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diff --git a/old/53154-8.txt b/old/53154-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 9508c91..0000000 --- a/old/53154-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,10512 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's Cameron of Lochiel, by Philippe Aubert de Gaspé - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: Cameron of Lochiel - -Author: Philippe Aubert de Gaspé - -Illustrator: H. C. Edwards - -Translator: Charles G. D. Roberts - -Release Date: September 27, 2016 [EBook #53154] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CAMERON OF LOCHIEL *** - - - - -Produced by Jana Palkova and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - Transcriber's Notes - - [oe] replaces the oe ligature - bold text: =equals signs= - small caps: +plus signs+ - italic text: _underscores_ - - imflammable typo replaced with inflammable - musquitoes replaced with mosquitoes - dazzingly replaced with dazzlingly - Ææan replaced with Ægean - harrasses replaced with harasses - vail replaced with veil - seige replaced with siege - beseiged replaced with besieged - vengance replaced with vengeance - Acadie replaced with Acadia - -Uncommon and inconsistent hyphenation and spelling have been retained; -typographical errors have been corrected. - - - - -CAMERON OF LOCHIEL - - - - - Works of - Charles G. D. Roberts - - [Illustration] - - - The Prisoner of Mademoiselle - The Watchers of the Trails - The Kindred of the Wild - The Heart of the Ancient Wood - Earth's Enigmas - Barbara Ladd - The Forge in the Forest - A Sister to Evangeline - By the Marshes of Minas - A History of Canada - The Book of the Rose - Poems - New York Nocturnes - The Book of the Native - In Divers Tones (_Out of print_) - Songs of the Common Day (_Out of print_) - - - [Illustration] - - Cameron of Lochiel - - (_Translated from the French of Philippe Aubert - de Gaspé_) - - [Illustration] - - - L. C. PAGE & COMPANY - New England Building - Boston, Mass. - - - [Illustration - - Illustration: _Cameron of Lochiel._] - - - (_See page 68._) - - - - - CAMERON OF - LOCHIEL - - - BY - PHILIPPE AUBERT DE GASPÉ - - TRANSLATED BY - CHARLES G. D. ROBERTS - - - NEW EDITION - _With a frontispiece by_ - H. C. EDWARDS - - [Illustration] - - - BOSTON - L. C. PAGE & COMPANY - _MDCCCCV_ - - - - - _Copyright, 1890_ - +By D. Appleton and Company+ - - _Copyright, 1905_ - +By L. C. Page & Company+ - (INCORPORATED) - - - - -PREFACE TO NEW EDITION - - -This leisurely and loose-knit romance of de Gaspé's, which he called -"Les Anciens Canadiens," has for hero one who was not a Canadian, but -a Scotch exile sojourning in Canada. It is on the creation of this -character, consistently developed and convincingly presented, that the -book must mainly base its claim to be called a work of fiction, rather -than a volume of memoirs and folklore. I have ventured, therefore, at -the suggestion of my publishers, to take a liberty with the author's -title, and name the story after this young Scotch exile, "Cameron of -Lochiel." I am the more willing to take this liberty because I feel -that de Gaspé has not hitherto been granted the place he is entitled to -in the ranks of Canadian fictionists. Considered purely as a romance, -it seems to me that the sincerity, simplicity, and originality of this -work quite outweigh its sprawling looseness of structure, and make it -one of the unique ornaments of the composite literature which we are -building up in Canada. If by so changing its title as to emphasize the -fictional character of the work I can the better call attention to the -worth of de Gaspé's achievement, I feel that I am justified, even in -the face of such anticipatory protest as may seem to be implied in the -author's too modest introduction. - -When all this has been said, however, the fact remains that it was -not its many merits as a romance that induced me to translate this -work, but the riches of Canadian tradition, folk-lore, and perished -customs embalmed in the clear amber of its narrative, coupled with my -own anxiety to contribute, in however humble a way, to the increase -of understanding and confidence between the two great branches of the -Canadian people. It is a beautiful and gracious life, that of old -French Canada, as depicted in de Gaspé's lucent pages,--a life of high -ideals, and family devotion, and chivalry, and courage. This is an -atmosphere it is wholesome to breathe. These are people it is excellent -to know; and the whole influence of the story makes for trust and a -good understanding. - -C. G. D. R. - -+Fredericton, N. B.