Michel and Angele

Chapter 1

If you go to Southampton and search the register of the Walloon Church

there, you will find that in the summer of 157,

When I first saw these records, now grown dim with time, I fell to

wondering what was the real life-history of these two people. Forthwith,

in imagination, I began to make their story piece by piece; and I had

reached a romantic 'denoument' satisfactory to myself and in sympathy

with fact, when the Angel of Accident stepped forward with some "human

documents." Then I found that my tale, woven back from the two obscure

records I have given, was the true story of two most unhappy yet most

happy people. From the note struck in my mind, when my finger touched

that sorrowful page in the register of the Church of the Refugees at

Southampton, had spread out the whole melody and the very book of the

song.

One of the later-discovered records was a letter, tear-stained, faded,

beautifully written in old French, from Demoiselle Angele Claude Aubert

to Michel de la Foret at Anvers in March of the year 157. The letter lies

beside me as I write, and I can scarcely believe that three and a quarter

centuries have passed since it was written, and that she who wrote it was

but eighteen years old at the time. I translate it into English, though

it is impossible adequately to carry over either the flavour or the idiom

of the language:

At the very moment of departure of the refugees from Domfront with the

Comtesse, Angele's messenger--the "piratical knave with the most kind

heart" presented himself, delivered her letter to De la Foret, and

proceeded with the party to the coast of Normandy by St. Brieuc.

Embarking there in a lugger which Buonespoir the pirate secured for them,

they made for England.

Having come but half-way of the Channel, the lugger was stopped by an

English frigate. After much persuasion the captain of the frigate agreed

to land Madame de Montgomery upon the island of Jersey, but forced De la

Foret to return to the coast of France; and Buonespoir elected to return

with him.