Page:Narrative of a captivity and adventures in France and Flanders between the years 1803 and 1809.djvu/225

 stay on the continent. To be accompanied and protected by an amiable and innocent little girl, rendered doubly engaging, by the deep interest she manifested in my fate; to be thus escorted through a hostile town, where, if known, I should have been chained by the neck, and cast into its darkest dungeon; to be accosted with the appellation of "frère," imperceptibly growing into "mon cher frère;" ("Honi soit qui mal y pense")—was, indeed, an interesting novelty—a change of circumstances, which could not fail to excite the most lively feelings of gratitude and esteem, and which I shall ever think and speak of with the most pleasing recollections. I felt myself bound to be particularly circumspect in my deportment. It was necessary to maintain a certain degree of easy vivacity, without being too forward; for this might have been considered as taking advantage of the confidence reposed in me; whilst, being reserved, would have appeared cold and insensible to the value of her protection. In one of our promenades, during the two days we were at Ghent, we met