middle of a game, 
 I was not exactly my own master ; but, if I 
 had known (glancing angrily at me) — if I had 
 known ' 
 
 * Oh, it does not matter in the least ! In fact, 
 Mr. Roy has been so entertaining that I had not 
 missed you, though you did promise to come on 
 deck after tiffin. We have had a most interesting 
 conversation.' 
 
 ' Indeed ! Might I, without presuming, ask what 
 was the topic you found so agreeable ? ' inquired the 
 major, taking a vacant seat near the lady. 
 
 * I did not say agreeable ; I said interesting. The 
 topic was the privateer.'
 
 ROY OF ROTS COURT 135 
 
 * Well, if that topic is not threadbare it ought to 
 be. We have talked about nothing else for nearly 
 a week. In my opinion it's a false alarm. We 
 shall never see La Pucelle — not we. Here we 
 are, eight degrees south, and haven't sighted a 
 sail since we spoke the Mermaid. I'm sure it's 
 a false alarm.' 
 
 ' You don't think La Pucelle exists, then } * 
 ' No more than the Flying Dutchman.' 
 ' Mr. Smeaton, the first mate, protests that the 
 Flying Dutchman does exist — that he has seen her. 
 However, I hope you are right. But anything is 
 possible, you know ; what though we do fall in with 
 this privateer and cannot get away from her "i ' 
 
 ' In that event, madam, we should fight her and 
 take her. With fifty British soldiers on board, to 
 say nothing of Colonel Flint, Captain Steele, and 
 myself — ' 
 
 'You don't call yourselves soldiers, then ?' 
 ' I stand corrected, dear madam — soldiers and 
 officers. So long as we are on board you have 
 nothing to fear.' 
 
 ' But they say this privateer is so big.' 
 'British soldiers never count odds. Sailors 
 may.' 
 
 ' They do, indeed,' said I, ' especially when, as in
 
 136 J^OV OF ROTS COURT 
 
 the present instance, the odds are so great and the 
 responsibilities so serious. Captain Beverly has 
 charge of a valuable cargo and women and children ; 
 and it would be criminal on his part to risk a fight, 
 save in the last extremity and under favourable 
 conditions. We have only sixteen 14-pounders, 
 while La Pucelle is said to have twenty-two 24's. 
 If she got the weather-gage of us she could 
 knock the Strathclyde into a cocked hat without 
 receiving a shot/ 
 
 ' Range alongside and carry her by boarding. 
 That is the way our greatest naval victories have 
 been won.' 
 
 'You are quite mistaken. Our victories have been 
 won by heavier metal, quicker firing, and better 
 seamanship. It is the rule not to resort to boarding 
 unless you have the advantage of numbers ; and 
 the crews of French men-of-war of equal tonnage 
 are generally numerically superior to ours. If we 
 try that game with La Pucelle we are pretty sure to 
 come off second best, even with the help of your 
 fifty invalids.' 
 
 ' Invalids or not, they are veteran soldiers, every 
 one of whom is capable of handling a musket, and a 
 match for three Frenchmen. But some people have 
 no stomach for fighting.'
 
 ROY OF ROTS COURT 137 
 
 Hitherto I had been content to answer Major 
 Serpa's innuendoes and impertinences with an 
 amused smile; but this covert imputation of 
 cowardice I could not let pass without noticing as 
 it deserved — so far as I might in a lady's presence. 
 
 'If you think I have no stomach for fighting/ I 
 returned quietly, ' I shall be glad to have an oppor- 
 tunity of proving the contrary, either the first time 
 we go ashore — or earlier.' 
 
 ' Don't talk nonsense, please,' interposed Mrs. 
 Brunton. ' You are both the bravest of the brave, 
 of course ; and with two such protectors I feel quite 
 safe ; but we shall have no fighting. Good heavens, 
 what is that ? ' 
 
 * A hail from the masthead.' 
 
 ' Is it a sail } ' 
 
 'Yes, on the weather-beam. Pray excuse me,' 
 and with that I ran below, got a glass, and joined 
 the captain and first mate on the poop.
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 THE PRIVATEER 
 
 The stranger was close hauled on the larboard 
 tack, heading sou'-east-by-east, and, unless she 
 altered her course or we altered ours, would 
 presently pass us within shooting distance. The 
 first mate asked Captain Beverly whether he thought 
 she was La Pucelle. 
 
 ' I am afraid so, but we shall soon see,' he said, 
 and then gave orders to get the studding-sail booms 
 out and put the Strathclyde before the wind, her 
 best point of sailing. 
 
 The stranger did likewise. 
 
 ' A chase ! ' I observed. 
 
 ' Yes, and a stern chase is a long chase. I think 
 we shall have the heels of her, though.' 
 
 For nearly an hour the more sanguine amongst 
 us tried to persuade ourselves that the distance 
 between the two ships neither increased nor 
 diminished ; yet almost imperceptibly the privateer 
 
 138
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 139 
 
 loomed larger even _to the naked eye, and it soon 
 became evident that the stranger was gradually 
 overhauling us. 
 
 'Are you sure it is La Pucelle?* somebody 
 asked the captain. 
 
 ' Unquestionably. She answers to her description 
 all over. Low in the water, with black sides, yellow 
 moulding ports, and a French stern ; a red vane on 
 her main-top-gallant masthead, very square yards, 
 and taut masts without the least rake fore or aft, 
 sails cut square, French fashion — and wonderfully 
 fast. All the same, I don't think she can come up 
 with us before nightfall. What say you, Mr. Roy } ' 
 
 ' I am very much of your opinion, captain,' said L 
 'A good deal depends on the wind, though. If it 
 gets up, La Pucelle may overhaul us before dark. 
 If I were you I should run a couple of guns aft, and 
 if she comes within range pepper her masts. She 
 cannot answer without yawing from her course to 
 bring her guns to bear, and so retarding her 
 progress.' 
 
 My suggestion was adopted on the instant. Also, 
 the captain had the sails wetted, altered their trim, 
 and adopted every device he could think of to 
 increase the speed of his ship. 
 
 But still the Pucelle came tearing through the
 
 140 ROY OF ROTS COURT 
 
 water at a great rate, and slowly yet surely gained 
 on the Indiaman. 
 
 Great, meanwhile, was the commotion and 
 excitement among the passengers. Mr. Whetstone 
 wrung his hands and looked as though he had 
 abandoned hope. Mrs. Brunton forgot to flirt, and 
 Major Serpa to boast. He, at least, had not the 
 air of a man who was spoiling for a fight. All 
 looked grave and anxious. And no wonder. 
 People who are going home for a holiday don't enjoy 
 the prospect of spending it in a French prison. 
 
 For my own part, albeit I had probably greater 
 reason to regard this prospect with apprehension 
 than anybody else on board, I tried to keep a 
 cheerful countenance, and encouraged my com- 
 panions to hope for the best. The chances were still 
 in our favour. Night was nigh, and darkness would 
 facilitate our escape. In any event, we should not 
 yield without fighting, and if it came to blows we 
 might, by clever manoeuvring and good luck, beat 
 the privateer off, or so damage her sailing gear that 
 she would be unable to continue the chase. 
 
 At sundown she was less than three miles away. 
 Had daylight lasted a little longer, we should have 
 seen the flash of her bow chasers. 
 
 Captain Beverly drew me aside and asked, rather
 
 ROY OF ROTS COURT 141 
 
 anxiously, what I now thought of our chances of 
 shaking the privateer off, and what measures, 
 were I in his place, I should take to that 
 end ? 
 
 ' I think we may shake her off very easily,' 
 said I. * If I were in your place, I should screen 
 every light, and, after hauling up for a quarter of 
 an hour or so, furl all, and let La Pucelle pass us 
 in the dark/ 
 
 ' Not a bad plan ; but it isn't dark enough yet, 
 and — and the risk would be considerable, Mr. Roy. 
 Those Frenchmen might see us, and range close 
 alongside, deliver a broadside and grapple, and 
 against their superior numbers and heavier metal 
 we should have no chance. Or the wind might 
 drop suddenly, as it is apt to do in these latitudes, 
 at the critical moment, and leave us just within 
 range of the privateer's guns.' 
 
 'As you please, skipper. I have merely, as you 
 requested, told you what I should do in your 
 place.' 
 
 * For which I am much obliged. I will think 
 about it — a little later, perhaps.' 
 
 Beverly was a shrewd seaman, and a good fellow; 
 but either increasing years had impaired his nerve, 
 or the thought of his ten thousand pounds' worth
 
 142 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 of uninsured indigo lay heavy on his soul and 
 hindered him from taking a bold and resolute 
 course, and plucking safety from danger ; for the 
 device I recommended could easily have been 
 executed, and would almost certainly have suc- 
 ceeded. In part it was executed. The lights were 
 screened, and the ship's course altered a point or 
 two. On the other hand, the privateer showed all 
 her lights; but instead of losing ground we now 
 kept well ahead of her, probably because she had 
 taken in sail in order to avoid passing us in the 
 dark. 
 
 At seven bells the captain told me that he had 
 decided to act on my recommendation, and gave 
 the necessary orders. But he had no sooner hauled 
 up than the wind went down, the ship became 
 stationary, and the red light which had been dancing 
 at the privateer's masthead stood stilL 
 
 ' Too late ! ' exclaimed Beverly, regretfully. ' We 
 are becalmed, and, as likely as not, shall stick here 
 for a week.' 
 
 ' How far is she off, do you suppose V 
 
 ' That is hard to tell. We lost way hauling up. 
 Anyhow, she is not near enough to hurt us.' 
 
 * Unless she has sweeps.' 
 
 *I hope to God she has not. We must put our
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 143 
 
 trust in Him, and see what the morrow brings 
 forth.' 
 
 As trusting in Providence and waiting the issue 
 of events could be done as easily sleeping as waking, 
 I went below and turned in.
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 BECALMED 
 
 At the first gleam of dawn next morning all the 
 officers, and most of the ship's company, were on 
 deck, intent on knowing their fate; for, despite 
 the skipper's opinion as to La Pucelle's distance, 
 she might be in a position to hammer us with her 
 24-pounders, or, if she possessed sweeps, able not 
 only to bring us within range of her guns, but to 
 rake us fore and aft. 
 
 It was an anxious moment. The few who talked 
 spoke in whispers ; and men, craning over the 
 bulwarks, tried to make out the privateer before it 
 was possible to see half a cable's length ahead. 
 
 ' I was not mistaken, she is nearly two miles 
 away ! ' exclaimed the captain, as the rising sun 
 dispelled the darkness and discovered the privateer. 
 Her decks were crowded with men, who were staring 
 at us as hard as we were staring at them. 
 
 Had she sweeps ^ was the next question, and as 
 
 144
 
 ROY OF ROTS COURT 145 
 
 neither then nor later in the day did she produce 
 any, we concluded that she had not. 
 
