Although the National Guards were close upon them,-although the steam-boat was captured, there still appeared the madman's hope that by getting into the water they could escape. At this time there were two fishing-boats some distance at sea, and a small lugger-rigged boat far-far away; the wind was so light that the boats were obliged to resort to their oars; but, had they used their utmost endeavours, and been as enthusiastic in the cause as the wouldbe Emperor himself, they could not have given any assistance in less than half an hour. The National Guards were within ten yards of the flying revolutionists; they called to the mob to disperse as they were about to fire, and no second intimation was required; in a moment the seven men were alone, struggling through the water not more than knee-deep, and then, to the disgrace of some of the National Guards, they fired upon these defenceless men, as if they were ducks in a pond destined for a morning's sport.

Cowardice! - dastardly cowardice! Had the boat swam, and the crew disregarded the summons to surrender, then fire. It is a painful alternative to prevent escape. But in this case, with an enemy unarmed, without the possibility of escape, to fire at men not fifteen yards distance, coolly, deliberately taking aim, was a butchery which would have disgraced the shambles! The National Guards were, at least, four to one. Why did they not follow in the water, when their bayonets must have secured the remnant of that forlorn hope, or they might have sat down on the beach, and, wishing the Emperor a comfortable bathe, have ordered one of the machines down to receive him when he was tired: but no; they fired, and in a moment the water was stained with blood. A Pole was the first victim.

Undismayed by the rapidity of the fire, and its vicinity, the Emperor and Colonel Voisin continued to walk farther out, and we all know how slowly any one can walk in the water. The Colonel

waved his hat for assistance, and was thus mistaken, I think, for the Emperor; he received three balls in him, whilst the Emperor, stooping down so as only to render his head visible, crept out into deeper water. When I say that at these seven men more than twenty shots were fired, I am within bounds. Why they ceased, unless some returning spark of humanity warmed their brutal minds, is inexplicable.

For twenty minutes, the Emperor, with Voisin close to him, remained in the water, until one of the pilot-boats hauled him in, like a half-drowned rat, and brought him to the landing-place in the harbour. This was bad enough, Heaven knows! but what have they to say to the murder of Monsieur Faure, Military Sub-intendant, by a miserable fellow, named Simeon Pringie, a mason. Faure, finding himself pursued, surrendered his sword to this man, who then coolly and deliberately shot him! It is only justice, however, to others, to state that on the evening of that day Pringie was hooted from one or two estaminets, to which he was accustomed to re

sort.

Well, the day of wonder is passed; the carriages, the horses, the live eagle, the ten thousand pounds, the brilliant star, the little cocked hat, and the green coat, have played their parts, and are now almost forgotten, saving by those who watch these strange occurrences, and remember them, "to point a moral, or adorn a tale."

"Send for my horses," said I. "I am sick of the gasconade on one side, and the proclamations and addresses on the other. How a whole populace can be said to have covered themselves with glory because they did not violate their oaths of allegiance, or turn traitors to the father of that Prince who but three weeks before they assembled to see and to cheer, I cannot understand; but, no doubt, it is a French façon de parler. Glory, in turning out to defeat fifty lacqueys dressed as soldiers!"

"Can't have any horses to-day, sir," said my servant ; " the mayor has given orders for no post-horses to be sent."

I could not help giving the mayor a blessing for his particular care in closing the stable-door after he had secured the horse.

There was a fair at Boulogne at this time, and it lost nothing of its attractions in consequence of this émeute. The French are as gay as they are frivolous, and they are more easily gulled than any nation under the sun. Ask a Frenchman if he is free? he will answer you that France is the land of freedom. Pretty freedom, forsooth! If you are sick, and require a sea-water bath, you must obtain an order from the mayor before you can obtain the salt-water out of Neptune's great pond. You cannot even obtain a bottle of salt-water without danger of being insulted by one of the Coast-Guard, who believe that if you diminish the quantity there will not be enough for Boulogne harbour. A Frenchman cannot move without being questioned; cannot change his abode without notice to the police; cannot stir an inch in freedom; any gend'arme in the kingdom may demand his business. He cannot go out of his country without a permit d'embarkation? A domiciliary visit may be made at discretion; and he is made to convict himself of the crime of which he may be accused. But, under all this they laugh and sing; and the theatre does not close, although the blood may be flowing like a river in the streets. They are living contradictions; they seem enchanted with life, and yet commit suicide with a sang froid perfectly marvellous. When Louis Napoleon, however, had done all he could to save his life, even at the risk of drowning, and was lugged into the boat, he called out "Laissez moi plutôt mourir." If he had stood still the bungling National Guard might have hit him.

