good　resolution；　and　in　a　moment　all　was　light　about　me　like　a
  theatre；　and　I　saw　myself　upon　the　stage　of　it　playing　ignoble
  parts。　　I　remembered　France　and　my　Emperor；　now　depending　on　the
  arbitrament　of　war；　bent　down；　fighting　on　their　knees　and　with
  their　teeth　against　so　many　and　such　various　assailants。　　And　I
  burned　with　shame　to　be　here　in　England；　cherishing　an　English
  fortune；　pursuing　an　English　mistress；　and　not　there；　to　handle　a
  musket　in　my　native　fields；　and　to　manure　them　with　my　body　if　I
  fell。　　I　remembered　that　I　belonged　to　France。　　All　my　fathers　had
  fought　for　her；　and　some　had　died；　the　voice　in　my　throat；　the
  sight　of　my　eyes；　the　tears　that　now　sprang　there；　the　whole　man　of
  me；　was　fashioned　of　French　earth　and　born　of　a　French　mother；　I
  had　been　tended　and　caressed　by　a　succession　of　the　daughters　of
  France；　the　fairest；　the　most　ill…starred；　and　I　had　fought　and
  conquered　shoulder　to　shoulder　with　her　sons。　　A　soldier；　a　noble；
  of　the　proudest　and　bravest　race　in　Europe；　it　had　been　left　to　the
  prattle　of　a　hobbledehoy　lackey　in　an　English　chaise　to　recall　me
  to　the　consciousness　of　duty。
  When　I　saw　how　it　was　I　did　not　lose　time　in　indecision。　　The　old
  classical　conflict　of　love　and　honour　being　once　fairly　before　me；
  it　did　not　cost　me　a　thought。　　I　was　a　Saint…Yves　de　Keroual；　and　I
  decided　to　strike　off　on　the　morrow　for　Wakefield　and　Burchell
  Fenn；　and　embark；　as　soon　as　it　should　be　morally　possible；　for　the
  succour　of　my　downtrodden　fatherland　and　my　beleaguered　Emperor。
  Pursuant　on　this　resolve；　I　leaped　from　bed；　made　a　light；　and　as
  the　watchman　was　crying　half…past　two　in　the　dark　streets　of
  Lichfield；　sat　down　to　pen　a　letter　of　farewell　to　Flora。　　And　then
  …　whether　it　was　the　sudden　chill　of　the　night；　whether　it　came　by
  association　of　ideas　from　the　remembrance　of　Swanston　Cottage　I
  know　not；　but　there　appeared　before　me　…　to　the　barking　of　sheep…
  dogs　…　a　couple　of　snuffy　and　shambling　figures；　each　wrapped　in　a
  plaid；　each　armed　with　a　rude　staff；　and　I　was　immediately　bowed
  down　to　have　forgotten　them　so　long；　and　of　late　to　have　thought　of
  them　so　cavalierly。
  Sure　enough　there　was　my　errand！　　As　a　private　person　I　was　neither
  French　nor　English；　I　was　something　else　first：　a　loyal　gentleman；
  an　honest　man。　　Sim　and　Candlish　must　not　be　left　to　pay　the
  penalty　of　my　unfortunate　blow。　　They　held　my　honour　tacitly
  pledged　to　succour　them；　and　it　is　a　sort　of　stoical　refinement
  entirely　foreign　to　my　nature　to　set　the　political　obligation　above
  the　personal　and　private。　　If　France　fell　in　the　interval　for　the
  lack　of　Anne　de　St。…Yves；　fall　she　must！　　But　I　was　both　surprised
  and　humiliated　to　have　had　so　plain　a　duty　bound　upon　me　for　so
  long　…　and　for　so　long　to　have　neglected　and　forgotten　it。　　I　think
  any　brave　man　will　understand　me　when　I　say　that　I　went　to　bed　and
  to　sleep　with　a　conscience　very　much　relieved；　and　woke　again　in