 Meanwhile, Colonel Flint had a good idea. He 
 donned his uniform, made Major Serpa and Captain 
 Steele don theirs, and ordered the fifty privates to 
 put on their red coats and make all the show they 
 could, to the end that the Frenchmen, seeing that 
 we had troops on board, might be deterred from 
 attempting to board us by night They were not 
 likely to try anything of the sort by day. 
 
 Captain Beverly, albeit he commended the Colonel's 
 idea, thought we were in no danger of being attacked, 
 either by night or day. Privateers care for nothing 
 but plunder; glory is not in their line; why should 
 they try the desperate expedient of a boat attack, 
 when a breeze, which might spring up at any moment, 
 would deliver us into their hands } 
 
 ' Unless it springs up in the night time,' said I. 
 
 ' Small chance of that, I fear,' said the skipper, 
 despondently. 
 
 This pleased me as ill as I could see it pleased 
 Colonel Flint. It was like throwing up the sponge 
 before we were stripped for the fight ; and I began 
 to fear that, as soon as we had a wind, he would 
 haul down his flag without more ado. Neither did 
 I agree with him as to the unlikelihood of an attempt 
 
 K
 
 146 ROY OF ROTS COURT 
 
 being made to carry us by boarding. The privateers 
 knew that, in the event of a breeze springing up 
 after sunset, we might slip away unseen. They had 
 a hundred more men than we had, even counting 
 the troops ; the Indiaman was a prize worth fighting 
 for and running almost any risk to secure, and a 
 well-planned attack under cover of night offered a 
 fair chance of success. 
 
 So, at least, I thought the privateer's captain was 
 likely to argue and to act; and it pleased me to 
 find that, notwithstanding the opinion he had 
 expressed to Colonel Flint, the skipper was taking 
 measures to guard against a surprise. The officers 
 of the night watches were enjoined to be doubly 
 vigilant after sundown ; small arms and ammunition 
 were placed in readiness, one half of the soldiers 
 were ordered to sleep on deck with loaded muskets 
 by their sides, and the seamen were exercised at 
 quarters every morning. 
 
 These precautions, though good so far as they 
 went, were not enough. The guns should have 
 been shotted, boarding nets triced up, and a boat 
 kept moving round the ship the night through, in 
 order that we might have timely warning of the 
 approach of the enemy's boats, which, circumstances 
 favouring them, could easily run under the Strath-
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 147 
 
 Clyde's counter without being seen, possibly without 
 being heard. 
 
 I did not, of course, make these suggestions to 
 Captain Beverly. It would have been both dis- 
 courteous and against naval etiquette to offer my 
 advice without being asked. 
 
 Three weary days and nights passed, and nothing 
 happened. The sea was like burnished silver, the 
 sky like glass, the heat intense, and the nights, 
 though a little cooler than the days, were as black 
 as ebony, for there was no moon, and sunset brought 
 with it a haze which obscured the stars. The men 
 were gloomy, the women querulous, the children 
 cross. The skipper looked like a man who had 
 made up his mind for the worst, and his obvious 
 depression reacted unfavourably on the spirits and 
 courage of the crew. We were all hipped and 
 disconsolate. 
 
 The inaction and suspense fretted me unspeakably. 
 I longed for a change, even though it should be a 
 change for the worse. There were even moments 
 when I wished that the privateer would attack us ; 
 and I was continually casting about in my mind 
 for a means whereby we might extricate ourselves 
 from the strait into which ill luck and indecision 
 had brought us. --
 
 148 ROY OF ROTS COURT 
 
 At length something happened. 
 
 On the fourth day of the calm, Captain Beverly 
 asked me to step into his cabin. 
 
 ' I want you to do me a favour, Mr. Roy,' he said, 
 after carefully closing the door. 
 
 * I am sure I shall be very glad — to the extent 
 of my power.' 
 
 ' It is not much ; merely to sign your name.' 
 
 * Not to a bill, I hope.' 
 
 'No; to a will — my will,' returned the skipper, 
 gravely. 
 
 My little joke had fallen flat, and the mention 
 of a will made me grave also. In existing circum- 
 stances it was ominous, and suggested unpleasant 
 thoughts. 
 
 ' I owe you an explanation,' he went on. 
 
 ' Not at all.' 
 
 'Well, then, I owe it to myself to give you an 
 explanation. You must not suppose that I have 
 been so remiss in my duty to my family as not to 
 make a will before encountering the perils of the 
 sea. I made one when I was promoted to captain, 
 I made another three years ago, but it has lately 
 been borne on my mind that it is not a just will. 
 That is why I have made, or rather am going to 
 make, still another. It is written out in duplicate.
 
 ROY OF ROTS COURT 149 
 
 I have four children, two boys and two girls. Three 
 years ago my eldest daughter married, greatly 
 against my wish. It was not so much that the 
 man was poor — merely a clerk in a shipping office 
 — and that, seeing I can leave each of my children 
 ten thousand pounds, she might have done a great 
 deal better ; I did not like the connection. The 
 young man's mother has an evil reputation. At 
 Highgate, where they formerly lived and I have a 
 house and a little property, people said she was a 
 witch. At any rate, she is a very mysterious woman ; 
 little or nothing is known of her antecedents, and it 
 is quite certain that she has the gift of second sight. 
 As you may suppose, I strongly objected to my 
 daughter marrying the son of a reputed witch ; and 
 when Mary defied me and went her own way, I 
 made a fresh will, from which her name was omitted. 
 I bequeathed the whole of my fortune to the other 
 three, and vowed I would never see Mary or speak 
 to her again. I never have. Digby — that is her 
 husband's name — fell ill and lost his place, and I 
 heard that they were badly off. If Mary had 
 appealed to me in person I might have forgiven 
 her ; I am sure I should have helped her. But 
 instead of coming to me herself she sent her 
 mother-in-law. The old woman rubbed me the
 
 ISO ROY OF ROTS COURT 
 
 wrong way, and we had high words. In the end I 
 bade her begone, saying that as Mary had made 
 her bed she must lie on it; I would not give her a 
 shilling. Then Mrs. Digby cursed me for a cruel, 
 hard-hearted father, and protested that if her son 
 died, his death would be at my door. " You are 
 going on your last voyage," she said. " Well, it 
 will be your last ; you will never see England 
 again." 
 
 ' I did not think much of these words at the time,' 
 continued Beverly, after a short pause ; ' but, since 
 I started on this voyage, they have hardly been an 
 hour out of my mind. When I heard from Soames 
 about the privateer, I had a foreboding that we 
 should fall in with her. It has come true, as you 
 know. Now, I have a foreboding that she will 
 be the death of me, somehow or another; and this 
 foreboding will also come true.' 
 
 I had not a doubt of it. I have never heard of 
 an abiding presentiment not coming true. I knew 
 now why the skipper had been so downcast and 
 irresolute. He was fey. All the same, I did my 
 best to cheer him up, saying that a man of his 
 education and experience should not let himself be 
 troubled by the vindictive words of an old beldam, 
 who could see no further into futurity than anybody
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 151 
 
 else, and urging him not to yield to superstitious 
 fears. 
 
 Beverly smiled sorrowfully. 
 
 ' I won't argue the point with you/ quoth he. 
 ' You may be sure that I should not feel in this 
 way if I could help it. One is not unhappy from 
 choice. However, when this will is executed I shall 
 have an easier mind. It puts Mary in the same 
 position as the other children. Poor Mary, how I 
 wish — But what is the use of wishing? One 
 might as well try to raise the dead. Colonel Flint 
 will be the other witness. He knows all I have 
 told you.' 
 
 Captain Beverly opened the cabin door, and bade 
 his boy fetch the colonel, who presently came, and 
 the duplicate wills were duly signed and attested. 
 
 This done, Beverly made each document into a 
 separate packet, which he directed and sealed. One 
 he gave me, the other to Colonel Flint. 
 
 * Kindly take charge of these for me,' said he. 
 ' If, contrary to my expectations, we all three survive 
 the voyage and get safely back to dear old England^ 
 you will return them to me. If not — if anything 
 happens to me — you will do me a great favour by 
 forwarding them, as directed, to my solicitor. I 
 have signed two wills in order to make sure '
 
 152 ROY OF ROTS COURT 
 
 ' Of one at least reaching its destination/ added 
 Colonel Flint. ' In existing circumstances a wise 
 precaution. All the same, I hope and believe that 
 we shall not part company until we reach the 
 Thames/ 
 
 ' I have the same hope, but not the belief. I wish 
 I had. And now, gentlemen, I have another request 
 to make. Don't, for heaven's sake, say aught of this 
 to my officers or anybody else on board the ship. 
 If my crew were to know that I was troubled 
 with forebodings, and had made my will, they 
 would think they were doomed to destruction, and 
 be even more discouraged than they are at present. 
 You know what sailors are— at any rate, Mr. Roy 
 does.' 
 
 We promised to be as close as the grave ; and 
 then, by way of changing the subject, fell to 
 discussing our prospects. 
 
 'You are young and enterprising, Mr. Roy, and 
 for your years have seen a good deal of service,' 
 observed the skipper, who, now that he had made 
 his will, seemed more alert. ' Can you think of any 
 plan for saving the ship and our liberty } ' 
 
 'Well, as the privateers don't appear disposed 
 to attack us, what do you say to our attacking 
 them ? '
 
 KOY OF ROY'S COURT 153 
 
 ' God bless me, Mr. Roy, what are you thinking 
 about ? We have only about a hundred fighting 
 men, the privateer more than twice as many.' 
 
 ' The privateers being Frenchmen, that would 
 make us about equal; and as we could choose our 
 own time, and take them by surprise, the odds would 
 be in our favour. But I don't ask you to endanger 
 either your crew or your ship further than they 
 are endangered at present. Give me the jolly-boat 
 and two good men, and I will undertake the job 
 myself.' 
 
 Skipper and colonel stared at me as if they 
 thought I had gone off my head. 
 
 'Are you mad?' they both exclaimed in a 
 breath. 
 
 * If I am, there is method in my madness. But 
 first of all, Captain Beverly, tell me how long you 
 think this calm is going to last ; you know these 
 latitudes better than I do.' 
 
 ' Seeing that I have made the round trip some fifty 
 times, it almost seems as though I should, doesn't 
 it } Well, I think we shall have a change before 
 long. The barometer is falling slightly, there was 
 a different look about the sun as it rose this 
 morning, and I daresay you noticed that bit of a 
 cloud.'
 
 154 J^OY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 ' How soon should you say ? — within twenty-four 
 hours ? ' 
 
 ' It is difficult to say exactly. From twenty-four 
 to forty -eight, perhaps. You have thought of 
 something, then ? ' 
 
 ' I have been trying to think of something ever 
 since we were becalmed; but it was only an hour 
 ago, when I was reading a book I borrowed from 
 Colonel Flint — by a Frenchman called Bolidor — on 
 military mining, globes of compression, and such 
 like, that I saw my way to anything feasible. My 
 idea is to make a sort of bomb or portable mine.' 
 
