It was the concealed labours of the many against the despotism of the few. In this view we cannot look upon the exertions of those thus aiding persons who had so recently been in arms against their country to escape, in the light either of traitors or unpatriotic conspirators.

The mason laboured, and found that the excavation had reached from the cellar to the wall of the garden of the Temple; but instead of finding it to be too low, it proved to be too high. The perforation of this wall commenced, and every stone was removed with the greatest precautionbut in vain! The hopes of months were frustrated in a moment! The last stones rolled outwards into the garden of the Temple, and fell at the feet of the sentinel. The alarm was sounded, the guard arrived, and, in a moment, all was discovered. Very fortunately, the friends of the prisoners had just time to escape, and not one of them was taken.

They had provided for all conjunctures, and had so well arranged their measures, that, when the commissaries of the Bureau Central came to examine the cellar and the rooms above them, they found only a few pieces of furniture, trunks filled with logs of wood and hay, and some hats decorated with the tri-coloured cockade, for the use of those who had intended their escape, as they had in their possession only black ones.

After this tantalising failure, when everything seemed so auspicious, and everything had been so admirably conducted, Sir Sidney Smith wrote to Madame de T. to console both her and her young friend. Indeed, the latter needed every sympathy, for his misery was nearly insupportable at this bitter frustration of his welldevised scheme.

Sir Sidney and his companions were in no manner depressed in spirits by this defeat, but were continually contriving some new scheme for their freedom. Defeat will only discourage weak minds; and the reader must have already discovered that there was very little of weakness in the mind of our hero. These manifold machinations did not escape the notice of the keeper; but his principal prisoner cared so little about his suspicions, that he was frequently so frank as to acknowledge that there was good cause for them.

This prince of jailers seems to have met this frankness with a corresponding openness, for he often said, "Commodore, your friends are desirous of liberating you, and they only do their duty; I also am doing mine in watching you more narrowly."

Though this keeper was a man of the sternest severity in act, yet, in manner, he never departed from the rules of civility and politeness. He

was the preux chevalier of jailers. He treated all his captives with as much kindness as his sense of duty permitted him to show them, and even piqued himself upon his generosity. Various and very tempting proposals were made to him, but he indignantly rejected them all, and merely responded to them by watching his charge the more closely. He had very nice notions of honour, and though he thought himself too humble himself to boast of them, he expected and respected them in others.

One day, as Sir Sidney was dining with him, this keeper perceived that his guest regarded an open window in the room with all the wistful attention of one long imprisoned. Now this window opened on the street, and the gaze gave the keeper so much uneasiness, that it highly amused the commodore. However, not wishing to give the good man who behaved so well to him too long a probation, he said to him, laughing, “ I know what you are thinking of; but fear not. It is now three o'clock. I will make a truce with you till midnight; and I give you my word of honour, until that time, even were the doors open, I would not escape.

"

When that hour is

passed, my promise is at an end, and we are enemies again."

66

Sir," said he, "

your word is a safer bond

than my bars or bolts: till midnight, therefore, I am perfectly easy."

This tells highly for both parties—nor is this all. When they arose from table, the keeper took Sir Sidney aside, and said to him, "Commodore, the Boulevard is not far off. If you are inclined to take the air, I will conduct you thither." This proposition struck the prisoner with the utmost astonishment, as he could not conceive how this man, who, but lately, appeared so severe and so uneasy, should thus suddenly come to the resolution of making such a proposal. He accepted it, however, and, in the evening, they went out. From that time forward, this mutual confidence always continued. Whenever the distinguished prisoner was desirous to enjoy perfect liberty, a suspension of hostilities was offered until a certain time, and this was never refused by his generous enemy; but, immediately the armistice terminated, his vigilance was unremitting. Every post was scrupulously examined, and every fitful order of the Directory that, at times, he should be kept more closely, was enforced with a rigid scrupulosity.

CHAPTER XI.

The renewed rigour of Sir Sidney's confinement—M. T.'s exchange effected-The successful plan of escape devised —Is put in execution-Sir Sidney proceeds to Rouen— Arrives safely in London-His reception by his sovereign and his countrymen.

UNDER these circumstances of restraint, Sir Sidney again found himself free only to contrive and prepare for freedom, and the jailer again to treat him with the utmost rigour. Sir Sidney did not lack amusement. We are sadly afraid that this exquisite race of jailers is extinct. Sir Sidney Smith has himself placed upon record this man's creed of honour; we rather think that he gave his superiors too much credit. He would not have found all prisoners of rank like Sir Sidney. It was thus that he frequently addressed his captive:-" If you were under sentence of death, I would permit you to go out on