+, _May, 1905_. - - - - -PREFACE. - -In Canada there is settling into shape a nation of two races; there -is springing into existence, at the same time, a literature in -two languages. In the matter of strength and stamina there is no -overwhelming disparity between the two races. The two languages are -admittedly those to which belong the supreme literary achievements of -the modern world. In this dual character of the Canadian people and the -Canadian literature there is afforded a series of problems which the -future will be taxed to solve. To make any intelligent forecast as to -the solution is hardly possible without a fair comprehension of the two -races as they appear at the point of contact. We, of English speech, -turn naturally to French-Canadian literature for knowledge of the -French-Canadian people. The romance before us, while intended for those -who read to be entertained, and by no means weighted down with didactic -purpose, succeeds in throwing, by its faithful depictions of life and -sentiment among the early French Canadians, a strong side-light upon -the motives and aspirations of the race. - -In spite of the disclaimer with which the author begins, the romance -of Les Anciens Canadiens is a classic. From the literary point of -view it is markedly the best historical romance so far produced in -French Canada. It gathers up and preserves in lasting form the songs -and legends, the characteristic customs, the phases of thought and -feeling, the very local and personal aroma of a rapidly changing -civilization. Much of what de Gaspé has so vividly painted from his -boyish reminiscences had faded out of the life upon which his alert -eyes rested in old age. The origin of the romance, as given by his -biographer, the Abbé Casgrain, is as follows: - -When, in 1861, that patriotic French-Canadian publication the _Soirées -Canadiennes_ was established, its inaugurators adopted as their motto -the words: "Let us make haste to write down the stories and traditions -of the people, before they are forgotten." M. de Gaspé was struck with -the idea; and seeing that the writers who were setting themselves the -laudable task were all young men, he took the words as a summons to his -old age, and so the book came to be written. - -Patriotism, devotion to the French-Canadian nationality, a just pride -of race, and a loving memory for his people's romantic and heroic -past--these are the dominant chords which are struck throughout the -story. Of special significance, therefore, are the words which are put -in the mouth of the old seigneur as he bids his son a last farewell. -The father has been almost ruined by the conquest. The son has left -the French army and taken the oath of allegiance to the English crown. -"Serve thy new sovereign," says the dying soldier, "as faithfully as I -have served the King of France; and may God bless thee, my dear son!" - -In the present day, when nationalism in Quebec appears rather given -to extravagant dreams, it would be well for the distant observer to -view the French Canadians through the faithful medium which de Gaspé's -work affords him. Under constitutional forms of government it is -inevitable that a vigorous and homogeneous minority, whose language -and institutions are more or less threatened by the mere preponderance -of the dominant race, should seem at times overvehement in its -self-assertion. A closer knowledge leads us to conclude that perhaps -the extreme of Quebec nationalism is but the froth on the surface of a -not unworthy determination to keep intact the speech and institutions -of French Canada. However this may be, it is certain that the point of -contact between the two races in Canada is at the present day as rich -a field for the romancer as de Gaspé found it at the close of the _old -régime_. - -According to the Histoire de la littérature Canadienne of Edmond -Lareau, Philippe Aubert de Gaspé was born in Quebec on the 30th of -October, 1786. He died in 1871. He belonged to a noble French-Canadian -family. At the manor of St. Jean-Port-Joli, of which he was seigneur, -he passed a large part of his life; and there he laid the chief scenes -of his great romance. He was educated at the seminary of Quebec, and -then studied law in the city, under Sewell, afterward chief-justice. -Only for a few years, however, did he devote himself to his -profession--one from which so many a poet and man of letters has broken -loose. He accepted the position of sheriff of Quebec, and afterward -came misfortunes which Lareau passes over with sympathetic haste. His -lavish generosity to his friends and the financial embarrassments into -which he fell, his four years' confinement in the debtors' prison, his -sufferings of soul and body, all doubtless contributed to the poignant -coloring with which he has painted the misfortunes of M. d'Egmont, -_le bon gentilhomme_. On his release from prison he retired to his -estate of St. Jean-Port-Joli, but not to the solitude and benevolent -melancholy of D'Egmont. The romancer was of too sunny a disposition, -he was too genuine and tolerant a lover of his kind, to run much -risk of becoming a recluse. A keynote to his nature may be found in -the bright _Bonsoir la compagnie_ with which, in the words of an old -French-Canadian song, he closed his literary labors at the age of -seventy-nine, when the last page of the Mémoires was completed. - -The story we have translated, under the title of The Canadians of Old, -was published in 1862. It is accompanied in the original by a mass of -curious information, in the shape of notes and _addenda_, such as would -hardly interest the general reader. They will more than repay, however, -the attention of any one who wishes to study the French-Canadian people -as they were in their early days. The story itself has the air of being -the product of a happy leisure. The style is quaint and unhurried, -with no fear of