we succeeded without much trouble. We begged her to inform us how this accident had happened. "How!" repeated she,—why "it was all along of your all going away,—and there poor Monsieur Du Bois—but it was n't his fault,—for he's as bad off as me."
All eyes were then turned to Monsieur Du Bois, whose clothes were in the same miserable plight with those of Madame Duval, and who, wet, shivering, and disconsolate, had crept to the fire.
The Captain laughed yet more heartily; while Mrs. Mirvan, ashamed of his rudeness, repeated her enquiries to Madame Duval; who answered, "Why, as we were a-coming along, all in the rain, Monsieur Du Bois was so obliging, though I'm sure it was an unlucky obligingness for me, as to lift me up in his arms, to carry me over a place that was ancle-deep in mud; but instead of my being ever the better for it, just as we were in the worst part,—I'm sure I wish we had been fifty miles off,—for somehow or other, his foot slipt,—at least, I suppose so,—though I can't think how it happened, for I'm no such great weight,—but, however that was, down we both came together, all in the mud;—and the more we tried to get up, the more deeper we got covered with the nastiness,—and my newLyon's
