“Let us set out forthwith, for if the gale gets stronger I shall not be able to double the island.”

She saw my advice was not to be questioned, and taking the key of her strong box, whence she desired to get some money, she was delighted to find her store increased fourfold.  She thanked me for having told her nothing about it, assuring me she would have of me nothing but my heart, and following me she got into my boat and lay down at full length so as not to hinder its motion, I got upon the poop, as full of fear as courage, and in five minutes I had the good luck to double the point.  But there it was that the tyrant was waiting for me, and it was not long before I felt that my strength would not outlast that of the winds.  I rowed with all my strength, but all I could do was to prevent my boat from going back.  For half an hour I was in this pitiful state, and I felt my strength failing without daring to say a word.  I was out of breath, but could not rest a moment, since the least relaxation would have let the boat slip a far way back, and this would have been a distance hard to recover.  M——­ M——­ lay still and silent, for she perceived I had no breath wherewith to answer her.  I began to give ourselves up as lost.

At that instant I saw in the distance a barque coming swiftly towards us.  What a piece of luck!  I waited till she caught us up, for if I had not done so I should not have been able to make myself heard, but as soon as I saw her at my left hand, twelve feet off, I shouted, “Help!  I will give two sequins!”

They lowered sail and came towards me, and on their hailing me I asked for a man to take us to the opposite point of the island.  They asked a sequin in advance, I gave it them, and promised the other to the man who would get on my poop and help me to make the point.  In less than ten minutes we were opposite to the little stream leading to the convent, but the secret of it was too dear to be hazarded, so as soon as we reached the point I paid my preserver and sent him back.  Henceforth the wind was in our favour, and we soon got to the little door, where M——­ M——­ landed, saying to me, “Go and sleep in the casino.”  I thought her advice wise, and I followed it, and having the wind behind me I got to the casino without trouble, and slept till broad day.  As soon as I had risen I wrote to my dear mistress that I was well, and that we should see each other at the grating.  Having taken my boat back to St. Francis, I put on my mask and went to Liston.

In the morning M——­ M——­ came to the grating by herself, and we made all such observations as our adventures of the night would be likely to suggest, but in place of deciding to follow the advice which prudence should have given us-namely, not to expose ourselves to danger for the future, we thought ourselves extremely prudent in resolving that if we were again threatened by a storm we would set out as soon as we saw it rising.  All the