the printer's devil before its eyes. The stream of the -narrative, while swift enough and direct enough at need, is taught -to digress into fascinating cross-channels of highly colored local -tradition, or to linger felicitously in eddies of feast and song. - -The work begun in Les Anciens Canadiens De Gaspé carried to completion -in his second and last composition, the Mémoires, published in 1866. -As the former work is a vivid epitome of life at the _seigneuries_ and -among the _habitants_ of those days, so the latter reproduces and fixes -for us the picturesque effects of life in the city of Quebec itself in -the generation or two succeeding the conquest--a period during which -the French-Canadian _noblesse_ yet maintained, about the person of -the English governor, something of the remembered splendor of the old -vice-regal court. - -C. G. D. R. - -_Windsor, Nova Scotia, 1890._ - - - - -CONTENTS. - -CHAPTER PAGE - - - +Foreword+ ix - - I. +D'Haberville and Cameron of Lochiel+ 19 - - II. +A Night with the Sorcerers+ 31 - - III. +La Corriveau+ 45 - - IV. +The Breaking up of the Ice+ 56 - - V. +A Supper at the House of a French-Canadian - Seigneur+ 76 - - VI. +D'Haberville Manor House+ 99 - - VII. +The May-Feast+ 115 - - VIII. +The Feast of St. Jean-Baptiste+ 124 - - IX. "+The Good Gentleman+" 137 - - X. +Madame D'Haberville's Story+ 154 - - XI. +The Burning of the South Shore+ 167 - - XII. +A Night Among the Savages+ 180 - - XIII. +The Plains of Abraham+ 198 - - XIV. +The Shipwreck of the Auguste+ 213 - - XV. +Lochiel and Blanche+ 228 - - XVI. +The Family Hearth+ 254 - - XVII. +Conclusion+ 269 - - - - -FOREWORD. - - -As my story lays no claim to classicism, either in style or structure, -this foreword may as well be made to play the part of a preface. My -acquaintances will, doubtless, open their eyes on seeing me thus -enter, at the age of seventy-six, on the perilous paths of authorship. -Possibly I owe them an explanation. Although tired of reading all these -years with so little profit either to myself or others, I yet dreaded -to pass the Rubicon. A matter small enough in itself in the end decided -me. - -One of my friends, a man of parts, whom I met last year in St Louis -Street, in our good city of Quebec, grasped me warmly by the hand and -exclaimed: - -"Awfully glad to see you! Do you know, my dear fellow, I have talked -this morning with no fewer than eleven people, not one of them with -half an idea in his noddle!" And he wrung my arm almost out of joint. - -"Really," said I, "you are very complimentary; for I perceive by the -warmth of your greeting that I am the exception, the man you--" - -"Oh, yes, indeed," he cried, without letting me finish my sentence, -"those are the only sensible words I have heard this morning." And he -crossed the street to speak to some one, probably his addle-pate number -twelve, who was seeking to attract his attention. - -"The devil!" thought I to myself, "if what I just said is in any way -brilliant, it would seem easy enough to shine. Though I have never yet -been suspected of it, I must be rather a clever fellow." - -Much elated with this discovery, and congratulating myself that I had -more brains than the unhappy eleven of whom my friend had spoken, I -hurry to my library, I furnish myself, perhaps all too appropriately, -with a ream of the paper called "foolscap," and I set myself to work. - -I write for my own amusement, at the risk of wearying the reader who -may have the patience to go through this volume. But, as Nature has -made me compassionate, I will give this dear reader a little good -advice. He had better throw away the unlucky book without taking the -trouble to criticise it, which would be making it much too important, -and would be, moreover, but wasted labor for the serious critic; for, -unlike that old Archbishop of Granada, so touchy on the subject of his -sermons, of whom Gil Blas has told us, I am, for my part, blessed with -an easy humor, and, instead of retorting to my critic, "I wish you good -luck and very much better taste," I will frankly admit that my book has -a thousand faults, of most of which I have a lively consciousness. - -As for the unfriendly critic, his work will be all in vain, debarred as -he will be from the privilege of dragging me into a controversy. Let me -say beforehand that I grieve to deprive him of his gentle diversion, -and to clip his claws so soon. I am old and indolently content, like -Figaro of merry memory. Moreover, I have not enough self-conceit to -engage in any defense of my literary productions. To record some -incidents of a well-loved past, to chronicle some memories of a youth -long flown--this is my whole ambition. - -Many of the anecdotes, doubtless, will appear insignificant and -childish to some readers. Let these lay the blame upon certain of our -best men-of-letters, who besought me to leave out nothing which could -illustrate the manners and customs of the early Canadians. "That which -will appear insignificant and childish to the eyes of strangers," they -urged, "in the records of a septuagenarian, born but twenty-eight years -after the conquest of New France, will yet not fail to interest true -Canadians." - -This production of mine shall be neither very dull nor surpassingly -brilliant. An author should assuredly have too much self-respect to -make his appeal exclusively to the commonplace; and if I should make -the work too fine, it would be appreciated by none but the _beaux -esprits_. Under a constitutional government, a candidate must concern -himself rather with the number than the quality of his votes. - -This work will be Canadian through and through. It is hard for an old -fellow of seventy to change his ancient coat for garb of modern pattern. - -I must have also plenty of elbow-room. As for rule and precept--which, -by the way, I am well enough acquainted with--I can not submit myself -to them in a work like this. Let the purists, the past masters in the -art of literature, shocked at my mistakes, dub my book romance, memoir, -annals, miscellany, hotch-potch. It is all the same to me. - -Having accomplished my preface, let me make a serious beginning with -the following pretty bit of verse, hitherto unpublished, and doubtless -now much surprised to find itself in such unworthy company: - - - - -QUEBEC, 1757. - - - An eagle city on her heights austere, - Taker of tribute from the chainless flood, - She watches wave above her in the clear - The whiteness of her banner purged with blood. - - Near her grim citadel the blinding sheen - Of her cathedral spire triumphant soars, - Rocked by the Angelus, whose peal serene - Beats over Beaupré and the Lévis shores. - - Tossed in his light craft on the dancing wave, - A stranger where he once victorious trod, - The passing Iroquois, fierce-eyed and grave, - Frowns on the flag of France, the cross of God. - - -Let him who knows this Quebec of ours betake himself, in body or in -spirit, to the market of the Upper Town, and consider the changes which -the region has undergone since the year of grace 1757, whereat my story -opens. There was then the same cathedral, minus its modern tower, which -seems to implore the charitable either to raise it to its proper height -or to decapitate its lofty and scornful sister. - -The Jesuits' College, at a later date transformed into a barrack, -looked much the same as it does to-day; but what has become of the -church which stood of old in the place of the present halls? Where -is the grove of venerable trees behind the building, which adorned -the grounds, now so bare, of this edifice sacred to the education of -Canadian youth? Time and the axe, alas! have worked their will. In -place of the merry sports, the mirthful sallies of the students, the -sober steps of the professors, the high philosophic discourse, we hear -now the clatter of arms, the coarse jest of the guard. - -Instead of the market of the present day, some low-built butchers' -stalls, perhaps seven or eight in number, occupied a little plot -between the cathedral and the college. Between these stalls and the -college prattled a brook, which, after descending St. Louis Street and -dividing Fabrique, traversed Couillard and the hospital garden, on its -way to the river St. Charles. Our fathers were bucolic in their tastes! - -It is the end of April. The brook is overflowing; children are amusing -themselves by detaching from its edges cakes of ice, which, shrinking -as they go, overleap all barriers, and lose themselves at last in the -mighty tide of the St. Lawrence. A poet, who finds "sermons in stones, -books in the running brooks," dreaming over the scene, and marking -the descent of the ice-cakes, their pausings, their rebuffs, might -have compared them to those ambitious men who, after a restless life, -come with little wealth or fame to the end of their career, and are -swallowed up in eternity. - -The houses neighboring the market-place are, for the most part, of -but one story, unlike our modern structures, which tower aloft as if -dreading another deluge. - -It is noon. The Angelus rings out from the cathedral belfry. All the -city chimes proclaim the greeting of the angel to the Virgin, who is -the Canadian's patron saint. The loitering _habitants_, whose calashes -surround the stalls, take off their caps and devoutly murmur the -Angelus. All worshiping alike, there is none to deride the pious custom. - -Some of our nineteenth-century Christians seem ashamed to perform -before others an act of worship; which is proof, to say the least, of a -shrinking or cowardly spirit. The followers of Mohammed, who have the -courage of their convictions wherever they may chance to be, will seven -times daily make their prayers to Allah under the eyes of the more -timid Christians. - -The students of the Jesuits' College, noisy enough on ordinary -occasions, move to-day in a serious silence from the church wherein -they have been praying. What causes this unusual seriousness? They are -on the eve of separation from two beloved fellow-students. The younger -of the two, who, being more of their age, was wont to share more often -in their boyish sports, was the protector of the feeble against the -strong, the impartial arbitrator in all their petty disagreements. - -The great door of the college opens, and two young men in traveling -dress join the group of their fellow-students. Two leathern -portmanteaus, five feet long, adorned with rings, chains, and padlocks -which would seem strong enough for the mooring of a ship, lie