The Fishguard Invasion by the French in 1797 Part 11

"I've brought you the money for the things sold in missus' shop,"

continued Nell; then turning to me, "This gentleman, as is an engineer, is main clever, and manages all the accounts."

The engineer seemed to me to have been clever enough to have managed more than accounts; however for once discretion prevailed and I held my tongue. Then Nellie and this mounseer fell to their accounts, and seemed to have a great deal to say to each other in a mixture of French and English, which, not understanding very well, I found stupid, and turned to look for f.a.n.n.y and her friend, another grimy individual, who proved to be the commissary himself.

They also seemed much taken up with each other, and were conversing in the same lingo. I noticed that Fan had made over her bundle of straw to this man, and she seemed very busy talking over some arrangements. I approached, being willing to know what it was all about.

"Who ze plague is zis garcon?" asked the commissary.

"Oh, a young boy from down town-veal, savez-vous? Nong mauvais-a smart young chap obligant. Can portey kelke chose, vous savez."

"Bon!" said the Frenchman, letting the word fly out like a shot, "we af some drifles to make car out of zis."

I perceived at once that he had acquired his knowledge of English from Frances, as "car" for "carry" is pure Pembrokeshire.

"I shall be very glad to be of use," I remarked. "What sort of things, Frances-gimcracks, I suppose?"

"Vat says he, la?" inquired the commissary.

"Yes, gimcracks of a sort-rather heavy, though, we find them," said Fan, not stopping to translate. "If you'll lend a hand, we'd get along better."

"All right," said I.

"Zey is kep' in ze bockat," remarked Mounseer, luckily indicating some pails in the corner by a gesture of his hand.

"Adoo, Pierre, I think we'd better alley," remarked Fan. This, I must say, was the sort of French I liked.

"To nex' time, my cabbage!" said Pierre.

Then while they were busy over the buckets I turned suddenly and beheld the engineer bestowing on Nellie an unmistakable kiss.

"Hallo!" I said.

"It's only their foreign ways; like as if we was to shake hands," cried Nellie, running forward and looking very rosy. "Come, catch a hoult on these pails, Dan'l; they're main weighty for we maids."

I did catch hold of a couple of pails, one in each hand, and found that the last part of Nell's remark was true.

"Just feel the heft of un!" remarked f.a.n.n.y.

I did feel it a good deal before I had done with it. Nellie also carried a pail, and Frances a large bundle, done up in some old sacking.

"What's all that?" I inquired, as we made our way out of the prison.

"Dirty clothes," said Frances, sharply. "They must have some clean linen, I suppose, though they are Frenchmen!"

It seemed to me that they managed to exist without it, but as the point was not material, and Frances appeared touchy, I held my tongue.

"This young boy has giv' a hand with the sweepings, Roche," said Frances, as we pa.s.sed that functionary.

"Ay? Well, you and Nell be pretty well weighted too, surely," drawled Roche.

"Oh, gimcracks, and clothes for the wash-'us (house)," answered the girl lightly, and in another moment we were in freedom-in the open air.

"Oh, poor chaps; how good it is!" said Nellie, drawing a long breath.

We went round to a piece of untidy waste land behind the prison.

"I'll be bound your arms aches," said Frances. "Drop the buckats, Dan'l, and thank ye."

"Here!" said I, "drop your gimcracks on this dirty place-what for?"

"Oh, never mind what for; don't argufy, my boy, them's prison sweepings; the gimcracks is in Nellie's pail."

"Oh, I thought these were mighty heavy gimcracks. Well, let me carry Nell's pail to the shop."

"No, no!" cried Nell, stepping back, "I'd liefer car my own, don't you trouble."

"Then I'll take your dirty linen," said I, making a sudden grab at Frances' bundle.

To my great surprise some bits of stone and a cloud of mortar flew out.

"Hallo!" I said.

"Look here, Dan'l," said Fan, firmly, "we are greatly beholden for your help, but we don't want no more at present. You go on with Dan'l, Nell, and leave me here to empt the buckats."

Nell put down her pail, took my arm, and marched me off. I was inclined to be offended, but she soothed me down as any woman can when she chooses. She a.s.sured me that both the engineer (whom she called Jack-probably Jacques was his name) and the commissary had taken a great fancy to me, and would undertake to teach me French if I would only go often enough.

I had not the least objection to going, as I found prison experiences amusing, but I could not quite understand the bucket-carrying part of it.

However, neither flattery nor a curiosity stimulus were unpleasing to me, so I went frequently.

CHAPTER XIII.

AWAY! AWAY!

A couple of weeks pa.s.sed away thus, when one morning we were awakened early by a clamour in the street. All Pembroke was in an uproar. All that I could distinguish of the cries was one exclamation, "The French!"

Had they broken out, and were they going to sack the place? The panic reminded me of our feelings at Fishguard in the spring, but seemed more strange to me now, for in the interim I had become comparatively intimate with the foreigners, and had lost my fear of them. I jumped out of bed, dragged on a garment or two, and flung open my little lattice window.

"Where are the French?" I yelled.

"Away, away!" came the answer. "Clean gone."

The idea occurred to me that if they had gone away clean they must have been in a very different state to their usual condition; however, my reflections were disturbed by the sudden appearance of my Aunt Jane; she burst in head foremost.

"Where's Eleanor?" she gasped.

"Where are the French?" I answered lightly, "Away, away!"