 ' A portable mine ! What on earth is that .? ' 
 
 * In this case it would consist of an oblong box 
 of half-inch oak boards, well fitted, screw fastened, 
 and furnished with hooks at the top and bottom. 
 Into this box I should put forty or fifty pounds of 
 gunpowder, tightly rammed, make a i:ouple of touch- 
 holes in the lid, and, after closing it, sling it in a 
 net' 
 
 ' And then ? ' 
 
 ' Put two slow matches in the touch-holes — two 
 in case of one missing fire — protected by wooden 
 tubes. My portable mine, as I call it, being ready, 
 the night dark and the time suitable, I would, with 
 Captain Beverly's permission, take the jolly-boat and
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 155 
 
 two good men, row with muffled oars under La 
 Pucelle's stern, hook the box to the brace hinges, 
 rudder pennants, or whatever I may find most handy, 
 light the slow matches, then sheer off a cable's length 
 or so, and see what happened. If no explosion took 
 place I should return, find out what was wrong and 
 try to put it right ; if I failed, unship the box and 
 bring it back.' 
 
 ' And what do you suppose would be the effect of 
 the explosion if it came off.'' ' 
 
 * It would blow the rudder to smithereens, smash 
 the stern-post, and one way and another do more 
 damage than could be repaired in twenty-four hours, 
 and so prevent the privateer from overhauling us.' 
 
 * The explosion of forty or fifty pounds of gun- 
 powder under her stern would probably blow it away 
 altogether, and let in as much water as would send 
 her to the bottom in twenty-four minutes,' observed 
 the colonel, with a dubious shake of the head. 
 
 ' So much the better,' declared the skipper 
 emphatically. ' Privateer is only pirate writ large. 
 They would take my ship and all that it contains, 
 even though to do it they had to slaughter every 
 soul on board. I would send every man jack of 
 them to the bottom if I could.' 
 
 ' A la guerre comnie a la guerre', said I. ' You
 
 156 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 cannot make war with rose water, and I see no 
 difference between blowing up an enemy's fort and 
 blowing up an enemy's ship; I agree with the 
 skipper ; these sea-robbers deserve no mercy.' 
 
 ' I don't object/ said the colonel. ' Only at the 
 first blush it did seem rather awful to send two or 
 three hundred fellow-creatures to their account in 
 cold blood. But as you say a la guerre conirne a la 
 guerre; and if war was not so awful we should get 
 too fond of it. When do you propose to carry this 
 out, Mr. Roy } ' 
 
 'About an hour before dawn to-morrow morning. 
 Just when the watch below sleep most soundly, and 
 the watch on deck are most drowsy — if the privateers 
 do keep much of a watch, which I doubt. Why 
 should they t The last thing they expect is an 
 attack. Unless a breeze springs up meanwhile. In 
 that case I suppose you will try to give them the 
 slip, captain ? ' 
 
 * Certainly. If I lose another chance, call me a 
 lubber. Well, I think your plan is feasible, — but 
 have you considered the risk ? ' 
 
 ' No, and I don't mean to. When a sailor begins 
 to consider risks, he had better go ashore and stop 
 there. Give me your consent, and I'll take the 
 responsibility.'
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 157 
 
 ' Willingly, and whether you succeed or not you 
 deserve my warmest thanks. I will tell the 
 carpenter to do whatever you want. The jolly-boat 
 shall be overhauled, — and as for your crew — what do 
 you say to Colvin, my third officer, and Brewster, 
 the quartermaster? They are both dare-devils and 
 would like nothing better.' 
 
 ' The very men.' 
 
 ' Well, I will speak to them, and send them to you 
 for their instructions. But not a word of this to 
 anybody else, if you please, gentlemen. The 
 passengers would get wind of it, and worry us to 
 death with questions.'
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 THE BOMB 
 
 During the rest of the day I was busied with the 
 preparation of my portable mine, or, as the skipper 
 called it, my patent bomb. I did not want the 
 whole concern to weigh more than fifty pounds, for 
 convenience of handling, and about forty pounds of 
 powder would be quite enough for the purpose I had 
 in view, though as to the effect of the explosion 
 much would depend on circumstances, which I could 
 neither foresee nor control. 
 
 After weighing out the powder and taking note of 
 its bulk, I gave the carpenter the dimensions of the 
 oaken box, which he was not long in knocking 
 together. Besides being tightly screwed, it was 
 clamped on either side with two lengths of bar iron, 
 bolted at each corner. In the lid two small holes 
 were bored for the tubes that were to contain the 
 slow matches. These were made of thin strands of 
 hempen rope slightly twisted and covered with tow, 
 
 15S
 
 ROY OF RO Y'S CO UR T 159 
 
 which, after being boiled in the lees of old wine, were 
 well dried. After ascertaining by actual experiment 
 that they were sufficiently combustible and at what 
 rate they burnt, I cut two lengths that, as I reckoned, 
 would fire the bomb five minutes after being lighted. 
 
 This would give us ample time to get clear of the 
 privateer, after waiting a minute or so to make sure 
 that the matches were well kindled and not likely to 
 go out before they had done their work. 
 
 We rammed the powder as tightly as we knew 
 how, except just at the top, where it was left rather 
 loose in order that it might the more readily ignite. 
 
 By the carpenter's advice I had only two hooks — 
 close together, and between the touch-holes — each 
 strong enough to support the entire weight of the 
 box, which, after being charged, was corded with a 
 noose at the top that I could put round my neck, so 
 as to leave my hands free when I stood up in the 
 boat. 
 
 Colvin and Brewster were not only willing but 
 eager to take part in the enterprise. The third mate 
 was about my own age, a thorough sailor, full of fire 
 and energy. Brewster, an old man-of-war's man, 
 was as cool as an Indian, and as brave as a lion. 
 Both entered heartily into my plans ; and I felt sure 
 that they would stand by me to the death.
 
 i6o ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 Two hours before dawn the jolly-boat was lowered 
 into the water. We had neither the intention nor 
 the desire to do any fighting, and hoped to get away 
 unseen and unpursued, but, in order to be prepared 
 for whatever might happen, we took with us 
 cutlasses, pistols, a couple of muskets, and a bottle of 
 rum. The bomb was put in the bows and covered 
 with a piece of tarpaulin. I steered and my 
 companions rowed. 
 
 The night, or rather the morning, was highly 
 propitious for our enterprise. It was so black that 
 I could barely see the length of the boat, and La 
 Pucelle's lights did not show until we were midway 
 between the two vessels. But the oar-blades came 
 out of the sea dripping with phosphorescent fire, and 
 the water in the jolly-boat's wake sparkled like 
 diamonds in the tresses of a dark-browed beauty. 
 
 So soon as I could distinguish the vague shape of 
 the privateer looming in the darkness, I bade Colvin 
 unship his oars and take the helm, while I crept 
 forward to the bows. The muffled, deftly-managed 
 oars were wellnigh noiseless, yet one pair would 
 make less noise than two, and we were in no hurry. 
 The more deliberately we went to work, the more 
 likely were we to succeed. 
 
 Slowly, and with soft, measured strokes Brewster
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT i6i 
 
 pulled towards the French ship's stern. Now and 
 then I touched his arm, whereupon he rested on his 
 oars, and we all listened till our ears nearly cracked, 
 and strained our eyes in the effort to find out 
 whether any of the privateer's people were moving 
 on deck. 
 
 We could neither hear a sound nor see a soul. 
 
 'By G — d, I believe they keep no watch on 
 deck, and all below are fast asleep,' muttered the 
 quartermaster. 
 
 I signed to him to go on, and we presently 
 brought to under the ship's stern, against which we 
 glided silently, for the jolly-boat's sides and bows 
 being well protected by fenders, there was not the 
 slightest jar. 
 
 It was the best position possible for my purpose. 
 The boat's stern rested against the apex of the acute 
 triangle formed by the rudder and the stern-post. 
 The projecting stern made, as it were, a roof that 
 sheltered us from the observation of anybody who 
 might be on deck. Moreover, in this circumscribed 
 space the bomb would work greater havoc than if it 
 were hung at the bows or under the vessel's quarter. 
 
 I had found the brace hinge, and was slipping the 
 loop attached to the bomb over my shoulders, when 
 I heard voices over my head.
 
 i62 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 ' A thousand thunders ! Asleep again ! It seems 
 to me you are always sleeping. My faith I It is a 
 nice watch you keep/ said somebody in a tone of 
 anger. 
 
 ' Mais, mon capitaine, what would you have ? * 
 answered another body. ' There is nothing to 
 watch, and less to do. Wait until this cursed calm 
 comes to an end, and you shall have nothing to 
 reproach us with, mon capitaine. Meanwhile, let us 
 sleep. Viable, how triste this life would be if we 
 could not sleep, — drink, sleep, and dream of la belle 
 France ! But only give the order to board the 
 Indiaman, and you shall see how wide-awake we 
 can be, mon capitaine! 
 
 * Why waste lives to obtain what, when the calm 
 goes, will fall into our mouths like a ripe plum. 
 One hour after we get a wind the Indiaman will 
 haul down her flag.' 
 
 * What if she declines to haul down her flag t ' 
 
 * In that case we shall get the weather-gauge of 
 her, knock her hull to pieces, her rigging into 
 ribbons, then range alongside, give her a final 
 broadside, grapple, and board. And if we board, 
 my dear Laroche, there will be very few prisoners.' 
 
 ' So much the better. I hate prisoners.' 
 
 * Yes, they are an infernal nuisance. They must
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 163 
 
 be nourished, which means the consumption of much 
 food ; and kept well guarded, which means the 
 temporary loss of many men. And the Indiaman 
 has many people ; it would be an advantage if we 
 could knock them on the head, or make them walk 
 the plank, as the pirates do. We might do worse 
 than carry her by boarding, after all ; and \i our 
 fellows get excited and out of hand, and refuse to , 
 give quarter ' 
 
 * So much the better, mon capitaine ; and before 
 the combat opens I shall see to it that our fellows 
 are well plied with rum. We have still several 
 puncheons of the old Jamaica we found aboard the 
 barque, Mary Anne ; nothing like rum for steeling 
 a man's heart. But when is this likely to arrive, 
 mon capitaine f How soon, think you, shall we 
 have the wind for which we have so long been 
 whistling?' 
 
 And then they fell to talking about the weather. 
 From what had gone before, I perceived that the 
 privateer captain and his officers were on the footing 
 of easy familiarity which so well beseems the free 
 and equal citizens of a democratic republic, and that 
 the two whose conversation I had overheard were 
 bloodthirsty ruffians, whom it was my duty to blow 
 sky-high — if I could.
 
 i64 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 When I first heard the voices, the native hue of 
 my resolution became for a moment sicklied o'er 
 with the pale cast of thought ; but, reflecting that 
 people engaged in lively conversation are not 
 generally either alert or observant, I resumed 
 operations. While the captain and mate (for such 
 I took the other to be) were discussing the weather 
 I was hooking my bomb to the rudder. 
 
