Accepting the hand of the officer, she began the descent of the ladder, at the foot of which the boat waited.

The officer leaped to the pier, and offered his hand to Milady.

The officer saw that the baggage was fastened carefully behind the carriage; and this operation ended, he took his place beside Milady, and shut the door.

The plump officer rose submissively, and they moved towards the door.

He was only looking at the book to avoid conversation with the officers coming in and out; he was thinking.

Nodding with an air of lofty contempt to the two officers, he went up to Vronsky.

"Here are your instructions," replied the officer, placing the folded paper in his hands; and turning round towards D'Artagnan, "Come, monsieur," said he, in an agitated voice (such despair did he behold in that man of iron), "do me the favor to depart at once."

monsieur," said he, in a low voice, to the officer to whom, for an hour, he had ceased speaking, "what would I give to know the instructions for the new commander!

"They have commenced the siege of Belle-Isle," replied the officer. The canoe had just touched the soil of France.

And then he saluted me, and strode from the bridge, a martyr to loyalty and friendship, for, though no man might know that Lieutenant Jefferson Turck had taken his ship across thirty, every man aboard would know that the first officer had committed a crime that was punishable by both degradation and death.

I would replace the destroyed instruments upon the bridge; every officer and man should know when we crossed thirty.

I knew that no more loyal officer wore the uniform of the navy.

The officers (with the exception of Wardour, who stood apart in sullen silence) all agreed, so far.

"The plan proposed is, that a detachment of the able-bodied officers and men among us should set forth this very day, and make another effort to reach the nearest inhabited settlements, from which help and provisions may be dispatched to those who remain here.