His hopes of serving his country were over, and he felt
it so bitterly, and so grieved for it, that he scarcely thought at
first of his personal safety. It was well we had thought for him.
Eustace had brought a suit of our livery under his cloak, and he and
poor Madame cut Clement's hair as short as if he had been a
Roundhead. She had kept plenty of money in the house ever since she
had feared for her son, and this they put in a belt round his waist.
Altogether, he came out not at all unlike the laquais Jacques
Pierrot, whom he was to personate. Eustace said the old lady took
leave of her son with her stern Jansenist composure, which my tender-
hearted Clement could not imitate. Eustace rejoined the chairmen and
came back through the dark streets, while Clement walked at some
distance, and contrived to slip in after him. My mother had in the
meantime gone to the Hotel d'Aubepine and fetched poor Meg.
Cecile had just taken the turn, as they say, and it was thought she
would live, but Meg could scarcely be spared from her, and seemed at
first hardly to understand that our long-talked-of departure was
suddenly coming to pass. It was well that she had so much to occupy
her, for there was no one save her son, whom she loved like that
brother of ours, and she would not, or could not, realise that she
was seeing him for the last time.
It was a hot August night, and we worked and packed all through it,
making Eustace lie down and rest, though sleep was impossible, and he
said he wanted to see Meg and his mother as long as he could.
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