 Then came the most ticklish task of all — lighting 
 the matches. In striking steel against flint you 
 cannot help making a click which may be heard, and 
 a spark which may be seen. 
 
 But hesitation would have been fatal, and, kneeling 
 down in the boat, I succeeded in lighting a loose 
 piece of match at the first attempt. Then, shielding 
 the glowing ember with my hands, I kindled the 
 two slow matches in the bomb, and, after making 
 sure they were well lighted, and blowing on them 
 gently by way of encouragement, I dropped the 
 burning fragment into the water and sank down 
 into the boat. 
 
 At the same moment Brewster touched me on the 
 shoulder. This was a prearranged signal, and meant 
 that the matches had burnt a minute (estimated by 
 counting sixty). 
 
 Four minutes more and the blast would be fired.
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 165 
 
 It was time we went, and I had laid my hand against 
 the stern-post, to shove the jolly-boat off, when a 
 hoarse voice above me exclaimed, — 
 
 * Regard there, Alphonse, two sparks down in the 
 water, or near it ! What can they be ? ' 
 
 ' Where ? Oh, I see ! Fireflies, perhaps.' 
 
 • Fireflies ! Who ever heard of fireflies at sea ? 
 Looking up, I thought I could discern two heads 
 
 leaning over the rail. Anyhow, heads or no heads, 
 we were in a pretty tight fix. If we shoved off we 
 should almost certainly either be seen or heard ; 
 while if we stayed where we were, we should most 
 certainly be blown up — unless the owners of the 
 heads tried the experiment of sousing the supposed 
 fireflies with a bucket of water. 
 
 Another nudge from the quartermaster reminded 
 me that the respite was reduced to three minutes. 
 Unless we wanted to be hoisted with our own petard 
 we must go — without standing on the order of our 
 going. 
 
 ' Why shouldn't there be fireflies at sea as well as 
 on land ? ' asked one of the voices. ' They breed in 
 the air, I have heard say, and in a dead calm like 
 this ' 
 
 ' Nonsense ! Ask Laroche ' 
 
 ' I will, when he is done talking with the captain.'
 
 i66 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 A third nudge from Brewster. In two minutes — 
 And who could say that the matches might not burn 
 down a few seconds sooner than I had reckoned? 
 I shoved the boat off, at the same time giving the 
 quartermaster a touch with my heel, which he rightly 
 interpreted as an order to ship his oars. 
 
 ' Pull/ I whispered, ' pull, both of you, — pull like 
 blazes.' 
 
 Brewster, as cool and unflurried as if he had been 
 steering the Strathclyde in half a gale of wind, 
 dropped his oars softly into the water; but Colvin, 
 who though equally brave was more eager and 
 impetuous, struck his in with a splash. 
 
 ' What's that } Who goes there } ' cried one of the 
 voices we had heard before. 
 
 ' Go ahead ! ' I said, and, creeping to the stern, I 
 took the tiller. 
 
 ' Who goes there t ' repeated the voice. ' Answer, 
 or I fire.' 
 
 ' Fire, and be damned ! ' growled Brewster. ' You'll 
 get more fire than you have bargained for, my lad, 
 presently.' 
 
 Crack went a musket, and as the report of it 
 died away crash went the bomb. A sheet of flame 
 flashed from the privateer's stern, which rose bodily 
 out of the water, and the light at her masthead
 
 RO V OF RO Y'S CO URT 167 
 
 swayed and swung as though she had been poised 
 on the crest of a mighty wave. 
 
 * Hurrah ! ' sang out Colvin and Brewster. 
 
 But even as they shouted, the swell from the 
 plunging ship caught us on the quarter, spun the 
 boat round like a teetotum, and before we could 
 realise what had happened, we were struggling in 
 the sea.
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 
 A HOT CHASE 
 
 Fortunately the boat did not turn turtle ; we had 
 simply been shot out of her as rubbish is shot out of 
 a cart. But she was full of water, of which we had 
 to get rid before we could go on. 
 
 ' Get in/ said I to Brewster, at the same time 
 giving him a leg up ; and while Colvin and myself 
 held on by the sides the quartermaster baled his 
 best. 
 
 Meantime, there was dire commotion on board 
 La Pucelle. And no wonder : there is nothing 
 more trying for the nerves than being wakened from 
 a sound sleep by the roar of an exploding bomb, the 
 crash of rending timber, and a sensation of tumbling 
 from the top of a great wave into unfathomable 
 depths. Men were tearing all over the ship, shouting 
 and screaming, and swearing like fiends. Orders 
 were given and countermanded in the same breath. 
 All hands were piped to quarters, guns loaded and 
 
 168
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 169 
 
 run out, and hurried preparations made to repel the 
 boat attack which the privateers evidently thought 
 was impending. I fervently hoped that amid all 
 this confusion we should escape observation, and 
 for a few precious minutes Brewster was allowed 
 to bale in peace ; but as La Pucelle was ablaze with 
 lights, and the darkness had grown less dense, we 
 were vaguely visible from her decks, and before long 
 a stentorian voice sang out, — 
 
 ' Regard the boat of those accursed English ! 
 Shoot them ! ' 
 
 The next moment we became the targets for half 
 a dozen muskets ; but their bullets flew wide of the 
 mark, and Brewster went on with his baling as 
 though nothing had happened. 
 
 So soon as the boat would hold us all Colvin and 
 I got in, and, shipping our oars, went to work. None 
 too soon, for we had not pulled two strokes when an 
 order was given to lower the privateer's long-boat. 
 As they could not shoot us they were going to try 
 to catch us, and the odds were distinctly against 
 our escaping them, since, though we had the start, 
 their boat was dry and pulled eight oars, ours was 
 half full of water and pulled only four. On the 
 other hand, the Strathclyde was not very far off; 
 and knowing that if we were caught we should have
 
 170 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 a short shrift, we had good reasons for pulling our 
 hardest, and I doubt whether any two men ever 
 pulled harder. 
 
 The French boat carried a lantern at her prow, 
 which I watched with keen interest and waning 
 hope. In spite of our efforts, and we rowed like 
 demons, it drew nearer and nearer. Soon there 
 grew out of the darkness the shape of a man in 
 the bows, holding what looked like a musket, and, 
 as he could not see us so well as we could see him, 
 he was doubtless reserving his fire until he could 
 take sure aim. If our muskets had not been lying 
 useless under the thwarts, I should have tried to 
 anticipate him. The pistols in our belts were 
 equally useless. But, though the water had spoiled 
 our powder, we had our side-arms, and a cutlass 
 is a very handy weapon at close quarters. When 
 it seemed as though the game was up, and escape 
 past praying for, I asked my companions what we 
 should do. 
 
 * Fight, of course ! ' answered Colvin, promptly. 
 ' Better die fighting than surrender only to be 
 made into mince-meat, and that would surely be 
 our fate.' 
 
 ' Ay, ay, sir, them's my sentiments to a T ! ' said 
 Brewster, cheerily. ' I never did ask quarter of a
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 171 
 
 Frenchman, and, so help me, I never will. . . . 
 The rum bottle, by George, I thought it was gone ! 
 I'll have a swig, if it's the last I ever get' 
 
 Still baling — with one hand — Brewster drew the 
 cork with his teeth, and put the bottle-neck to his 
 lips, in doing which he had naturally to raise his 
 head. But instead of finishing his drink, he dropped 
 the bottle and gave a great shout. 
 
 * A light ! — a light ! By the piper that played 
 before Moses, a light coming this way ! ' 
 
 Colvin and I turned our heads, and, sure enough, 
 there was a light moving rapidly towards us. 
 
 * Boat ahoy ! — boat ahoy ! ' hailed the quarter- 
 master. 
 
 * Boat ahoy ! — boat ahoy ! ' hailed an answering 
 voice. 
 
 ' It will be the pinnace coming to look for us,' said 
 Colvin, quietly. ' Shove her on.' 
 
 We did shove her on. A minute before, we 
 had been wellnigh spent ; but now, forgetting our 
 fatigue and taking fresh courage from new-born 
 hope, we redoubled our efforts. The Frenchmen, 
 after a moment's hesitation, redoubled theirs, but 
 even faster than they neared us we neared our 
 friends. 
 
 *Mr. Roy, are you all safe.^' called a voice from
 
 172 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 the pinnace, which sounded like the voice of 
 Scruby, the third officer, shouting through a 
 speaking-trumpet. 
 
 ' Ay, ay, sir ! all safe,' bawled Brewster, using his 
 hands as a speaking-trumpet. ' But the mounseers 
 are in hot chase — and, by the Lord, they are 
 beginning to shoot!' 
 
 This was true; a bullet had just hit my larboard 
 oar, within an inch of my hand. 
 
 ' Two can play at that game, as we'll let 'em see. 
 Give way, lads ! ' 
 
 Three minutes later we were alongside the 
 pinnace. 
 
 ' Are you all right } — not hurt t ' inquired Scruby. 
 
 ' All right and unhurt. But never mind us,' said 
 I. ' Give 'em a volley.' 
 
 The Frenchmen got their volley and repaid us in 
 kind ; but the night was too dark, and the firing 
 on both sides too wild, for any good (or harm) to 
 be done; and as the privateers deemed it expedient 
 to retire, and Scruby did not think that his orders 
 justified him in following them, the fighting ceased 
 before it had well begun. 
 
 The pinnace took us in tow, and after shipping 
 our oars and wiping from our eyes the sweat that 
 for the last few minutes had nearly blinded us, we
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 173 
 
 invigorated ourselves with drinks from Brewster's 
 rum - bottle, which had luckily fallen on its 
 bottom. 
 
 We owed our escape to the skipper's foresight. 
 On hearing the musket-shots which followed the 
 explosion he feared we might be in danger, and so 
 sent the pinnace to our help. 
 
 The Indiaman's people, both passengers and crew, 
 were in a state of high excitement. 
 
 We had to shake hands with everybody, and 
 questions were fired at us from all directions. But 
 my first concern was with Captain Beverly, and to 
 him I made my report. 
 
 ' I never expected to see you again,' he said, after 
 paying me a compliment which I need not repeat. 
 * I felt sure you would either be blown up or cut to 
 pieces.' 
 
 ' And we should have been but for your thought- 
 fulness in sending the pinnace. We owe you our 
 lives.' 
 
 ' It was the least I could do. But how about 
 the privateer.^ Do you think you have crippled 
 her?' 
 
 ' More or less, certainly. I shall be very much 
 surprised if her rudder and stern-posts are not blown 
 away.'
 
 174 ROY OF EOY'S COURT 
 
 'Well, dawn will be here in half an hour. I 
 hope a breeze will spring up before those piratical 
 scoundrels have time to repair damages, or they 
 may overhaul us, after all.' 
 
