'More than life itself, than liberty, than anything in the world,' Vidocq finished for him wearily. 'I know all that – and so does the Emperor, undoubtedly. But she is not free, Jason. She is the Princess Sant'Anna… She has a husband, even though that husband may be no more than a phantom, for he is a singularly powerful phantom, and his reach is very long. He is asking for his wife and the Emperor is bound to grant his request or his sister, the Grand Duchess of Tuscany, may well find herself with a rebellion on her hands.'

'I won't!' Marianne cried, clinging closer to Jason. 'I won't go back there, ever again!… Jason, save me… Take me with you! I am afraid of him, and his rights over me – even though I have never seen him. For pity's sake don't let them take me from you!'

'Marianne… darling! Quiet, my love, hush! No, I won't let you go. I'd go back to prison, back to my chains, anything rather than leave you.'

'I'm afraid you will have to, however,' Vidocq said heavily. 'There is your ship, Jason. The Emperor gives her back to you. Your life is with the sea, not languishing at the feet of another man's wife. For the Princess Sant'Anna a carriage waits by the harbour at Le Conquet.'

'Then it had better stop waiting!' A new voice had spoken, thick with anger. 'Marianne stays here!'

Jean Ledru, a pistol in either hand, stepped quickly in between Vidocq and the other two.

'This is my ship, Vidocq! It may be small, but I am master here after God! We have the sea under us and these men are all mine! There are fourteen of us to one of you. If you value your life, let me advise you to let Marianne go with the man she loves. Or, believe me, the fishes won't know the difference between a secret agent and an escaped convict! Now move, backwards, into the cabin. Once they are both aboard the brig, I'll land you on the coast.'

Vidocq only shook his head and pointed to where the brig was now hove to on their bow quarter. Her tall sides loomed higher above the little lugger at every moment:

'You are reckoning without Surcouf, sailor. He knows this woman is married to another, and that other is demanding her. He is a man of honour and he knows where his duty lies.'

'He proved that when he agreed to assist Marianne, even when he could not have known that I was innocent,' Jason said quickly. 'He will help us now.'

'No. Nor should I ask him, if I were you.' He turned to Marianne, ignoring the pair of black muzzles aimed at his middle. 'I appeal to you, Madame, to your own loyalty and sense of honour. Did you wed the prince under any constraint, or of your own free will?'

Marianne's whole body stiffened in Jason's arms, as she fought with all her might to shake off the burden of doom which was descending on her at the very moment when happiness seemed finally within her grasp. She turned and hid her face against Jason's shoulder, saying in a muffled voice:

'I married him… of my own will. But I am afraid of him.'

'You, Jason? Haven't you a wife somewhere?'

'The demon who sought my death and Marianne's? She is nothing to me now.'

'Only your wife in the sight of God and men. Listen to me. If you part now, you may meet again later and be the better for it. For you, Madame, my duty is not to take you to your husband, but to the Emperor who desires your presence.'

'I have nothing to say to him!' Marianne said fiercely.

'But he has. And I cannot believe that you will have nothing to answer him – when he may help you perhaps, both of you, to be free from the ties that hold you. So be sensible. Do not oblige me to use force. Jason cannot be allowed to go unless he goes alone, and on condition that you go with me quietly to Paris.'

Jean Ledru, who had not released his grip on his pistols, laughed shortly and glanced up at the Sea Witch's counter which now towered above them.

'The force is on our side, I think. And I tell you Marianne shall go with Jason and that Surcouf will help me send you to the bottom of the sea if you persist in this… Now, do as I say. Get below! There's a heavy sea getting up and we've no time to lose. The Iroise is no place to sit around and talk, and that low island that you see over yonder is Ushant. You know what they say about Ushant? That whoso shall see Ushant, shall see his own blood flow!'

'Force is not on your side, Jean Ledru. Look there!'

Marianne, whose hopes had risen when she saw the Breton's firm stand, gave a despairing groan. Rounding St Mathieu's Head was a frigate, the moonlight gleaming ominously on the muzzles of the guns protruding from her open ports.

'The Sirène,' Vidocq said in explanation. 'She is under orders to keep a close watch on what passes here. Emperor's orders, although he may not be precisely aware of them. All her captain knows is that on sighting a pre-arranged signal he is to open fire on the brig.'