  the　morning　with　a　light　heart。　　The　very　danger　of　the　enterprise
  reassured　me：　to　save　Sim　and　Candlish　（suppose　the　worst　to　come
  to　the　worst）　it　would　be　necessary　for　me　to　declare　myself　in　a
  court　of　justice；　with　consequences　which　I　did　not　dare　to　dwell
  upon；　it　could　never　be　said　that　I　had　chosen　the　cheap　and　the
  easy　…　only　that　in　a　very　perplexing　competition　of　duties　I　had
  risked　my　life　for　the　most　immediate。
  We　resumed　the　journey　with　more　diligence：　thenceforward　posted
  day　and　night；　did　not　halt　beyond　what　was　necessary　for　meals；
  and　the　postillions　were　excited　by　gratuities；　after　the　habit　of
  my　cousin　Alain。　　For　twopence　I　could　have　gone　farther　and　taken
  four　horses；　so　extreme　was　my　haste；　running　as　I　was　before　the
  terrors　of　an　awakened　conscience。　　But　I　feared　to　be　conspicuous。
  Even　as　it　was；　we　attracted　only　too　much　attention；　with　our　pair
  and　that　white　elephant；　the　seventy…pounds…worth　of　claret…
  coloured　chaise。
  Meanwhile　I　was　ashamed　to　look　Rowley　in　the　face。　　The　young
  shaver　had　contrived　to　put　me　wholly　in　the　wrong；　he　had　cost　me
  a　night's　rest　and　a　severe　and　healthful　humiliation；　and　I　was
  grateful　and　embarrassed　in　his　society。　　This　would　never　do；　it
  was　contrary　to　all　my　ideas　of　discipline；　if　the　officer　has　to
  blush　before　the　private；　or　the　master　before　the　servant；　nothing
  is　left　to　hope　for　but　discharge　or　death。　　I　hit　upon　the　idea　of
  teaching　him　French；　and　accordingly；　from　Lichfield；　I　became　the
  distracted　master；　and　he　the　scholar　…　how　shall　I　say？
  indefatigable；　but　uninspired。　　His　interest　never　flagged。　　He
  would　hear　the　same　word　twenty　times　with　profound　refreshment；
  mispronounce　it　in　several　different　ways；　and　forget　it　again　with
  magical　celerity。　　Say　it　happened　to　be　STIRRUP。　　'No；　I　don't
  seem　to　remember　that　word；　Mr。　Anne；'　he　would　say：　'it　don't　seem
  to　stick　to　me；　that　word　don't。'　　And　then；　when　I　had　told　it　him
  again；　'ETRIER！'　he　would　cry。　　'To　be　sure！　　I　had　it　on　the　tip
  of　my　tongue。　　ETERIER！'　（going　wrong　already；　as　if　by　a　fatal
  instinct）。　　'What　will　I　remember　it　by；　now？　　Why；　INTERIOR；　to　be
  sure！　　I'll　remember　it　by　its　being　something　that　ain't　in　the
  interior　of　a　horse。'　　And　when　next　I　had　occasion　to　ask　him　the
  French　for　stirrup；　it　was　a　toss…up　whether　he　had　forgotten　all
  about　it；　or　gave　me　EXTERIOR　for　an　answer。　　He　was　never　a　hair
  discouraged。　　He　seemed　to　consider　that　he　was　covering　the　ground
  at　a　normal　rate。　　He　came　up　smiling　day　after　day。　　'Now；　sir；
  shall　we　do　our　French？'　he　would　say；　and　I　would　put　questions；
  and　elicit　copious　commentary　and　explanation；　but　never　the　shadow
  of　an　answer。　　My　hands　fell　to　my　sides；　I　could　have　wept　to　hear
  him。　　When　I　reflected　that　he　had　as　yet　learned　nothing；　and　what
  a　vast　deal　more　there　was　for　him　to　learn；　the　period　of　these
