got the better of his humanity, and towards night he turned us all out of his house, saying to us: "I have damned my own soul to save my property, and I am not going to run the risk of losing it for you. Take your chance elsewhere, or do as I have done." We were much depressed by this unkind treatment, but we knew not what was best for us, and it turned out that we had great reason to thank God that we were not allowed to spend the night where we had passed the day. Some one had given information that led the magistrate to suspect the place of our concealment, and we had not quitted the house more than half an hour, before a Justice of the Peace and some soldiers went to it, and examined every part most carefully in search of secreted Protestants, but found none.
Tremblade is a very populous place, and before it was visited by the dragoons it did not contain more than twenty Papists, but all the Protestants had recanted who remained there. We did the best we could amongst them, one finding shelter here, another there, and I must acknowledge that we experienced much more of humanity and Christian hospitality amongst the wives of the poor fishermen than we did with the comparatively affluent. We passed the next four or five days in the cottages of the former.
At last the Captain of the English vessel came to La Tremblade, to tell me that he was afraid he should not be able to take us on board. However, he said he meant to go to sea the next day, and he should pass between the islands of Ré and Oleron, and if we were disposed to run the risk of going out there in small boats, he might receive us on board after he had got rid of all visitors, custom-house officers and others, and that he could not possibly assist us in any