 * I don't think there is much chance of their 
 overhauling us, skipper. However, we shall soon 
 see.' 
 
 And then I mingled with the passengers and told 
 them my tale, and we waited anxiously for the light 
 which was to tell us our fate.
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 A NEAR THING 
 
 The people on the Strathclyde's poop might have 
 been fire-worshippers, so intently and silently did 
 they turn towards the great source of light and heat, 
 as he rose majestically from his ocean bed, and lifted 
 the veil of darkness from the sleeping sea. 
 
 The French ship lay somewhat to the east of us, 
 and when the crimson light of the new-born day, 
 which for some of the ship's company was destined 
 to be their last, fell on her tapering masts, revealing 
 her loose hanging sails and drooping flag, all 
 scanned her with eager eyes. 
 
 ' By heaven ! I believe she Is sinking,' exclaimed 
 Captain Beverly, who had the most powerful glass. 
 
 On this the others looked harder than ever, and 
 as the sun rose higher we saw streams of white 
 water pouring from La Pucelle's scuppers, which 
 showed that the pumps were hard at work, also 
 that her rudder was gone, and the after-part of her a 
 
 176
 
 176 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 wreck. Several men were in a boat, under the ship's 
 stern, doing their best to repair damages and stop 
 the leak, and the mizzen mast seemed to be badly 
 sprung. 
 
 *Sink or swim, La Pucelle will trouble us no 
 more,' said Beverly, as he handed his glass to a lady 
 passenger. ' It would take a week in a dry dock to 
 put her to rights, and if it comes on to blow — and if 
 we have not a breeze before this time to-morrow, I'll 
 never try to forecast the weather in these latitudes 
 again — if it comes on to blow, they won't keep her 
 afloat an hour.' 
 
 * Poor devils ! What will become of them } ' said 
 Colonel Flint. 
 
 ' That is their affair, — they will take to their boats 
 I suppose. All the same, if they like to yield them- 
 selves prisoners, I will put them ashore at St. Helena, 
 or hand them over to some man-of-war. Carrying 
 two hundred Frenchmen to England is quite out of 
 the question ; our provisions would not last out.' 
 
 As I had been up all night, I turned in after 
 breakfast, slept until past noon, and awoke like a 
 giant refreshed. 
 
 When I went on deck, I found things exactly as I 
 had left them. The privateers were still pumping, 
 at a rate which showed that their ship was making
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 177 
 
 water as fast as ever, and the carpenter's crew still 
 engaged in the seemingly hopeless task of stopping 
 the leak and fitting her with a jury rudder. I 
 thought, indeed, that she was getting lower in the 
 water ; and the captain and his officers were of the 
 same opinion. 
 
 All the passengers were jubilant, and many of 
 them repeated the compliments with which they had 
 greeted me when I came on board in the morning. 
 
 It is pleasant to be praised, but even praise may 
 pall, and I was beginning to feel that I had received 
 quite enough for what I had done, wherefore when, 
 as I crossed the deck to speak to her, Mrs. Brunton 
 exclaimed : — ' Here comes the hero ! ' I besought 
 her to let the subject drop, and choose some other 
 theme than myself and my doings. 
 
 ' I cannot,' she answered, archly ; ' I think about 
 nothing else. Haven't you saved us all from a 
 horrid French prison, at the risk of your life ? ' 
 
 ' And disappointed you of a trip to Paris.' 
 
 ' A trip to Paris would be dearly purchased at the 
 cost of all my luggage ; maybe my jewellery, for 
 Mrs. Flint says that these privateers search every- 
 body, even ladies. That would have been dreadful, 
 and there would have been a battle, and we might 
 
 have lost some of our brave defenders' (glancing 
 
 M
 
 178 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 alternately at Major Serpa and myself), 'which 
 would have been still more dreadful. I repeat, 
 Mr. Roy, you are a hero.' 
 
 Then Serpa (the sailors called him 'Serpent') 
 shoved his oar in, eulogising my splendid exploit, as 
 he called it, warmly, albeit, as I felt sure, insincerely. 
 But as you cannot well quarrel with a man for 
 praising you I had to smile and abide. 
 
 After a short pause, he remarked that, though he 
 was delighted that we had disabled La Pucelle, he 
 doubted whether, in any circumstances, the privateer, 
 knowing that we had soldiers on board, would have 
 ventured to attack us. 
 
 'Soldiers are very well on land,' said I, 'but in a 
 sea fight give me bluejackets. Besides, how could 
 soldiers make 14-pounders carry as far as 24's ? ' 
 
 ' But consider the moral effect.' 
 
 And then, by way of illustration, he told how, 
 while he was serving as a subaltern in the Mahratta 
 war, he had defeated a whole brigade of Hyder 
 All's horse with a squadron of native cavalry, a 
 result which he modestly ascribed to the fear inspired 
 by his mere presence. 
 
 This was a fib, for I knew from Colonel Flint 
 that the major had never 'set a squadron in the 
 field.' All the same, I lent him an attentive ear,
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 179 
 
 and encouraged him to give us more of his fiction, 
 which he did with great gusto. The fellow was a 
 lively story-teller, and I rather think Mrs. Brunton 
 more than half believed him. 
 
 Later in the day I fell in with the skipper, and 
 rallied him on his presentiment. 
 
 ' Not much likelihood of the privateers being 
 the death of you — or any of us — now, captain,' said 
 I. * It will be all they can do to save their ship 
 and their lives.' 
 
 * Well, I was perhaps mistaken ; I don't pretend 
 to be infallible,' he returned ; ' and you may be sure 
 I shall be very glad if it does not come true. All 
 the same, we are not done with the rascals yet. 
 The best thing they can do — for us — is to go to 
 Davy Jones's locker with all speed ; but if they 
 haul down their flag and ask to be taken on 
 board, humanity will constrain me to grant their 
 request. Yet two hundred spiteful and enraged 
 Frenchmen will be a serious responsibility. They 
 might mutiny.' 
 
 * Not much fear of that, if you shove them into 
 the hold, and only let them come on deck in 
 detachments, guarded by soldiers with loaded 
 muskets and fixed bayonets ; and with a fair wind 
 we shall make St. Helena in a fortnight.'
 
 i8o ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 Though I made light of the skipper's appre- 
 hensions, I could no more deny — in my thoughts — 
 that there was cause for them than rid myself of a 
 feeling that the Frenchmen would, as he opined, 
 give us further trouble before we were done with 
 them. 
 
 In the evening some of us played whist in the 
 cuddy for sixpenny points ; and when the ladies 
 retired I went on deck to smoke a cheroot and 
 ascertain how it fared with La Pucelle. 
 
 But where she had been was all darkness ; not a 
 light could be seen. 
 
 ' God bless me ! she has surely not foundered, 
 Logan?' I said to the officer of the watch (the 
 fourth mate). 
 
 ' Well, I think she has. So does the captain. 
 He has only just turned in.' 
 
 * But you must surely know. You could tell by 
 the way in which her lights went out. Did they 
 disappear suddenly ? ' 
 
 ' That is more than I can say. I had been 
 leaning for a minute against the quarter railing 
 with my eyes shut, and when I looked round she 
 was gone.' 
 
 * And did nobody else ?' 
 
 * No. I think the men were all asleep. The
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT i8i 
 
 fact is, we were not keeping a very bright 
 lookout' 
 
 They were keeping no lookout at all ; and since 
 it had become evident that while the calm lasted 
 the privateers would let us alone, the precautions 
 once taken against surprise had been abandoned, 
 and the ship left to take care of herself 
 
 ' There can be no doubt she has foundered with 
 all hands — and a good thing too,' added Logan. 
 ' Why, at sunset she was settling down at the stern, 
 and them pumping like mad.' 
 
 After walking the deck for a while, I sat me 
 down in a chair, and as I smoked I thought. *A 
 good thing ! ' And so it was in a sense — a very good 
 thing. For what can be better than getting rid of 
 two hundred enemies at one stroke, without loss 
 or damage to yourself.'' All the same, I could not 
 help feeling sorry for these poor devils so suddenly 
 sent to their account, and that my hand had fired 
 the bomb. Killing foemen in fair fight is a duty 
 you owe to your country, and a noble deed ; but I 
 could not quite persuade myself that stealing under 
 a ship's stern by night and blowing her up with 
 gunpowder was a thing to be proud of. Despite 
 our lighter armament and weaker crew, I would 
 much rather have run the Strathclyde alongside
 
 i82 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 La Pucelle, and engaged her yard-arm to yard-arm, 
 than destroy her by a trick. Colonel Flint was 
 not far wrong, after all. On the other hand, it was 
 a comfort to know that I had rid the seas of a rover 
 which, had her career been unchecked, would have 
 wrought great havoc among our shipping, and, as 
 likely as not, taken more lives than I had been 
 instrumental in destroying. Besides, they were not 
 really destroyed : their lives had merely been 
 shortened by a few brief years, and the lives of a 
 parcel of rascally French privateers were not worth 
 worrying about ; and a la guerre coinme a la guerre, 
 — you cannot make omelettes without breaking 
 eggs. 
 
 At this point my thoughts got rather tangled ; I 
 made an unsuccessful effort to unravel them, my 
 cheroot fell from my lips, and I fell fast asleep. 
 
 I had slept I don't know how long — perhaps 
 an hour — when I was awakened by the barking of 
 Mrs. Brunton's Maltese terrier, which had been lying 
 at my feet. 
 
 ' What is it, Carlo, old man ? ' I said, stroking him ; 
 and then, feeling still very drowsy, I disposed myself 
 for another snooze. 
 
 But I had no sooner closed my eyes than Carlo 
 barked again, more sharply than before. As the
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 183 
 
 dog was not much given to barking, and the ship 
 was as still as the grave, this rather surprised 
 me. 
 
 ' Can there be anything in the water ? ' I thought, 
 and, rising from my seat, I looked over the starboard 
 railing, which was just behind me. I could see 
 nothing but the black water, and was just turning 
 away when I fancied that I heard something. At 
 the same instant Carlo barked a third time. Craning 
 over the side I listened intently, and my ears were 
 very sharp in those days. Beyond a doubt I could 
 hear something — but what } It sounded like the 
 rythmic movement of oars in the water. All my 
 senses were now on the alert. I listened again. 
 This time I felt sure. It was the movement of 
 oars. The extinction of La Pucelle's lights was 
 doubtless a feint to put us off our guard. The 
 privateers were coming, either to serve us as we 
 had served them, or, more likely (seeing that their 
 ship was in a sinking condition), to attack us in 
 force with all their boats and all their men. 
 
 I called for Logan. 
 
 * Listen ! ' I said. ' Don't you hear something, 
 over there on the starboard quarter t ' 
 
 ' Not a sound. What is it like t ' 
 
 * Oars. The privateers have abandoned their ship,
 
 1 84 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 and mean to take ours — if they can. Anyhow, they 
 are coming. You had better call the captain.' 
 