at their -feet. The younger of the two, slight and delicate-looking, is perhaps -eighteen years old. His dark complexion, great black eyes, alert and -keen, his abruptness of gesture, proclaim his French blood. His name is -Jules D'Haberville. His father is one of the seigneurs, captain of a -company in the colonial marine. - -His companion, who is older by two or three years, is much taller and -more robust of frame. His fine blue eyes, his chestnut hair, his blonde -and ruddy complexion with a few scattered freckles on face and hands, -his slightly aggressive chin--all these reveal a foreign origin. This -is Archibald Cameron of Lochiel, commonly known as Archie of Lochiel, a -young Scotch Highlander who has been studying at the Jesuits' College -in Quebec. How is it that he, a stranger, finds himself in this remote -French colony? We will let the sequel show. - -The young men are both notably good looking. They are clad alike with -hooded overcoat, scarlet leggings edged with green ribbon, blue woolen -knitted garters, a broad belt of vivid colors embroidered with glass -beads, deer-hide moccasins tied in Iroquois fashion, the insteps -embroidered with porcupine-quills, and, finally, caps of beaver-skin -fastened over the ears by means of a red silk handkerchief knotted -under the chin. - -The younger betrays a feverish eagerness, and keeps glancing along -Buade Street. - -"You are in a hurry to leave us, Jules," said one of his friends, -reproachfully. - -"No," replied D'Haberville, "oh, no, indeed, my dear De Laronde, I -assure you; but, since this parting must take place, I wish it over. It -unnerves me; and it is natural that I should be in a hurry to get back -home again." - -"That is right," said De Laronde; "and, moreover, since you are a -Canadian, we hope to see you again before very long." - -"But with you the case is different, my dear Archie," said another. "I -fear this parting will be forever, if you return to your own country." - -"Promise us that you will come back," cried all the students. - -During this conversation Jules darts off like an arrow to meet two men, -each with an oar on his right shoulder, who are hastening along by the -cathedral. One of them wears the costume of the _habitants_--capote -of black homespun, gray woolen cap, gray leggings and garters, belt -of many colors, and heavy cowhide larrigans tied in the manner -of the Iroquois. The dress of the other is more like that of our -young travelers, although much less costly. The first, tall and -rough-mannered, is a ferryman of Point Lévis. The second, shorter, -but of athletic build, is a follower of Captain D'Haberville, Jules's -father. In times of war, a soldier; in peace, he occupies the place of -a favored servant. He is the captain's foster-brother and of the same -age. He is the right hand of the family. He has rocked Jules in his -arms, singing him the gay catches of our up-river boatmen. - -"Dear José, how are you? How have you left them all at home?" cried -Jules, flinging his arms about him. - -"All well enough, thank God," replied Jose; "they send you all kinds o' -love, and are in a great way to see you. But how you have grown in the -last few months! Lord! Master Jules, but it is good to set eyes on you -again." - -In spite of the familiar affection lavished upon José by the whole -D'Haberville family, he never forgot to be scrupulously respectful. - -Jules overwhelms him with eager inquiries. He asks about the -servants, about the neighbors, and about the old dog whom, when in -his thirty-sixth lesson, he had christened _Niger_ to display his -proficiency in Latin. He has forgiven even the greedy cat who, the year -before, had gobbled up a young pet nightingale which he had intended to -take to college with him. In the first heat of his wrath, it is true, -he had hunted the assassin with a club, under tables, chairs, and beds, -and finally on to the roof itself, which the guilty animal had sought -as an impregnable refuge. Now, however, he has forgiven the creature's -misdeeds and makes tender inquiry after its health. - -"Hello there!" grumbles the ferryman, who takes very little interest in -the above scenes, "when you have done slobbering and chattering about -the cat and dog, perhaps you'll make a move. The tide won't wait for -nobody." - -In spite of the impatience and ill-humor of the ferryman, it took long -to say farewell. Their instructors embraced them affectionately. - -"You are to be soldiers, both of you", said the principal. "In daily -peril of your life upon the battle-field, you must keep God ever -before you. It may be the will of Heaven that you fall. Be ready, -therefore, at all times, that you may go before the judgment-seat with -a clear conscience. Take this for your battle-cry--'God, the King, and -Fatherland!'" - -"Farewell!" exclaimed Archie--"you who have opened your hearts to the -stranger. Farewell, kind friends, who have striven to make the poor -exile forget that he belonged to an alien race. Farewell, perhaps -forever." - -"This parting would be hard indeed for me," said Jules, deeply moved, -"had I not the hope that my regiment will soon be ordered to Canada." -Then, turning to his instructors, he said: - -"I have tried your patience sorely, gentlemen, but you know that my -heart has always been better than my head; I beg that you will forgive -the one for the sake of the other.