  lessons　seemed　to　unroll　before　me　vast　as　eternity；　and　I　saw
  myself　a　teacher　of　a　hundred；　and　Rowley　a　pupil　of　ninety；　still
  hammering　on　the　rudiments！　　The　wretched　boy；　I　should　say；　was
  quite　unspoiled　by　the　inevitable　familiarities　of　the　journey。　　He
  turned　out　at　each　stage　the　pink　of　serving…lads；　deft；　civil；
  prompt；　attentive；　touching　his　hat　like　an　automaton；　raising　the
  status　of　Mr。　Ramornie　in　the　eyes　of　all　the　inn　by　his　smiling
  service；　and　seeming　capable　of　anything　in　the　world　but　the　one
  thing　I　had　chosen　…　learning　French！
  CHAPTER　XXIII　…　THE　ADVENTURE　OF　THE　RUNAWAY　COUPLE
  THE　country　had　for　some　time　back　been　changing　in　character。　　By
  a　thousand　indications　I　could　judge　that　I　was　again　drawing　near
  to　Scotland。　　I　saw　it　written　in　the　face　of　the　hills；　in　the
  growth　of　the　trees；　and　in　the　glint　of　the　waterbrooks　that　kept
  the　high…road　company。　　It　might　have　occurred　to　me；　also；　that　I
  was；　at　the　same　time；　approaching　a　place　of　some　fame　in　Britain
  …　Gretna　Green。　　Over　these　same　leagues　of　road　…　which　Rowley　and
  I　now　traversed　in　the　claret…coloured　chaise；　to　the　note　of　the
  flageolet　and　the　French　lesson　…　how　many　pairs　of　lovers　had　gone
  bowling　northwards　to　the　music　of　sixteen　scampering　horseshoes；
  and　how　many　irate　persons；　parents；　uncles；　guardians；　evicted
  rivals；　had　come　tearing　after；　clapping　the　frequent　red　face　to
  the　chaise…window；　lavishly　shedding　their　gold　about　the　post…
  houses；　sedulously　loading　and　re…loading；　as　they　went；　their
  avenging　pistols！　　But　I　doubt　if　I　had　thought　of　it　at　all；
  before　a　wayside　hazard　swept　me　into　the　thick　of　an　adventure　of
  this　nature；　and　I　found　myself　playing　providence　with　other
  people's　lives；　to　my　own　admiration　at　the　moment　…　and
  subsequently　to　my　own　brief　but　passionate　regret。
  At　rather　an　ugly　corner　of　an　uphill　reach　I　came　on　the　wreck　of
  a　chaise　lying　on　one　side　in　the　ditch；　a　man　and　a　woman　in
  animated　discourse　in　the　middle　of　the　road；　and　the　two
  postillions；　each　with　his　pair　of　horses；　looking　on　and　laughing
  from　the　saddle。
  'Morning　breezes！　here's　a　smash！'　cried　Rowley；　pocketing　his
  flageolet　in　the　middle　of　the　TIGHT　LITTLE　ISLAND。
  I　was　perhaps　more　conscious　of　the　moral　smash　than　the　physical　…
  more　alive　to　broken　hearts　than　to　broken　chaises；　for；　as　plain
  as　the　sun　at　morning；　there　was　a　screw　loose　in　this　runaway
  match。　　It　is　always　a　bad　sign　when　the　lower　classes　laugh：　their
  taste　in　humour　is　both　poor　and　sinister；　and　for　a　man；　running
  the　posts　with　four　horses；　presumably　with　open　pockets；　and　in
  the　company　of　the　most　entrancing　little　creature　conceivable；　to
  have　come　down　so　far　as　to　be　laughed　at　by　his　own　postillions；
  was　only　to　be　explained　on　the　double　hypothesis；　that　he　was　a
  fool　and　no　gentleman。
  I　have　said　they　were　man　and　woman。　　I　should　have　sai