 ' Nonsense, Mr. Roy ! You are quite mistaken. 
 La Pucelle foundered three hours since, and I can 
 hear nothing whatever.' 
 
 ' I can ; so can the dog. But for him — Look 
 here, Mr. Logan, I don't want to interfere with the 
 management of the ship, but this is no time to 
 stand on ceremony, and if you won't call the captain, 
 I will. Listen ! Don't you hear now ? ' 
 
 * Oars, by Jingo ! You are right, Mr. Roy. I will 
 call the captain at once.' 
 
 On this I ran down into the cuddy, where the 
 three officers and several other passengers were still 
 at the card-table. 
 
 * Get your men together, Colonel Flint,' said I ; 
 ' the privateer's boats will be alongside in about five 
 minutes, and I fancy they mean mischief. You will 
 have a chance of distinguishing yourself to-night, 
 Major Serpa.' 
 
 Officers and passengers were out of the cuddy 
 before you could say 'Jack Robinson;' and as soon 
 as I had buckled on a cutlass and put a pair of 
 double-barrelled pistols in my belt, I returned to the 
 quarter-deck, where I found Captain Beverly. 
 
 ' Didn't I say we had not seen the last of the
 
 ROY OF ROY'S C0UR7 ^185 
 
 privateers ? ' he asked, grimly. ' Are you quite sure 
 you can hear them ? ' 
 
 ' Quite, and we shall see them in a minute or 
 two?' 
 
 ' Pass the word to the boatswain to pipe all hands 
 on deck to repel boarders ; and, Mr. Logan, get 
 some ammunition up, and load the swivels with 
 grape. Let somebody take the ladies and children, 
 and all the gentlemen passengers who are not able 
 and willing to fight, to the lower deck. Will you 
 be good enough, Mr. Serpa } ' 
 
 ' Certainly, sir, with pleasure,' and the major went 
 off at the double. 
 
 Before the swivels could be loaded La Pucelle's 
 four boats, crowded with men, were under our 
 quarter, and one of them as she passed gave us a 
 volley of musketry, which wounded several seamen 
 and laid poor Beverly low. This misfortune caused 
 the loss of two or three precious minutes, for 
 Smeaton, the first mate, upon whom the command 
 now devolved, was at the magazine distributing 
 arms. Meanwhile, the privateers were pouring over 
 the bows ; and a dozen of our fellows were intercepted 
 as they hurried aft and cut down to a man. But for 
 the promptitude of Colonel Flint and Captain Steele, 
 and the steadiness and perfect discipline of their men
 
 i86 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 (who fortunately had not returned their muskets to 
 the magazine), the Strathclyde would have been 
 carried at the first rush. Instead of trying to defend 
 several points at once, the colonel wisely concentrated 
 his small force on the main-deck, where they formed 
 a rallying-point for the sailors, many of whom were 
 still without arms. By this time the privateers were 
 in full possession of the fore part of the ship, whence, 
 if we meant to keep her, it was necessary to oust 
 them. We charged them repeatedly, but as the 
 Frenchmen were two to our one (the Lascars had 
 taken refuge in the rigging), and fought desperately, 
 we lost more ground than we gained. 
 
 It was a hideous hurly-burly, a confused hand-to- 
 hand fight with cold steel — stabbing and slashing 
 with cutlasses — thrusting with bayonets and pikes — 
 men howling and crying and cursing like fiends. 
 Our fellows did their utmost, the soldiers fought 
 splendidly; but the Frenchmen bore us back 
 by sheer weight of numbers, and, short of a 
 miracle, I did not see how we were to avoid 
 defeat and capture. 
 
 'Let us retreat aft,' said Colonel Flint, who was 
 close to me. 
 
 ' Never ! ' I answered indignantly ; ' we can but die 
 once.'
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 187 
 
 'And let fly at them with the swivels. It is our 
 only chance.' 
 
 * Right you are, colonel. Draw our fellows back, 
 and I'll see to the swivels.* 
 
 In two jumps I was on the poop, followed by 
 Brewster and Colvin, and as soon as our people were 
 well aft we gave the privateers, who were now closely 
 packed in the waist of the ship, four doses of grape 
 in rapid succession. Every shot told, tearing great 
 gaps in their ranks, and throwing them into utter 
 confusion. 
 
 ' Now, charge again ! At them with bayonet and 
 pike ! ' shouted Colonel Flint. 
 
 Our fellows answered with a wild cheer, and 
 the privateers, decimated and demoralised by the 
 artillery fire, and knowing that escape was impos- 
 sible, threw down their arms and asked for quarter, 
 which we gladly granted them. 
 
 Though from first to last the fight had not lasted 
 fifteen minutes, the deck was like a shambles. A 
 hundred of the privateers were killed and wounded. 
 Our own losses, albeit less severe, were very serious. 
 Two of the mates, six soldiers, and fourteen 
 bluejackets were killed, and many more wounded. 
 I had received several cuts, but nothing to hurt 
 much.
 
 i88 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 Among the killed was the French captain. It was 
 as I had thought. When he found that it was 
 impossible to keep his ship afloat, he resolved to 
 take ours ; and but for Carlo's quick ears and timely 
 warning, and Colonel Flint's stratagem, he would 
 have succeeded. 
 
 Though we had won we were not jubilant ; for our 
 losses were heavy, and, as the Duke of Wellington 
 said of the battle of Waterloo, ' it was a damned near 
 thing.* 
 
 The death we most deplored was that of Captain 
 Beverly. He had endeared himself to all, and to 
 me been exceptionally kind, and we all sorrowed for 
 him as for a beloved friend. 
 
 While the colonel, the captain, the three or four 
 passengers who had taken part in the fight, and 
 myself, were reckoning up our losses, we bethought 
 ourselves of Major Serpa. Was he, too, among the 
 killed? 
 
 ' I don't think so. He is not the sort of man to 
 get himself killed, or wounded either, if he can help 
 it. Speak of the devil ! Here he is ! Where have 
 you been, major.-*' exclaimed Flint, as the gentleman 
 in question came on the quarter-deck, bold as brass 
 and armed to the teeth. 
 
 ' On guard at the lower-deck hatchway, protecting
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 189 
 
 the ladies. They would not let me leave them ; and 
 I thought I should be as useful there as anywhere 
 else.' 
 
 'You are right. You would not have been of 
 much use in the life and death struggle we have just 
 had with the privateers. Don't you think, now, you 
 had better exchange that sword for a bodkin, and 
 those pistols for a pair of knitting needles .' ' 
 
 ' I did what I conceived to be my duty; and if my 
 conduct does not meet with your approval I regret it,' 
 returned Serpa, pompously. 'At the same time, 
 allow me to remind you, sir, that being on furlough, 
 and my position that of an ordinary passenger, I am 
 not amenable to your orders.' 
 
 ' Well for you that you are not,' said the colonel, 
 significantly, as he turned on his heel. 
 
 During the remainder of the voyage Serpa was 
 sent to Coventry — by the men. Most of the women, 
 however, took his part, and protested that they had 
 found his company very comforting. Mrs. Brunton 
 tried to persuade me that it required more real 
 courage to guard the hatchway than take part in the 
 combat ; and when I suggested that, if the privateers 
 had appeared between decks, the major would have 
 disappeared, she became very angry, hinted that I 
 was jealous, and gave me the go-by, thereby affording
 
 190 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 me an excellent reason for breaking off an intimacy 
 which was growing more burdensome than pleasant. 
 
 Shortly before sunrise the much desired breeze 
 foretold by Captain Beverly sprang up, whereupon 
 all sail was made, and in less than a fortnight we let 
 go off St. Helena, where we took in water, and landed 
 our prisoners. The rest of our voyage was 
 uneventful, and we sighted the shores of England 
 exactly four months after I had joined the Strath- 
 clyde in the Bay of Bengal. 
 
 Meanwhile, Mrs. Brunton had insisted on our 
 making friends ; and before we parted gave me her 
 London address, where I promised to call on her, for 
 in those days I was deplorably weak, I could neither 
 deny a lady nor decline a challenge. But the promise 
 was never performed, for the fair widow had made no 
 impression on my heart, and, as will presently be 
 seen, I found more attractive metal elsewhere. 
 
 It was agreed between Colonel Flint and myself 
 that, inasmuch as the late Captain Beverly had 
 been in some sense his colleague, he should convey 
 the two wills to their destination, and offer in 
 person our condolences to his family. He was also 
 good enough to say that he should inform the 
 Honourable Company (whose commission he held) of 
 what he was pleased to call my gallant conduct, and
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 191 
 
 the important part I had played in saving their ship 
 from imminent capture by the enemy. This he did 
 to such purpose that, shortly thereafter, I received a 
 highly complimentary letter from the Court of 
 Directors, enclosing a bank-post bill for ;^2oo, and 
 intimating that they should charge nothing for my 
 entertainment either on board the Mercia or the 
 Strathclyde, the which I thought very handsome of 
 them.
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 FLEUR-DE-LYS COURT 
 
 I LANDED at Gravesend, and being anxious to get 
 home travelled post to London. To my great 
 relief I found my dear parents in good health, since 
 albeit my mother had been greatly concerned about 
 me, neither she nor my father had despaired of my 
 return. They knew that a sailor has as many lives 
 as a cat, and had moreover great confidence in my 
 luck and my ability to take care of myself. 
 
 The people at the Admiralty, where I lost no time 
 in reporting myself, being less sanguine and more 
 practical, had counted me as dead and erased my 
 name from the list of lieutenants. On hearing this 
 I obtained an interview with the permanent under- 
 secretary, a friend of my father's, to whose good 
 offices I was, in the main, indebted for my rapid 
 promotion. Though he seemed to be very busy, he 
 listened to the account of my adventures with 
 evident interest, and was very curious to know all 
 
 192
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 193 
 
 that I could tell him about Bonaparte and Paris. 
 In the end he promised to have my name restored 
 to the list at once, and to find me employment as 
 soon as possible. 
 
 ' You must have found life desperately slow on 
 board that first Indiaman/ he said, as I rose to take 
 my leave. ' How did you pass your time .'* ' 
 
 'Well, among other things I learnt Hindustani 
 and Arabic,' 
 
 'The devil you did ! Why, you are just the man 
 we want. We are sending a naval expedition to the 
 Mediterranean to help and encourage the Turks in 
 their resistance to that villain Bonaparte; and a 
 knowledge of Turkish would be immensely useful. 
 I don't think any of our fellows know a word of 
 it.' 
 
 ' I did not say Turkish. I said Arabic' 
 
 ' Well, it is the same thing, I suppose.' 
 
 * Not exactly ; and I should not like it to be 
 thought that because I have learnt a little Arabic 
 I know Turkish.' 
 