Jolival, who had remained silent during these exchanges, spoke for the first time. 'I congratulate you. You appear to wield considerable influence – for an ex-convict!'

'The power is the Emperor's, Monsieur. I am only the humble instrument. You know that he does not care to be disobeyed, and it seems he has his own reasons for not relying on this lady's blind obedience.'

Jolival shrugged scornfully:

'A warship cleared for action! And all to drag one unhappy woman from the man she loves! Not to mention that if the Sea Witch is sent to the bottom, you send your famous Surcouf with her!'

'At any moment, Baron Surcouf will be aboard this vessel. See, here he comes now.'

It was true. A rope ladder had been flung over the brig's side, down which a burly figure was clambering like a monkey on a stick, at a speed that said a good deal for his fitness.

'Moreover,' Vidocq continued, 'Madame here is no unhappy woman but a very great lady whose husband is in a position to cause great trouble. I say nothing of Beaufort's importance – but the Emperor would not have been at such pains to rescue him had he been a person of no account. Our good relations with Washington depend on his reaching his own country intact, and with his ship, whether or not he is supposed to be rotting in the hulks. Well, Madame? What is your decision?'

Surcouf had jumped down on to the deck and was striding lightly towards them.

'What are you about?' he called. 'You must get aboard at once. The wind's getting up and the sea's rising. Your men are waiting for you, Monsieur Beaufort, and you are too good a sailor not to know the dangers of hanging about off Ushant, especially when the wind sits in this quarter.'

'Give them a moment more,' Vidocq interposed. 'Time at least to say good-bye.'

Marianne shut her eyes and a tearing sob broke from her. She clung to Jason with all her strength, as though hoping for some miracle from heaven to make them into a single person. She felt his arms holding her tightly, his breath on her neck and in a moment a tear rolled down her cheek.

'Not good-bye!' she implored desperately. 'Not good-bye for ever. I could not bear it.'

Jason tightened his hold. 'Nor could I. We shall be together again, Marianne, I swear it!' The words were whispered close into her ear. 'They are stronger than we are and we must obey. But they are sure to send you back to Italy, and I will meet you there…'

'Meet me?'

In the agony of her grief, the sense of what he said had scarcely penetrated, despite the hope it held.

'Yes. I will meet you, in Venice – in six months. My ship will lie offshore and wait for as long as need be.'

Slowly, he was inspiring her with the same indomitable fighting spirit which he himself had never lost, forcing the words into her ear as if he would have forced them into her mind and, little by little, life seemed to return and her brain began to function once again.

'Why Venice? Leghorn is the nearest port to Lucca.'

'Because Venice is not a French possession. It is Austrian. If your husband will not release you, you must fly there to me. Napoleon cannot touch you in Venice… Do you understand? You will come? In six months…'

'I shall come, but Jason—'

He stopped her mouth with a kiss, infusing into it all the passion of his love for her. When he let her go at last, his blue eyes looked earnestly into her tear-filled ones as he said in a low, vibrant murmur:

'Before God, Marianne, I will never give you up! I want you and I am going to have you. Even if I must go to the end of the world to find you… Jolival, you will take care of her? I have your promise?'

'What else have I ever done?' the Vicomte said gruffly, tenderly receiving on his chest the trembling form given into his care. 'Have no fears on that score.'

Jason turned resolutely and, making his way to Surcouf, bowed gravely.

'I'm no great hand at thanks,' he said, 'but you may command me, Baron, as and where you like. I am your most grateful servant.'

'My name is Robert Surcouf,' the baron retorted. 'Come here and let me embrace you, lad!' And added, for Jason's ear alone: 'Try and come back for her. She's worth it.'

'I have known that for a long time,' Jason said with a fleeting smile, returning the Malouin's vigorous embrace. 'I shall be back.'

Last of all, he turned to Vidocq and offered him his hand, unreservedly.

'We have been through too much together, you and I, François,' he said, 'for us to be aught but brothers. You did your duty, that was all. You had no other choice.'

'Thank you,' Vidocq said simply. 'Don't worry over her. I, too, shall be watching. Come, I'll help you up.'