--As for you, my fellow-students," he -continued, with a lightness that was somewhat forced, "you must admit -that, if I have tormented you sadly with my nonsense during the last -ten years, I have at least succeeded in sometimes making you laugh." - -Seizing Archie by the arm, he hurried him off in order to conceal his -emotion. - -We may leave our travelers now to cross the St. Lawrence, and rejoin -them a little later at Point Lévis. - -+The Author.+ - - - - -CAMERON OF LOCHIEL - - -CHAPTER I. - -D'HABERVILLE AND CAMERON OF LOCHIEL. - - - Give me, oh! give me back the days - When I--I too--was young, - And felt, as they now feel, each coming hour, - New consciousness of power.... - - The fields, the grove, the air was haunted, - And all that age has disenchanted.... - - Give me, oh! give youth's passions unconfined, - The rush of joy that felt almost like pain. - -+Goethe.+ - - -Archibald Cameron of Lochiel, son of a Highland chief who had wedded -a daughter of France, was but four years old when he lost his mother. -Brought up by his father, who was, in the language of the Scriptures, -a valiant hunter in the sight of God, ever since ten years old he had -followed him in the chase of the roebuck and other wild beasts, scaling -the highest mountains, swimming the icy torrents, making his couch on -the wet sod with no covering but his plaid, no roof but the vault of -heaven. Under such a Spartan training the boy came to find his chief -delight in this wild and wandering life. - -When Archie was but twelve years old, in the year 1745, his father -joined the standard of that unhappy young prince who, after the -old romantic fashion, threw himself into the arms of his Scottish -countrymen, and called upon them to win him back a crown which the -bloody field of Culloden forced him to renounce forever. - -In the early days of this disastrous struggle, courage was triumphant -over numbers and discipline, and their mountains re-echoed to their -outmost isles the songs of victory. The enthusiasm was at its height. -The victory seemed already won. But short-lived was their triumph. -After achievements of most magnificent heroism they were forced to bow -their necks to defeat. Lochiel shared the fate of the many brave whose -blood reddened the heather on Culloden. - -An uncle of Archie's, who had also followed the standard and fortunes -of the unhappy prince, had the good fortune, after the disaster of -Culloden, to save his head from the scaffold. Through a thousand -perils, over a thousand obstacles, he made good his flight to France -with his orphan nephew. The old gentleman, ruined in fortune and under -sentence of banishment, was having a hard struggle to support himself -and his charge, when a Jesuit, an uncle of the boy on his mother's -side, undertook a share of the burden. Archie was sent to the Jesuits' -College in Quebec. Having completed a thorough course in mathematics, -he is leaving college when the reader makes his acquaintance. - -Archibald Cameron of Lochiel, whom the harsh hand of misfortune had -brought to an early maturity, knew not at first what to make of a boy -noisy, troublesome and mocking, who seemed the despair alike of masters -and students. To be sure, the boy had not all the fun on his own side. -Out of twenty canings and impositions bestowed upon his class, Jules -D'Haberville was sure to pocket at least nineteen for his share. - -It must be acknowledged, also, that the older pupils, driven to the -end of their patience, bestowed upon him sometimes more knocks than -nuts; but you would have thought the youngster regarded all this as an -encouragement, so ready was he to resume his tricks. We may add that -Jules, without being vindictive, never wholly overlooked an injury. -In one way or another he always made matters even. His satire, his -home thrusts, which could bring a flush to the face of even the most -self-possessed, served his purpose very effectually with the masters or -with those larger students whom he could not otherwise reach. - -He had adopted it as his guiding principle, that he would never -acknowledge himself beaten; and it was necessary, therefore, for his -opponents, when weary of war, to make him proposals of peace. - -The reader will doubtless conclude that the boy was cordially disliked; -on the contrary, every one was fond of him; he was the pet of the -college. The truth is, Jules had such a heart as pulses all too rarely -in the breast of man. To say that he was generous to a fault, that he -was ever ready to defend the absent, to sacrifice himself in order to -conceal the faults of others, would not give an adequate description of -his character. The following incident will reveal him more effectively: -When he was about twelve years old, a senior student got out of -patience and kicked him; with no intention, however, of hurting him -much. It was contrary to Jules's code of honor to carry complaints to -the masters. He contented himself with replying to his assailant: "You -are too thick-headed, you big brute, for me to waste any sarcasm on -you. You would not understand it. One must pierce your hide in some -other way; but