 ' Anyhow, the people out there talk Arabic, — at 
 least a good many of them do. They are 
 Mohammedans, and Arabic is the language of the 
 Koran.' 
 
 * And the French of the East.' 
 
 N
 
 194 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 ' Of course it is. Everybody knows that ; and, as 
 I said just now, you will be immensely useful. I 
 suppose you would like to join the expedition ? ' 
 
 * There is nothing I should like better/ 
 
 * Well, I will speak to the Board, and you shall 
 hear from me in a few days. Make good use of 
 your run ashore, — I don't think it will be long, — and 
 remember me kindly to your father. Good-day.' 
 
 Whereupon I bowed myself out, greatly elated 
 with my good fortune, and feeling that I had once 
 more fallen on my feet. My involuntary voyage in 
 the Mercia had not been lost time, after all. I only 
 hoped that it would not occur to the under-secretary 
 to have my supposed proficiency in Arabic put to 
 the test, for I had learned from Dr. Joyce the merest 
 smattering of the language, and half of that I had 
 forgotten. But, in order to be prepared for all 
 contingencies, I called at a bookseller's and ordered 
 an Arabic grammar, to the study of which I resolved 
 to give my nights and days until my next visit to 
 the Admiralty. 
 
 This done, I took a hackney-coach and went to 
 see Madame and Mademoiselle de Gex at their 
 lodgings in Fleur-de-Lys Court, Fetter Lane. 
 
 I felt it as a relief that I should not have to impart 
 to the poor ladies the intelligence of their kinsman's
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 195 
 
 death. They had doubtless heard of it soon after its 
 occurrence, and by this time, I hoped, were 
 reconciled to their bereavement. It was not, 
 however, likely that they had heard of me. But 
 the poor chevalier's letter, which I had carefully 
 preserved, would serve as an introduction, and, as I 
 trusted, prove a passport to their favour. 
 
 My knock was answered by a dishevelled maid 
 with a dirty face, to whom I handed my card with a 
 request that she would present it to Madame de Gex 
 and say that I waited her pleasure. 
 
 The maid tossed the hair from her eyes, gave me 
 a good stare, rubbed her nose with the back of her 
 hand, and then, muttering, ' Wait a minute,' ran 
 upstairs. 
 
 Returning presently, she said it was ' all right,' and 
 took me to a room on the second floor, the door of 
 which she opened, then sheered off without another 
 word. 
 
 The room, though scantily furnished, looked much 
 better than the general appearance of the house had 
 led me to expect. There were flowers on the 
 window-sill, and books on the table, and the curtains 
 were pretty and disposed with taste. I found myself 
 in the presence of two ladies, one of whom seemed 
 to have been working at an embroidery- frame, the
 
 196 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 other painting. Both, as I went forward, rose from 
 their chairs. 
 
 * Mr. Roy,' said the elder lady, looking at my card. 
 * Is it possible that you are the English gentleman 
 who so nobly tried to save my dear son, and stood 
 by him to the last } ' 
 
 ' I did my best, madame, but, as you have no 
 doubt heard, I failed in my endeavour. He refused 
 to accept his life at the price of what he deemed dis- 
 honour, and died like a soldier and a gentleman.' 
 
 ' And, I trust, as a Christian.' 
 
 'Also as a Christian, madame. And he charged 
 me to give you this letter. I am sorry that it has 
 been so long delayed, but the fault is not mine.' 
 
 * A letter 1 Oh, Antoinette, he brings a letter from 
 Henri ! We thank you, sir, and might we — will you 
 excuse us if we ask you to wait a little moment while 
 we read my poor son's last letter ? ' 
 
 I bowed, Madame de Gex invited me to be seated, 
 and then the two women, drawing near to each other, 
 read the letter together silently and with many tears. 
 
 Madame de Gex was tall and of stately carriage, 
 with white hair and a sad yet noble and benign face. 
 But how shall I describe Antoinette .'' Like her 
 mother in height, she was unlike her in features. 
 Madame de Gex had been a brunette ; Antoinette
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 197 
 
 was a blonde with an oval face and features as 
 clearly cut as those of a Greek statue. Her cheeks, 
 though somewhat faded by London air and continual 
 work, had not lost their peach-like bloom ; her eyes 
 were large, brown, and faithful ; her shapely head was 
 adorned with thick masses of red-brown hair. And 
 the witchery of her smile, the sweetness of her voice, 
 and the charm of her manner cannot be told : words 
 are inadequate to describe them. 
 
 Taking her all in all, Antoinette de Gex was the 
 most fascinating young woman I had ever seen. 
 Before I had been in the room five minutes I was 
 over head and ears in love with her. It was not 
 the first time I had fallen in love at first sight. 
 But this time it was serious. I had met my 
 fate. 
 
 ' My son speaks very highly of you, Mr. Roy,' 
 said Madame de Gex, in a voice broken with 
 emotion, when she had finished the letter. ' He 
 says that if you had been his own brother you 
 could not have shown more loyalty and devotion. 
 His mother thanks you, — thanks you with all 
 her heart.' 
 
 * And his sister, she too thanks you with all her 
 heart, Mr. Roy,' murmured Antoinette, looking at 
 me with her glorious eyes bright with tears.
 
 198 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 ' He was a man of noble nature, mademoiselle : 
 he would have done as much for me.' 
 
 * I am sure he would ; he was the best and kindest 
 of brothers ; and it cuts me to the heart to think 
 that it was for our sakes that he risked and lost 
 his life. But we did not want him to go : did we, 
 mother ? ' 
 
 * Indeed we did not, ma fille cherie. But he could 
 not bear to see us straitened, and so went to Gex 
 to recover that treasure you know of, — much 
 against my wish. You see, we have done without 
 it, and shall, I fear, have to do without it to 
 the end.' 
 
 * No, madame,' I said, ' you will not have to do 
 without it to the end. I have made up my mind 
 to recover that treasure for you, and I shall.' 
 
 ' For heaven's sake, Mr. Roy, don't think of 
 anything so reckless and impossible ! Surely one 
 victim is enough. It would be a folly, a madness. 
 Besides, how could you, an officer of the British 
 navy, go to France ? ' 
 
 ' You need be under no apprehension, madame. 
 I mean to succeed : therefore I shall do nothing 
 reckless. And being, as you observe, an officer in 
 the British navy, I shall have to defer the attempt 
 until the conclusion of the war. And that cannot
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 199 
 
 be long. The French are losing all their conquests. 
 Nelson has destroyed their fleet, the tricolor has 
 been wellnigh swept from the seas, and Bonaparte, 
 the only man who could save the republic, is in 
 Egypt, without the means of getting away. A few 
 more reverses, and the Directory must fall, and then 
 the king will have his own again.' 
 
 ' I am glad to see you are a royalist, Mr. Roy,' 
 said Antoinette, smiling approval. 
 
 * How could a man of my name be aught else, 
 mademoiselle? The Roys have been royalists for 
 ages; and my experience in France has not pre- 
 disposed me in favour of republics.' 
 
 This allusion led the conversation to Henri de 
 Gex, and I had to tell and retell all that had 
 befallen him and me during our too brief inter- 
 course; for, though his mother and sister had, as 
 I surmised, heard of his death, and that an English 
 fellow-prisoner had made a strenuous effort to save 
 his life, they had still much to learn. 
 
 And, being quite willing to stay as long as I 
 might, I answered all these questions con amove, 
 and, when they had no more to ask, gave an 
 account, on a hint from Antoinette, of my adven- 
 tures, for the most part in great detail, taking 
 care, however, to say no more about Julie Carmine
 
 200 ROY OF RO Y'S CO URT 
 
 than was absolutely necessary, and of course nothing 
 whatever about Minnie and Dora. 
 
 Antoinette made coffee for me, French fashion, 
 and the conversation lasted the greater part of the 
 afternoon. In the course of it I learned incidentally 
 that, albeit they were not making a fortune, their 
 circumstances were improving. Mademoiselle had 
 several pupils ; she occasionally sold a picture ; 
 and madame was able to dispose of so much 
 of her embroidery as brought in a few shillings a 
 week. 
 
 Before going away I mentioned that my mother 
 proposed to pay them a visit and make their 
 acquaintance ; and Madame de Gex, after repeating 
 her thanks for my attention to her son, invited me 
 to call again soon. 
 
 I promised that I would, and on the day but 
 one following I took my mother to see them ; on 
 the next day I called on my own account ; and 
 on the Sunday the two ladies, on my mother's 
 invitation, came to our house at Pimlico, when, as 
 a matter of course, I saw them back to their 
 lodgings. 
 
 Equally of course, I called on the Tuesday to 
 ask after their health, and one way and another I 
 managed to see Antoinette about every second day.
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 201 
 
 Pretending that I had a customer for one of her 
 pictures, I took it home and hung it up in my 
 room, and then, pretending that I had obtained 
 an advance on her price, gave her twice as much 
 as she asked. 
 
 This business involved at least four visits to 
 Fleur-de-Lys Court, and as many interviews with 
 Antoinette. Unfortunately, however, Madame de 
 Gex was always present on these occasions, probably 
 because she did not think it coinme il faut for her 
 jeune jille of a daughter to be left alone with a man 
 of my age. Yet even though she had acted differ- 
 ently, I doubt whether I should have found Antoinette 
 as complaisant as Minnie and Dora. To tell the 
 truth, there was a nameless something in her manner 
 — a combination of modesty, dignity, and reserve — 
 which made me rather afraid of her, and, albeit she 
 was always kind, I could not flatter myself that she 
 regarded me in any other light than that of an 
 , honoured friend. 
 
 This had gone on for nearly a month, and I was 
 more in love than ever, when one morning I received 
 a note from the under-secretary requesting me to 
 call at the Admiralty on the following afternoon. 
 
 I obeyed the summons, though not without mis- 
 givings. I feared that it might portend separation
 
 202 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 from Antoinette, and I had been so much taken 
 up with her that I had forgotten all about the 
 possible examination, and had never once opened 
 my Arabic grammar. Neither did my uneasiness 
 grow less when the under-secretary, who was engaged 
 two or three deep, told me that Admiral Jones would 
 like to see me, and bade one of the attendants take 
 me to his room. 
 
 I had heard of Admiral Jones before. He was 
 a junior lord, — of the old school, — and had the 
 reputation of being hard, choleric, and absolute, — a 
 little, broad-set man, with a fiery face and blood-shot 
 eyes, and a pig-tail that reached to the small of his 
 back. Not the sort of man to show any superfluous 
 courtesy to a lieutenant. 
 
 ' So you know Arabic ? ' he said, pointing to a 
 chair. 
 
 ' A little, sir.' 
 
 ' How did you learn it ? ' 
 
 'From Dr. Joyce, a learned missionary, while we 
 were on a voyage to the East Indies.' 
 
 * How came you to be going to the East Indies ? ' 
 
 I told him. 
 
