The duchesse's friends renewed their entreaties; they enumerated the dangers she had run; but an argument of that nature was more likely to incite than to hinder. "God and St. Anne will help me!" she said; "I have had a good night, and I am rested; I wish to start to-night." The order given, there was nothing else to be done but to obey it. M. de B----l made preparations for this departure in the greatest secrecy. He procured a travelling carriage from the next village, which, on the following night, was to wait at a given hour and place; unluckily, it only had three seats in it. Madame chose to accompany M. de Ménars and M. de Villeneuve, a relative of the Marquis de B----l, and they set out the same evening. M. de Villeneuve, known and respected throughout the South, was bearer of a passport for himself, his wife and one servant. M. de Lorge solicited the humble title of valet-de-chambre, and, at the hour for departure, came to offer his services to Madame in a suit of livery. It reminds one of Charles Edward at Culloden, and of Louis XVI. at Varennes. Madame held out her hand so that those who could not accompany her could salute it, assigned a rendezvous in the West, and left for la Vendée, where we shall follow her. [Footnote 1: See Appendix.] [Footnote 2: The reader knows Charette's letter to the Comte d' Artois after the defeat at Quiberon.] CHAPTER III Madame's itinerary--Panic--M. de Puylaroque--_Domine salvum fac Philippum_--The château de Dampierre--Madame de la Myre--The pretended cousin and the curé--M. Guibourg--M. de Bourmont--Letter of Madame to M. de Coislin--The _noms de_ _guerre_--Proclamation of Madame--New kind of _henna_--M. Charette--Madame is nearly drowned in the Maine--The sexton in charge of the provisions--A night in the stable--The Legitimists of Paris--They dispatch M. Berryer into la Vendée They had to reach the place where the carriage was by narrow footpaths which were difficult and full of brambles; Madame lost her shawl among them. This was during the night between Thursday and Friday, 4 May. The carriage, brought by MM. de B----l and de Villeneuve, was waiting at the appointed place. The night was calm, silent and clear; although the moon was only in its first quarter, they could see for some distance. Now they thought they could perceive a man on horseback standing on the road. One of the gentlemen slipped among the hillocks and returned to announce that the man on horseback was a gendarme. At the same time, they began to hear the steps of a troop of horses, and could see the sparks flying from the still distant hoofs of the cavalry. Should they depart like fugitives or boldly expose themselves by remaining? Madame was for the bold course! if they fled, no matter how quickly, they would be sure to be overtaken; if they stayed, and suspicion was not aroused, they had a chance by not awaking it.