"I wrote to my mother this morning, monsieur, but if you happen to be stopping at Tours, and have a little time to spare, be so good as to inquire for the house of Madame M----, and tell her you met us and saw us on the ship, and that you were witness" (she smiled rather doubtfully) "that Léopold promised to bring me back to France in three years' time." "I will tell her, madame; and I will undertake to be surety for your husband's word." Meantime, operations were taking place on board preparatory to sailing. The wind was east-south-east, just right for sailing out of the river; they had only been waiting for the tide to turn before making a quick start with the combined assistance of both wind and tide. Thus, all of a sudden, the captain's voice made us start. The pilot had just arrived from Saint-Nazaire, and the captain was issuing his first order: "Heave short at the anchor!" At this unexpected order, the poor traveller seemed as though she realised for the first time that she must actually leave France. She uttered a little cry, and threw herself on her husband's breast and burst into sobs. I took advantage of this renewed outflow of tears to quit the newly-married pair, and to tell the captain I was ready to return to shore at his convenience. "Eh!" he said, "are you in such a hurry to leave us? I had counted on keeping you to luncheon and to dinner--or at any rate to luncheon; for," he added, looking at the sky, "I doubt there won't be many passengers dining to-day." "Good!" I replied; "but, when at sea, how did you propose to get rid of me?" "The easiest way imaginable: you would have returned to land with the coasting pilot." "Stop! Is that really possible?" "Everything is possible that one wants very much." "Well then, I will have luncheon with you." "Then you will not leave us until we get to Piliers; you will return with the pilot, to whom you can give a crown-piece, and you will pass for an Englishman who wanted a taste of sea-sickness." "Done! Arrange matters with him for me." He called to the pilot, spoke a few words to him in a whisper, pointed me out with a glance, and the pilot nodded in sign of acquiescence. "There," said the captain, "that matter is fixed up all right!" Then, addressing the sailors who had been heaving the anchor apeak, he said-- "Up aloft with you and let go the top-sails and the courses, the jibs and the spanker!" "Ah, captain," I said, "do not go and serve me the trick that Bougainville did to his friend the curé of Boulogne!" "Oh, no fear of that! Besides, I am not going all round the world!"[1] Lastly, turning to his men, he shouted-- "Get ready to hoist and haul in the top-sails!"