CHAPTER XIV.
FRERE CHRETIEN--UTILITY OF CUSTOM-HOUSE SEARCH--BOLD VOYAGER--PAUILLAC--BLAYE--THE GIRONDE--TALBOT--VINES--THE LANDES--PHANTOM OF KING ARTHUR--THE WITCH-FINDER--THE LANDES--WRECKERS.
OUR destination was now the Gironde, and we found our only plan was to set out in the middle of the night for Mortagne, where the steam-boat to Bordeaux from Royan touched for passengers.

We accordingly secured our places in the _coupe_, and, having been quite punctual to the hour of twelve, we expected to begin our journey.

At the appointed time, however, neither horses nor _conducteur_ were to be found, and the diligence remained for a full hour beneath the trees of the _cours_, filled with its impatient passengers, without any appearance of moving.
The pause was enlivened by a violent altercation between a passenger on the roof and the proprietor, which caused a great encounter of tongues, so furious that we dreaded that blows must ensue, when we heard the vociferous individual who had usurped somebody's place, favoured by the darkness, kicking and resisting as he was dragged from his exalted station.

However, as is almost always the case in France, the moment the culprit--who was loud in his threats of vengeance when too far off to execute them--descended to earth, and had an opportunity of making them good, he became mute and humble, and made his escape at once, amidst the jeers of those who had also threatened to annihilate him as soon as he was within their reach.

This scene, taking place at midnight, beneath the high trees of the great avenue in the gloomy ruined town of Saintes, was sufficiently unpleasant, as there seemed less and less chance of our ever stirring from the spot, and a great probability of our arriving, at any rate, too late for the steamer at Mortagne; but a priest, who was our companion, and who seemed to have previously filled up the lonely hours of evening by potations, seemed greatly to enjoy the bustle, till a remark of mine, on the unsuitableness of the scene to one of his order, acted like magic on him, and he ceased the _swearing_ and encouraging exclamations in which he had before indulged, and became as meek and demure as he probably passed for, being amongst those whose eyes he knew to be on him.