On the morning of the 7th the embargo on the horses was removed. The Minister of Justice had arrived from Paris, and the Préfet from Arras. Eight hundred troops had been sent from St. Omer; and the château was guarded so as to render escape or rescue impossible. I left the scene of action with delight. Every head peeped into the carriage, for every movement was supposed to have somewhat of connection with the affair. My ship's company (rather a slender crew) consisting of my wife, her maid, a man, and my invaluable dog, Scamp the last a present from Marryat, — and myself, left Boulogne, and jolted along that cursed hilly road to Calais.

Our conversation all turned upon Napoleon Louis, as he signed himself, and his notable gang of adventurers. One of them, a regular revolution-assistant, a lazy fellow, had served half the world, and satisfied none. His name is Piconi, by birth an Italian. This fellow served under Napoleon the Great; was present, and aided and abetted the revolution of Bologna; was at Strasburg when the last foolish attempt was made; and now figures as a captain in the list of captives. I saw him taken prisoner; and I never saw a man

more indifferent to his fate. He had divested himself of his coat when he took to the water, and looked about on his landing for acquaintance, amongst whom he numbered my servant.

As we journeyed along we were the subject of much curiosity; the mounted gendarmerie looked steadily at me; and, when we changed horses, and I was shaking myself through the host of importunate beggars who throng about the poste aux chevaux, the gend'arme was examining my passport, looking to see that the name corresponded with that on the luggage, and questioning the servant as to my name, title, estate, my route, destination, place of departure. He seemed, indeed, as anxious to know my birth and pedigree, as if I were myself the Emperor.

At Calais the scrutiny was excessive; and I was asked why I would not go to an hotel? I answered, that I intended to sleep at Dunkirk. This was voted suspicious in this free country; and I was kept waiting at that villanous gate until every visée in my passport was copied. I had lately crossed to England by Dieppe, and this was specially recorded. Indeed not one circumstance was omitted. During this time at least eight gend'armes came to the carriage-window to overhaul my appearance, and numerous attempts were made to induce me to speak French, in order to ascertain from the pronunciation if I was really English. I gave one good, sonorous "damn," accompanied with a mention of the gend'arme's "eyes," and I was released directly. It is written, "Swear not at all;" but in proper times, and under peculiar circumstances great latitude is allowed to a sailor, who would otherwise be out in his longitude.

Oh! what an everlastingly flat, straight, uninteresting route it is from Calais to Gravelines, and what a miserable pace the jaded horses seem to go! Even the second overhaul at Gravelines, more provokingly long than that at Calais was a relief from the jog-jog jumble of the carriage. I believe, at last, they were satisfied of my claim to a freer land, although my name was French; and, having another shake for two hours more, I got safe to Dunkirk, and drove to the Hôtel de Flandres. Here I became a regular lion. Crowds assembled to hear the true report of the Boulogne affair; and more than one asked, was there no demonstration in his favour? Did none of the soldiers of the line (no one asked about the National Guards) swerve to serve him? and when the answer "No" was given, one gentleman shrugg'd his shoulders, and said it was odd; another called Napoleon Louis a farceur; and another wondered he had not attempted to land at Dunkirk. It occurred to me, being, perhaps, a very stupid fellow, that if the gend'armes had followed some of my questioners they might have learnt more than in looking at my face.

I am surprised that Dunkirk is not more resorted to than it is by the English, who spread themselves out all over the world, and migrate as regularly as the storks from Holland, or the swallows from England. It is a clean town, with excellent houses, a magnificent pier, a good harbour, reasonable living, near the frontier (a great recommendation to a debtor), and not far from England. There are some Englishwhere shall we find a place free from them? Not even the great wall of China! There they are swarming now, but not exactly as Moore says in his " Fudge Family," "taking tea and toast." There

