"Ay," replied the marquis, "if it's as big as a turkey, all the better. That champaign is excellent tipple, and would be cheap at eighty-four shillings per dozen." The French nobles did not quite understand their companion's phraseology, but were quite willing to join him in any extravagance. "What shall we do?" cried one; "shall we break open the jail?" "No," said De Bouillon: "hang it! that's a serious matter. But I'll tell you what, I've no objection to knock down a charley." "No, no! let's go to _Rouge et Noir_." "Boys, boys!" at last exclaimed the Vicomte de Lanoy, "I'll tell you what we shall do,--Beauvilliers told me that, while we were all engaged at the dinner, he was going to seize a beautiful creature, and carry her off to the Parc d'Amour." "Wrong, decidedly wrong!" said De Bouillon at this proposition. "Who is she?" "Why, the companion, you understand, of an old twaddling fool, who has no right to so much beauty. Beauvilliers did not tell me his name, but 'tis only one of the _bourgeoisie_, and we surely have a right to do as we like with _them_." "Ah yes! of course," replied De Bouillon, "I did not think of that. What then?" "Why, sir, we shall play as good a trick on Beauvilliers as he designed for the ancient gentleman. Let's get there before him, and carry her from him!" "Agreed, agreed!" "No, no, I must declare off," said the marquis. "'Tis a bad business altogether, and this would make it worse." "But who is to carry the lady?" inquired the duke, without attending to the scruples of his friend. "Toss for it," suggested the vicomte. A louis was thrown into the air. "Heads! heads!" cried the nobleman. "Tails!" said De Bouillon. "'Tis tails!" exclaimed the vicomte. "Marquis, the chance is yours--you've won." "Oh! have I?" replied the unwilling favourite of fortune; "I've won, have I?" "You don't seem overpleased with your good luck," said the duke; "give me your chance, and I shall know how to make better use of it." "No, gentlemen, I'll manage this affair myself." "Come on, then!--_vive la joie!_"--and with great joviality they pursued their way to the Parc d'Amour. But they had been preceded in their journey to that hostelry by Louise, attended by Cecil Hope and Mr Cocker. By the administration of a douceur to the waiter, they obtained an _entrée_ to the apartment designed for the baron and his prey, and had scarcely time to ensconce themselves behind the window-curtain, when Miss Lucretia was escorted into the room. There were no symptoms of any violent resistance to her captors having been offered, and she took her seat on the sofa without any perceptible alarm. "Well, them's curious people, them French!" she soliloquised when the men had left her. "If that 'ere baron fell in love with a body, couldn't he say so without all that rigmarole about Mr Bullion's behaviour, and pulling a body nearly to pieces? I'm sure if he had axed me in a civil way, I wouldn't have said no. But, lawkins! here he comes."