"Ah, ah, you are still thinking of that; I believed, my dear Bouillot, that it was arranged between us that we should not return to this subject. That was the reason, then, that you lengthened our journey, by making us pass through Toulon, at which I felt surprised. I could not account for the strange itinerary you were following." "My lord," he muttered, clasping his hands imploringly. "Come, you are mad, my dear Bouillot, you ought to know by this time, though, that when I have formed a resolution, good or bad, I never alter it; so no more of this, I beg, it would be quite useless. I pledge you my word as a gentleman." The old servant uttered a groan that resembled a death rattle. "Your will be done, my lord," he stammered. "When do we start for Antibes?" "At once, if you wish it." "Very good, the sooner the better." After bowing, the exempt left the room to make all preparations for departure. As we see, the parts were completely introverted, it was the prisoner who gave orders to his keeper. One hour later, in fact, the Count quitted Toulon. All along the road the two men, constantly companions, and eating and drinking together, conversed about indifferent matters. Bouillot had at last recognized the fact that it was useless to make any further effort to induce the Count to escape; still he had not given up his scheme, but merely deferred it till a more distant period, reckoning as an ally the annoyance of a prolonged detention, and an inactive and useless life upon an organization so impetuous as that of the prisoner. So soon as he arrived at Antibes, by the express command of the Count, who seemed to take a certain pleasure in tormenting him, he set out in search of some boat to carry them across to Sainte Marguerite. His search was neither long nor difficult; as bearer of a Cardinal's order, he laid an embargo on the first fishing boat he came across, and embarked aboard it with all his people. On leaving the mainland, the Count turned, and a smile of peculiar meaning played round his lips. Bouillot, deceived by this smile, whose secret intention he did not penetrate, bent down to the Count's ear. "If you like, there is still time," he whispered. The Count looked at him, shrugged his shoulders, and without replying, sat down in the stern of the boat. "Push off," Bouillot then shouted to the master. The latter seized his boathook, and they were soon under weigh. The Lerins islands form a group composed of several rocks, and two islands surrounded by shoals; the first known as Isle Sainte Marguerite, the second as Saint Honorat. At the period of our narration only the first was fortified; the other, inhabited by a few fishermen, merely contained the still considerable ruins of the monastery founded by Saint Honorat circa the year 400.