"Well, and if he was hung, and if the French took the place, you'd be hung too." "What do you mean, young man?" "That man over there is the French officer who has escaped." "Good gracious me!" "Yes, and you must suppose him to be me. Marry him to Bertha, and help him to escape to the French fleet." "No!--on the faith of a burgomaster, no!--on the word of a German, no!" "But your neck?" "I don't care. The French may not take the place." "And the French may. Who'll be the wiser, burgomaster?" "My conscience, young sailor." "And you'll save a man." "Oh, dear! dear! dear!" "Here! the best table for the burgomaster! The handsomest chair for the burgomaster! Make a good pen for the burgomaster!" "Oh, dear! dear! dear!" The burgomaster then, in the homely German fashion, asked the usual questions, filled up the marriage-contract, and then handed the pen to the bride. She trembled rather as she put her name to the paper, but not so much as the young sailor. As for the Frenchman, he hesitated before he put his name down,--and when he had done so, he flung the pen away, as though he had done wrong. One hour after that, these two young people were married in the village church. The little village festivities which followed need not be dwelt upon; but imagine the summer-evening come, and Daniel and the French officer stealing down to the rocky beach. The young sailor showed a deal of doubtful feeling as he saw the tearful energy with which little Bertha parted with her make-believe husband; and when little Doome, who had been let into all the secrets, except the one that Daniel kept to himself--namely, that he was Daniel,--when little Doome crept up to condole with him on the hard case of the newly-married pair, it must be said that he pushed her away quite roughly. Soon the two men reached the shore. Daniel instinctively went to a little cove where he knew of old a boat would be,--and as darkness came on, the plashing of a couple of oars sounded near the little cove where the boat had been. "Mind, comrade, I have paid my debt! You may be taken, and you run your chance; though if you get to your ship, you know, one gun, _as you promised your wife_, fired eastward." "All right, Daniel. You will like me as well as ever, Daniel, in a few days." "No, comrade, there's a woman between us."