grateful to a luxurious man than this poor pallet to me. La Croissette
viewed the whole party with keenness, then, putting his bottle to my
lips, said, "Take this; there's a little left." Whatever it was, it
revived me; and then he nodded, said "Bon soir," and went away.

I now became anxious for my parents, though Madeleine assured me they
knew the way to our retreat. A long time passed; the children fell
asleep; we remained in anxious suspense. At length we heard footsteps.
Were they of friend or foe? Madeleine went out to see. I could not bear
her taking on herself every office that ought to devolve upon me, but
could not help it. In a few instants she guided my father and mother
into our dungeon, holding a hand of each. As they entered, the red
fire-light leaped up and showed their grave faces. The first thing my
father did, after taking us in at a glance, was to say, "Children, let
us pray!"

Even the little ones, roused from their slumber, and but half awake,
put up their hands. My mother and the girls knelt; my father stood.
His prayer began with earnest thanksgiving that we were all together
again, and that, though his worldly substance had been taken from him,
there was no loss of life or limb. Then he returned hearty thanks that,
in this our day of spiritual trial and temptation, there had been no
apostacy, no temporizing cowardice, no falling short. But, he added,
he knew, and we all knew, that this was but the beginning of sorrows;
that many a sore trial and temptation remained behind; that we had
no strength of our own wherewith to meet it; but that there was
all-sufficient strength in the great Captain of our salvation. Then
he prayed the Lord to give us his strength, sufficient for our day,
whatever it might be, even as He had strengthened Daniel in the lions'
den, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, and Peter