On reaching the Lion d’or we discovered that the only conveyance to be had was a species of open market-cart drawn by two horses, and in which it was necessary that my fair friend and myself should seat ourselves side by side upon straw:  there was no choice, and as for Miss Bingham, I believe if an ass with panniers had presented itself, she would have preferred it to remaining where she was.  We therefore took our places, and she could not refrain from laughing as we set out upon our journey in this absurd equipage, every jolt of which threw us from side to side, and rendered every attention on my part requisite to prevent her being upset.

After about two hours’ travelling we arrived at the Amiens road, and stopped at the barriere.  I immediately inquired if a carriage had passed, resembling Mrs. Bingham’s, and learned that it had, about an hour before, and that the lady in it had been informed that two persons, like those she asked after, had been seen in a caleche driving rapidly to Amiens, upon which she set out as fast as possible in pursuit.

“Certainly,” said I, “the plot is thickening; but for that unlucky mistake she might in all probability have waited here for us.  Amiens is only two leagues now, so our drive will not be long, and before six o’clock we shall all be laughing over the matter as a very good joke.”

On we rattled, and as the road became less frequented, and the shadows lengthened, I could not but wonder at the strange situations which the adventurous character of my life had so often involved me in.  Meanwhile, my fair friend’s spirits became more and more depressed, and it was not without the greatest difficulty I was enabled to support her courage.  I assured her, and not altogether without reason, that though so often in my eventful career accidents were occurring which rendered it dubious and difficult to reach the goal I aimed at, yet the results had so often been more pleasant than I could have anticipated, that I always felt a kind of involuntary satisfaction at some apparent obstacle to my path, setting it down as some especial means of fortune, to heighten the pleasure awaiting me; “and now,” added I, “even here, perhaps, in this very mistake of our road—­the sentiments I have heard—­the feelings I have given utterance to—­” What I was about to say, heaven knows—­perhaps nothing less than a downright proposal was coming; but at that critical moment a gen-d’arme rode up to the side of our waggon, and surveyed us with the peculiarly significant scowl his order is gifted with.  After trotting alongside for a few seconds he ordered the driver to halt, and, turning abruptly to us, demanded our passports.  Now our passports were, at that precise moment, peaceably reposing in the side pocket of Mrs. Bingham’s carriage; I therefore explained to the gen-d’arme how we were circumstanced, and added, that on arriving at Amiens the passport should be produced.  To this he replied that all might be perfectly true, but he did not believe a word of it—­that he had received an order for the apprehension of two English persons travelling that road—­and that he should accordingly request our company back to Chantraine, the commissionaire of which place was his officer.