“Tell them anything you like, except not to let anyone know where you leave the child,” replied the baron, as Leon started on an errand which, in spite of his protest to the contrary, was thoroughly after his own heart; indeed, any mad freak such as this was quite in his line.

Among his crew he had an English sailor who acted as carpenter, and, as Leon often said, was worth two or three French sailors in a gale or an emergency.  He knew the Channel, too, as well as a pilot, and, indeed often acted in that capacity; he was an honest, trustworthy man—­at least, so Leon thought; and as he rode over the hills to Carolles, he decided to take this man into his confidence, and see if he could help him; it was possible this Englishman knew of some of his own countrywomen who would undertake the charge of the child.

Accordingly, when he reached his yacht, Leon called for John Smith, and had a long conversation with him in English, which he spoke fairly well, the result of which was the carpenter, after a little thought, declared he knew of a shepherd and his wife in Sussex who, he felt sure, would undertake the charge of the child; his only fear was that they might have some scruples about keeping the matter a secret, and might want to know who the child was; but if Leon would leave this to him to arrange, he could, he thought, manage it so that the shepherd should have no idea to whom the child belonged, nor why it was put into his care.

“Where does this good man live?” asked Leon.

“About four or five miles from Brighton, sir.  The wind is favourable; we might run across in twenty-four hours or less if it lasts, and I think it will; we shall have the tide with us going out if we start at ten to-night,” said the carpenter.

“Well, that is settled.  Now the next point is, who is to take care of it on board?  It must be fed; who of our men understands babies best?”

“I can’t undertake that, sir, but there’s Pierre Legros, he has half a dozen of his own, and when he is at home looks after them all I believe; he ought to know all about it.”

“Call Pierre, then.”

Pierre Legros was accordingly called, and, on hearing what was required of him, professed with pride his ability to act as nurse during the voyage; and having commissioned him to lay in a stock of food for the baby, about which Leon’s ideas were exceedingly vague, Leon rode back to the chateau.

The baron was on the lookout for him, and was delighted to hear all was arranged for the baby’s removal.

“I have not been idle since you have been gone.  Luckily Mathilde has a headache, so I have sent her to bed, and I sat with her till she was asleep.  My next care was to get rid of the nurse, so I have packed her off to Brecy with one of the other servants for some medicine for Mathilde, and the coast is clear to the nursery now.  There is only one of the housemaids with the baby, and when you are ready to start you must lose something and require her to find it while I secure the child.  Lastly, I ordered the dogcart, and said I would drive you.”