"'Tis a guard conveying prisoners to the Chateau de Trompette, and now they are about to cross the Garonne by boats." The lady gazed from the window, and saw a mass of armed soldiers marching quickly down the opposite slope towards the river. As they issued from under the green vine trellis which shaded the roads for miles in every direction, she could distinctly discern the scarlet coats of the prisoners contrasting with the white of the French linesmen who formed the escort, and had their bayonets fixed. "Red uniforms--they are British prisoners of war!" exclaimed Nanon; "oh, mademoiselle, we have gained a battle somewhere, and beaten the English, as we always do." "Poor, poor fellows!" sighed Therese; "ah, Nanon, I feel sad when I see them, for M. le Baron says my mother was one of these people: yet it seems so strange that I should ever have had any other than Therese de St. Veran--dear Madame la Baronesse, whom the Blessed Virgin has taken to herself." "See how they crowd into that little boat! Oh, mon Dieu! the brave reckless fellows--it will never hold them all!" "And the stream is deep and rapid there." "See--see, O Dieu! what has happened!" shrieked Nanon. "Overturned--the boat has overturned." "No--'tis a man overboard!--he is in the stream, and drowning!" "Oh, I cannot look upon this!" said Therese, shrinking back and burying her face in her hands, while loud cries of alarm ascended from the river to the windows of the chateau; but Nanon, whose nervous temperament was less delicate than that of her mistress, continued to gaze steadily. Two men were swimming or splashing in the water. One had fallen overboard; the other had plunged in to succour or save him; but both were swept away by the stream. In short, the former was soon drowned, and the latter rescued with the utmost difficulty. When dragged on shore he was quite insensible; but the officer in command of the escort, having no time to spare, desired four of his men to form a litter with their muskets, and bear him to the Chateau de Fontbrune, as the nearest place where the usual means might be adopted for the restoration of life. The half-drowned man, who had perilled life so gallantly to save the unfortunate soldier, was an officer, and moreover, one that was sure to win favour in French eyes, being young, handsome, and an _Officier d'Ecossais_, as Nanon reported minutely to her startled mistress, who had promptly all her household in attendance on the sufferer, though she dared not peep into his room in person. At last Nanon brought the joyous intelligence that he was "recovering, and had opened a pair of such beautiful eyes!"--so here was a stirring episode for our young demoiselle, who, a half hour before, had been so dull and _ennuyé_ that she was weary of her own charming self and all the world beside.