If his conversation did not divert my thoughts, it at least suffered me to pursue them unmolested; and so I travelled along through the whole of that night and the following day, seldom speaking, or only in half mechanical assent to some remark of my companion. “They 'll want to see your passport here, citizen,” said he, as we approached the gate of a fortified town; “so get it ready, and don't delay the authorities.” A few minutes more brought us to the outworks of a fortification, passing through which, we crossed a drawbridge, over a deep moat, and entered a long, dark archway. Here the diligence drew up, and the passengers were ordered to descend. I overheard the _conducteur_ say the word “conscript,” and began to fear that he used it in relation to me, when suddenly the official, opening my passport, called out: “Which of you is the citizen Bernard?” I at once remembered that it was the name I had recruited under, and answered, “It is I.” “Step inside here,” said he, civilly; “I have some directions with respect to you.” I walked into a small chamber off the public room, when, having carefully closed the door, he said,-- “So you are going over to England, monsieur?” The last word was accented deeply, and with an emphasis meant to show that he who used it proclaimed himself no partisan of republican principles, but one who held to the ancient habits of the monarchy. The manners of the time suggested distrust on all sides, and I answered, guardedly, that I had some intention of visiting England. “You will see them, then,” resumed he, “and even that much is a blessing in itself! How do I envy you! Ah, monsieur, if the name should not escape you, will you try and remember Claude Mirepois? My father was head postilion in the royal stables, and enjoyed his pension to his death; and I was educated by order of the princes, and was to have been in the household too.” “Are we all right and regular, citizen?” broke in the _conducteur_, putting in his head. “All right--quite right, citizen Guichemar,” said the other, in some confusion. “These are ticklish times; I was anxious to see that this youth's pass was regular.” “_Parbleu!_ a conscript is always _en règle_,” said the other, laughing, and so hurried me away to the diligence; and once more we rattled along on our journey. The whole of that night my mind dwelt upon this incident. Amongst the various parties that disputed for preeminence in the country, I had never heard of any professing royalist principles, except the Vendeans; nor had I the slightest suspicion that many concealed monarchists held places of trust under the government of the republic.