The two midshipmen and Reuben followed, much crest-fallen. They were in the hands of the police; of that there could be no doubt. Should they keep up their assumed characters, or acknowledge their true ones and brave the worst. They could not venture to speak to consult with each other. Paul thought that the best plan would be to keep silent till compelled to speak. He therefore got as near O’Grady as he could, and, pretending to stumble, put his finger against his friend’s lips. O’Grady passed on the signal soon afterwards to Reuben. This matter arranged, they quietly followed their captor—O’Grady doing his best to hum a tune which he had heard Rosalie sing, and forgetting that he pretended to be deaf as well as dumb. There was still sufficient light for them to see that their captor was a gendarme, a discovery far from pleasant, as it led them to suppose that some person in authority was at the place, who might dispose of them in a somewhat summary manner. The man turned round once or twice, and told them, in no pleasant voice, to walk quicker, while he led the way to the château they had observed from the cliff. They found themselves standing before the château. It looked vast and gloomy in the dark. In another minute they were in a large hall in the presence of several persons, one of whom, a fierce-looking bearded official, inquired who they were, where they had come from, whither they were going.
Paul, with a fluency which surprised himself, narrated the story which had been arranged by Rosalie, O’Grady going through his part, pointing to his lips, and making inarticulate sounds, while Reuben imitated him in a way which seemed to try the gravity of those before whom he stood. Paul thought that all was going on smoothly, when he was considerably taken aback by seeing the officer laugh, and hearing him say in fair English:—
“You speak well, certainly, for one who has been so short a time in the country, but I should have understood you better had you spoken in English; and now I should like to know what your young friend here, and your lame companion, have to say for themselves. There’s a salt-water look about them which makes me suspect that they know more about a ship than a vineyard.”
The midshipmen saw that all further disguise was useless.
“Well, sir,” exclaimed O’Grady, “if you know that we are English officers, you will understand that we were captured in a merchantman returning home invalided, and that as we were not on our parole, we had a full right to endeavour to make our escape.”
“Granted, young sir,” said the officer, blandly; “and not only had you a right to endeavour to escape, but you shall be allowed to proceed if you will answer me a few simple questions.”
“What are they?” asked Paul and O’Grady, in a breath.
“Oh, a mere trifle,” said the officer. “Who concealed you when you first made your escape? who assisted you to obtain your disguise? who invented your well-arranged story? and who forwarded you on your way?”
The midshipmen looked at each other.
“Shall I answer, Paddy?” asked Paul, eagerly.