 *Ah, now I think of it, I have heard something 
 of this before. You managed that escape very 
 cleverly, Mr. Roy. A devilish plucky thing, I call
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 203 
 
 it. And now about this Arabic. I arranged with 
 a teacher of languages, an Italian who has lived a 
 good deal in the East, to be here at three o'clock, 
 sharp, and ask you a few questions, — just to see 
 whether you are competent to act as an interpreter. 
 Gad! it is past the time now!' (looking at his 
 watch). 
 
 I broke into a cold sweat. 
 
 After the admiral had asked me a question 
 or two about my previous services and my 
 voyage in the Mercia, he looked at his watch 
 again. 
 
 ' Damn the fellow ! ' he growled. ' More than ten 
 minutes after his time; and he knows how busy I 
 am. I told him when he called yesterday and left 
 these books. Gad ! I'll examine you myself. What 
 book is this "i ' 
 
 I had no difficulty in telling him. It was a book 
 which Dr. Joyce had often read with us, — the 
 Koran. 
 
 'And this?' 
 
 I could not quite make it out ; I had never seen it 
 before ; but I made a bold guess. 
 
 ' The Thousand and One Nights.' 
 
 ' Humph ! You seem to read well enough. And 
 now take this sheet of paper, and write down in
 
 204 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 Arabic, " The man who makes an appointment and 
 does not keep it is a damned son of a gun, and it 
 would serve Poggi right to give him a round dozen 
 for his want of punctuality." ' 
 
 I could no more write this extraordinary sentence 
 in Arabic than in Irish ; but I had fortunately 
 learned the Arabic alphabet, so I took a pen and 
 wrote every letter of it, finishing up with a few 
 hieroglyphics of my own invention. 
 
 'You will do,' said the admiral, almost respect- 
 fully, as he glanced with puzzled eyes at the paper. 
 'You can read at sight, and write to dictation. 
 Damme if I thought you were half as clever. Do 
 you know any other languages } ' 
 
 * I know French almost as well as English, and 
 some Hindustani.' 
 
 'The devil you do! Gad, I wish I did! Well, 
 you are promoted to commander, and will com- 
 mission the Kangaroo, six-gun brig. She is ready 
 for sea, and you must report yourself at Ports- 
 mouth and hoist your pennant not later than next 
 Thursday.' 
 
 Here the door opened, and an attendant announced 
 Dr. Poggi, a little man with a Jewish cast of 
 countenance, who came bowing and scraping into 
 the room.
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 205 
 
 'You are too late, doctor. I have examined the 
 gentleman myself.' 
 
 ' I beg your pardon, admiral. I am very sorry. 
 I took a wrong turn, and missed my way, and did 
 not discover my mistake till ' 
 
 * You should not take a wrong turn. You should 
 not miss your way. When a man makes an appoint- 
 ment he ought to keep it. Your fee was to be two 
 guineas. You have not earned it, and you won't get 
 it. Here are your books. Good-day, sir. — You will 
 receive official notification of your appointment, Mr. 
 Roy. Thursday morning, remember.' 
 
 * I shall not forget it, sir.' 
 
 ' And then, to my surprise, the admiral offered me 
 his hand, which I respectfully shook. 
 
 Hurrying after the discomfited teacher of langu- 
 ages, I overtook him in the street. ' You have done 
 me a greater service than you are aware of. Let me 
 be your paymaster,' I said, putting into his hand a 
 couple of guineas. 
 
 A stare of blank surprise was quickly followed by 
 a look of keen intelligence; then, with a muttered 
 * Thank you,' he dropped the money into his pocket 
 and shambled off. 
 
 It was more than in my wildest dreams I had 
 dared to hope for. Promotion, a ship of my own.
 
 2o6 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 an expedition in which there would doubtless be 
 hard fighting, chances of prize-money, and further 
 advancement ! And to think that I owed it all to 
 a bit of Arabic learned from an old missionary, and 
 the failure of that shambling Italian to keep an 
 appointment ! 
 
 Even the necessity of leaving Antoinette did not 
 seem much of a drawback. If I returned a post- 
 captain (as of course I should), I would marry her 
 first and look for the treasure afterwards. Having 
 come to this resolution, I hied me to Fleur-de-Lys 
 Court to say good-bye. As I should have to 
 start for Portsmouth early next morning, and 
 my preparations were still to make, I had no time 
 to lose. 
 
 I was now so well known at Madame de Gex's 
 lodgings that after letting me in the slavey generally 
 left me to announce myself It was so on the 
 present occasion, and when I knocked at the parlour 
 door a voice which I recognised as Antoinette's bade 
 me enter. As I entered, the dear girl rose to greet 
 me, palette in hand, for I had been so fortunate as to 
 obtain for her several good commissions, and she was 
 fully occupied. 
 
 I saw at a glance that she was alone. As I had 
 called only the day before, and was not expected to
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 207 
 
 call again before the end of the week, Madame de 
 Gex had given herself a short leave of absence. It 
 was an opportunity for which I had ardently longed ; 
 but now that it was come I seemed unable to profit 
 by it. Surprise — or something else — completely un- 
 manned me. I could think of nothing better to say 
 than * How do you do, Miss de Gex 1 ' and even that 
 I said with difficulty. 
 
 Antoinette also appeared surprised ; but she 
 recovered her composure much sooner than I 
 did. 
 
 'My mother is out, Mr. Roy,' she observed, 
 quietly; 'but she will be in presently. Won't you 
 sit down } ' 
 
 I sat down, and Antoinette, turning to her easel, 
 went on with her painting as unconcernedly as if I 
 had not been there. This made me feel worse than 
 ever, and for two or three minutes I watched her in 
 silence, conscious that I was losing a golden oppor- 
 tunity, yet utterly unable to say what was in my 
 mind, — to say anything, in fact. At last (though 
 my heart was fluttering like a sail in a dying wind) 
 I spoke again : 
 
 'You did not expect to see me to-day,' Miss de 
 Gex?' 
 
 ' No. We did not expect to see you before Satur-
 
 2o8 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 day or Sunday. My mother will be in presently/ 
 she answered, without raising her eyes, and plying 
 her brush as though she were working for a wager. 
 
 This was terribly discouraging. I felt both vexed 
 and disappointed, and began to think that I had 
 better wait for a more convenient opportunity (as 
 though it were possible to imagine a more convenient 
 opportunity) or abandon the idea altogether. So I 
 said, coldly and rather curtly, — 
 
 * I hope you will pardon me for coming again so 
 soon ; but I did not like to go away without saying 
 good-bye.' 
 
 ' Saying good-bye! How.-* What .'*' she exclaimed, 
 raising her head. 
 
 'Yes. I leave London to-morrow morning. I 
 have just heard that I am appointed to the command 
 of the gun-brig Kangaroo. I shall hoist my pennant 
 on Thursday, and probably be at sea before the end 
 of the week.' 
 
 Antoinette now appeared to be interested. She 
 even laid down her brush. 
 
 * You are going away to-morrow ! Whither } ' she 
 asked, turning pale. 
 
 * Until I get my sailing-orders I cannot be quite 
 sure ; but I have reason to believe that my destina- 
 tion will be the Levant. We are going to help
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 209 
 
 the Turks to turn Bonaparte out of Egypt, or to 
 take him.' 
 
 ' Then there will be fighting ? ' 
 * I hope so.' 
 
 ' You hope so ! Then you are glad to go away, 
 to leave — us ! ' 
 
 ' No, mademoiselle, God knows I am not glad 
 to leave yoii. But I am a sailor, and must obey 
 orders ; and as for fighting, I shall not only be 
 fighting for my country and for your king as well 
 as mine, but for you.' 
 
 'For me! How?' she stammered. 
 Her emotion restored my courage, and I answered, 
 boldly, ' Yes, for you. Fighting brings promotion ; 
 I shall be made post-captain ; and then, dear 
 
 Antoinette ' 
 
 In her excitement she had pushed her chair a little 
 backward ; I had edged mine a little forward ; her 
 face was raised to mine with a look which made 
 me wild, and, quite forgetting that she was a jeime 
 fille, I put my arms round her neck and kissed her 
 passionately. 
 
 In a moment she was on her feet. 
 'You forget yourself, Mr. Roy!' she exclaimed, 
 indignantly. ' Go, please ; leave the room this 
 instant.'
 
 2IO ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 * It is true; my love for you made me forget myself. 
 But don't be angry; it will be no child's play out 
 there, and I may never come back. If you don't 
 want me, I won't.' 
 
 The words were hardly spoken when Antoinette 
 turned deadly pale ; her eyes filled with tears, and 
 she had to lean on the back of her chair for 
 support. 
 
 ' They killed Henri ; and if they kill you, 
 inon Dzeu, what will become of me .'* ' she 
 cried. 
 
 Then I ventured to put my arms round her a 
 second time, and she laid her head on my shoulder, 
 murmuring, 'They will kill you; they will kill 
 you.' 
 
 ' No, they won't. Now that I know that you love 
 me, I shall not let them. Don't make yourself 
 unhappy, darling. I am sure to come back safe and 
 sound, and then You will think of me some- 
 times when I am away V 
 
 ' He asks whether I shall think of him ! Always, 
 always, — and pray for you. But hark, there is a 
 knock at the front door. Mind, not a word of this 
 to my mother — now. She would think me a wicked 
 
 girl for allowing There ! Let me go ! You 
 
 must.'
 
 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 211 
 
 One more embrace, and Antoinette resumed her 
 painting and I my chair ; and when Madame de 
 Gex came in I was deep in a book. 
 
 ' Mr. Roy ! You here ! ' she exclaimed, in a tone 
 of not very pleased surprise. 
 
 'He is come pour prendre conge, mother dear. 
 He has just got his grade, and is going to Egypt 
 to fight Bonaparte,' said Antoinette, with a smiling 
 nonchalance of which I had not believed her 
 capable. 
 
 'Dame! This is surely very sudden. I con- 
 gratulate you on your promotion, Mr. Roy, but we 
 shall be very sorry to lose you.' 
 
 All the same she did not seem very sorry, and was 
 probably by no means ill pleased to hear of my 
 approaching departure. It would relieve her of 
 a great anxiety as touching her daughter, and 
 she would no longer be under the necessity of 
 playing the* duenna. Poor old lady, how little 
 she knew ! 
 
 Yet, whatever may have been her thoughts, 
 Madame de Gex was all kindness, wished me 
 success and a safe return, expressed a hope that they 
 would hear of me occasionally from my mother, and 
 bade me God-speed. 
 
 Antoinette said very little ; but the answering
 
 2 12 ROY OF ROY'S COURT 
 
 pressure of her dear hand was more eloquent than 
 words ; there was a loving, pathetic look in her 
 beautiful eyes which went to my heart, and when- 
 ever I thought of it afterwards made me alternately 
 wretched and exultant. 
 
 Printed by T. and A. Constable, Printers to Her Majesty, 
 at the Kdinburgh University Press.