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MEMOIRS OF A HUGUENOT FAMILY.

ance in Rochelle, and he felt it was high time to make use of the passport: which he accordingly produced to the Intendant. He looked at it carefully, and discovered that it was dated six months before. He exclaimed, "Oh! oh! Sir, you can derive no benefit from this, it is of old date. We can see through your designs, you have not used your passport in order to take time to collect money, to carry out of the country with you, contrary to law. You must now either change your religion or I can tell you the dragoons will soon have your treasure." He turned round, and gave immediate orders that ten or twelve dragoons should go to my brother's house. They went and took possession of every thing they could find, but the gold was too carefully concealed for them to discover it. My brother had hidden it in a barrel of wine.

During the succeeding night his wife was a greater torment than the dragoons. She left no argument untried to persuade him to ask time for consideration on the subject of religion, and then she told him they could find an opportunity, in all probability, to escape with their gold, before the time allowed to consider should have expired. At any rate she said if he would only get the dragoons out of the house, she would follow him where he pleased. He resisted all her entreaties for some time, and told her he would rather beg his bread in a foreign land, where he could worship according to his conscience, than have the greatest wealth at home if he were obliged to abjure his religion to gain it.

The cursed Eve gained her point by morning, and he put forth his hand to the forbidden fruit. He went to the Intendant at an early hour, and told him he wished for time to study the subject, and see whether he could change his re-