is one drawback to Dunkirk,—and a great one it is, it is true, the streets have a foot-pavement, but it is rendered perfectly useless by the number of main hatchways which lead down into the holds of the different houses. These holds are turned into shops, and, as the hatchways open like the shutters of a French window, they occupy the whole pavement, and force the pedestrian into the road. At night, when they are shut, it is still worse, for, as they are above the level of the pavement, a short-sighted man, or one who sees double, stands the best chance in the world of breaking both his shins and his nose. Nearly opposite the Hôtel de Flandres is a baker's hold, and Scamp, who is an inquisitive dog, being rather hasty in his discoveries, tumbled down head-over-heels into the long trough, in which a bare-footed man-by no means cleaner than was requisite, was treading out the dough. He seemed quite to understand me when I said, that such rolls were symptoms of bad-bred dogs, and he never ventured near the regions below again. But Dunkirk is a dull town; it wants more society thrown into it; nor does its Pavilion attract much attention. There was a public concert the night of my arrival; but the room was thinly attended. I was out in time to attend early mass at St. Eloi; and, as I looked at the belfry opposite I wondered myself that Napoleon had not landed here, for the chimes were playing the "Marseillois," and he would have had revolutionary music ready made. I thought I observed-for, I suppose, although I am married, I may admire the beauties of Nature- a great change in the physiognomy of the women for the better. Generally speaking the French are as ugly a race as the pug-dogs in England; the old people look like squeezed frogs; and the young ones all mouth and eyes, like a young alligaAt Dunkirk I thought I remarked a better style of face altogether, getting between the French ugliness and the handsomest of the Belgian race. And be it known to all travellers- the young in particular that "formosis Burga puellis" is still applicable to Bruges. It was market-day at Dunkirk, and I saw at least five hundred girls congregated together, and by way of improving la belle France I recommended a migration of these young ladies to the vicinity of Paris, where ugliness is triumphant. I found the charges moderate; that is, a shade and a half below those at the Hôtel de l'Europe at Abbeville. For dinner, beds, breakfast, my servants, and hotel servants, everything included, thirty-five francs. At the barrier on the road to Furnes I found descriptions of the persons of De la Borde, Parquin, and others of the conspirators; and, after a careful examination of my countenance I was declared free of duty, and discharged from the country. The officer took off his hat, and having said "Bon voyage, mon capitaine," was about to retreat into his cottage to blow a fresh cloud of tobacco.

tor.

"Avaust heaving, shipmate!" said I; "I'll trouble you to ballast my carriage with some five franc pieces, for I'm getting very light in the silvery line."

He stared; but I got his eyebrows down to their right places when I showed him the certificate for my carriage having paid duty on being disembarked at Boulogne a year ago. In a moment he booked up two hundred and fifty francs, and I then thanked him for his "bon voyage," and continued my drive along the canal

towards Ostend.

COLIN CLINK.

BY CHARLES HOOTON.

BOOK THE SECOND.

CHAPTER XX.

Something strange on the staircase, with a needful reflection or two upon it. By this time Colin's resources had become so low that but thirteen shillings remained; and, of that about one-half would be due to his landlady in a few days. Yet he continued his kindness towards the poor singer on the second floor, and only the day previously had exchanged his last sovereign on her account. The feelings with which her appearance had first inspired him he could not wholly shake off; although between then and now he had become acquainted with circumstances which pointed out to him the necessity of setting such a connexion aside. In order to carry it the better into effect, he made up his mind to quit the house altogether a step he could the more readily take as he had not hitherto even seen Miss Wintlebury except on the stage; and she, on the other hand, could know no more of him than his kindness might have informed her of. About twelve o'clock, as he was descending the stairs, his sight was crossed on the first landing by a vision in a white dress, which flitted from Miss Wintlebury's chamber to her sitting-room. Its hair was tightly screwed up in bits of newspaper all over its head, very strongly resembling a clumsy piece of mosaic. Its face was of a horrible cream-colour, and as dry as the hide of a rhinoceros. Its eyes dim and glazy. Its neck and shoulders with respect to the developement of tendons and sinews-not unlike an anatomical preparation. This surprising appearance no sooner heard Colin's footsteps approaching than it skipped rapidly into the sitting-room, and without turning to close the door, sat hastily down at a small table, on which stood a black teapot, and one cup and saucer, as if with the intention of taking its breakfast.

Somewhat alarmed, Colin hastened down, and was glad to find Mrs. Popple on her hands and knees at the door, applying pipe-clay to the step. Of her he inquired the nature of the apparition he had seen; and was shocked indeed when he found that he had mistaken Miss Wintlebury herself for her own ghost. Still the fact was scarcely credible. Surely it was not possible to patch up such a shadow, into the handsome figure which had first inspired him with love; and the recollection of whose beauties still attended upon his imagination.

"Ah, sir!" exclaimed Mrs. Popple; "you ain't any conception what a poor creatur' she is. I can carry her about this house like a doll, she's so light and thin. She walks about more like a sperit than anything substantive. I often think of turning her out of house altogether, for I'm afraid I shall never get my rent of her; but then, again, when I'm going to do it, a summut seems to whisper to me, and say, 'Missis Popple-Missis Popple, let her alone a bit longer.' And that is the way we go on." Saying which, with a heavy sigh, she drained another ragfull of water from her bucket, and scrubbed away at the stones. Colin stood mute.

"She's dyin', sir, as fast as she can," added the landlady. "I niver see an indiwidiwal in a more gallopin' consumption in my life."