be patient, you will lose nothing by waiting!" - -After rejecting certain more or less ingenious schemes of vengeance, -Jules resolved to catch his enemy asleep and shave his eyebrows--a -punishment which would be easy to inflict, as Dubuc, the youth who had -kicked him, was a mighty heavy sleeper. This plan had the further -advantage of touching him on a most sensitive point, for he was a -handsome fellow and a good deal of a dandy. - -Jules had just decided on this revenge, when he heard Dubuc say to one -of his friends, who had rallied him on looking gloomy: - -"Indeed, I have good reason to be, for I expect my father to-morrow. I -have got into debt with the shop-keepers, hoping that my mother would -come to Quebec ahead of him, and would relieve me without his knowing -anything about it. Father is close-fisted and violent. He will probably -strike me in the first heat of his anger; and I don't know where to -hide my head. I have a mind to run away until the storm is over." - -"Oh," said Jules, "why don't you let me help you out of the scrape?" - -"The devil you say!" exclaimed Dubuc, shaking his head. - -"Why," said Jules, "do you think that on account of a kick, more or -less, I would leave a fellow-student in a scrape and exposed to the -violence of his amiable papa? To be sure, you almost broke my back, but -that is another affair, which we will settle later. How much cash do -you want?" - -"My dear fellow," answered Dubuc, "that would be abusing your kindness. -I need a large sum, and I know you are not in funds just now; for you -emptied your purse to help that poor woman whose husband was killed the -other day." - -"A pretty story," said Jules. "As if one could not always find money -to save a friend from the wrath of a father who is going to break his -neck! How much do you want?" - -"Fifty francs!" - -"You shall have them this evening," said the boy. - -Jules, an only son, belonging to a rich family, indulged by everybody, -had his pockets always full of money. Father and mother, uncles and -aunts, godfathers and godmothers, they all kept loudly proclaiming that -boys should not have too much money to spend. At the same time they -outdid each other in surreptitiously supplying his purse! - -Dubuc, however, had spoken truly; the boy's purse was empty for the -moment. Fifty francs was, moreover, quite a sum in those days. The King -of France was paying his red allies only fifty francs for an English -scalp. His Britannic Majesty, richer or more generous, was paying a -hundred for the scalp of a Frenchman! - -Jules did not care to apply to his uncles and his aunts, the only -relations he had in the city. His first thought was to borrow fifty -francs by pawning his gold watch, which was worth at least twenty-five -louis. Revolving the matter, however, he bethought himself of a certain -old woman, a servant of the house, whom his father had dowered at her -marriage, and to whom he had afterward advanced enough money to set -her up in business. The business had prospered in her hands. She was a -widow, rich and childless. - -There were difficulties to surmount, however. The old dame was rather -avaricious and crusty; and on the occasion of Jules's last visit they -had not parted on the best terms possible. She had even chased him -into the street with a broomstick. The boy had done nothing more, -however, than play her a little trick. He had given her pet spaniel a -dose of snuff, and when the old lady ran to the help of her dog, who -was conducting himself like a lunatic, he had emptied the rest of the -snuff-box into a dandelion salad which she was carefully picking over -for her supper. - -"Hold on, mother," he cried, as he ran away, "there is a good seasoning -for you." - -Jules saw that it was very necessary to make his peace with the good -dame, and hence these preliminaries. He threw his arms about her neck -on entering, in spite of the old woman's attempt to shield herself from -these too ardent demonstrations, after the way he had affronted her. - -"See, my dear Madeleine," he cried, "I am come to pardon thine offenses -as thou must pardon all who have offended against thee. Everybody says -thou art stingy and revengeful, but that is no business of mine. Thou -wilt get quit of it by roasting a little while in another world. I wash -my hands of it entirely." - -Madeleine hardly knew whether to laugh or be angry at this fantastic -preamble; but, as she was fond of the boy, for all his tricks, she took -the wiser course and smiled good-naturedly. - -"Now that we are in a better humor," continued Jules, "let us proceed -to business. I have been a little foolish and have got into debt, and I -dread to trouble my good father about it. In fact, I want fifty francs -to settle the unfortunate business. Can you lend me that much?" - -"Indeed, now, Master D'Haberville," answered the old dame, "if that -were all I had in the world, I would give it all to save your father -any trouble. I owe so much to your father." - -"Tut!" said Jules, "if you talk of those ha'pennies, there's an end of -business. But listen, my good Madeleine, since I might break my neck -when I least expect it, or still more probably when climbing on the -roof or among the city bells, I must give you a bit of writing for -security. I hope, however, to pay you back in a month at latest." - -At this Madeleine was seriously offended. She refused the note, and -counted him out the money. Jules almost choked her with his embrace, -sprang through the window into the street and hurried back to the -college. - -At recess time that evening Dubuc was freed from all anxiety on the -score of his amiable papa. - -"But remember," said D'Haberville, "I still owe you for that kick." - -"Hold on, dear boy," exclaimed Dubuc, with feeling. "I wish you would -settle that right now. Break my head or my back with the poker, only -let us settle it. To think that, after all you have done for me, you -are still bearing me a grudge, would be nothing less than torture." - -"A fine idea that," exclaimed the boy, "to think that I bear any one -a grudge because I am in his debt in regard to a little exchange of -compliments! So that is how you take it, eh? Shake, then, and let us -think no more about it. You may brag of being the only one to scratch -me without my having drawn his blood in return." - -With these words he sprang upon the young man's shoulders like a -monkey, pulled out a few hairs to satisfy his conscience, and scampered -off to join the merry group which was waiting for him. - -Archibald of Lochiel, matured by bitter experiences, and on that -account more self-contained and more reserved than other boys of his -age, on his first coming to college hardly knew whether to smile or -be angry at the frolics of the little imp who seemed to have taken -him for his special butt, and who hardly left him any peace. He could -not be expected to divine that this was Jules's manner of showing his -affection for those he loved the most. One day, driven to the end of -his forbearance, Archie said to him: - -"Do you know, you would try the patience of a saint! Verily I don't -know what to do with you." - -"But you have a way out of your difficulties," answered Jules. "My skin -itches; give me a good hiding, and I'll leave you in peace. That will -be easy enough for you, you young Hercules." - -Lochiel, indeed, accustomed from his infancy to the trying sports of -the young Highlanders, was at fourteen marvelously strong for his years. - -"Do you think," exclaimed Archie, "that I am such a coward as to strike -a boy younger and weaker than myself?" - -"Oh, no," said Jules; "I see we agree on that score--never a knock for -a little fellow. What suits me is a good tussle with a fellow of my -own age, or even a little older; then shake hands and think no more -about it. By the way," continued Jules, "you know that comical dog De -Chavigny? He is older than I am, but so weak and miserable that I have -never had the heart to punch him, although he has played me such a -trick as even St. Francis himself would hardly pardon. Just think of -him running to me all out of breath and exclaiming: 'I've just snatched -an egg from that greedy Letourneau, who had stolen it out of the -refectory. Here, hide it; he's after me!' - -"'Where do you want me to hide it?' said I. - -"'Oh, in your hat,' he answered; 'he'll never think of looking for it -there.' - -"As for me, I was fool enough to do it. I ought to have mistrusted him." - -In a moment Letourneau came up and jammed my cap down over my eyes. -The accursed egg nearly blinded me, and I swear did not smell like a -rose-garden! It was an addled egg found by Chavigny in a nest which the -hen had probably abandoned a month before. I got out of that mess with -the loss of a cap, a vest, and other garments. Well, after the first -of my fury was over, I could not help laughing; and if I bear him any -grudge at all, it is for having got ahead of me with so neat a trick. I -should love to get it off on Derome, who keeps his hair so charmingly -powdered. As for Letourneau, since he was too stupid to have invented -the trick myself, I contented myself with saying to him, 'Blessed are -they of little wit'; and he professed himself proud of the compliment, -being glad enough, after all, to get off so cheaply. - -"And now, my dear Archie," continued Jules, "let us come to terms. I -am a kindly potentate, and my conditions shall be most easy. To please -you, I undertake, on the word of a gentleman, to diminish by one third -those tricks of mine which you lack the good taste to appreciate. -Come, now, you ought to be satisfied with that if you are not utterly -unreasonable, for you see, my dear boy, I love you. I would not have -made peace with any one else on such advantageous terms." - -Lochiel could not help laughing as he shook the irrepressible lad. It -was from this conversation that the friendship between the two boys -took its beginning--on Archie's part with a truly Scottish restraint, -on the side of Jules with the passionate warmth of which the French -heart is capable. - -A few weeks later, about a month before the vacation, which began then -on the 15th of August, Jules seized his friend's arm and whispered: - -"Come into my room. I have just had a letter from father which concerns -you." - -"Concerns me!" exclaimed the other in astonishment. - -"Why are you surprised?" retorted D'Haberville. "Do you think you -are not of sufficient importance for any one to concern himself about -you? Why, all New France is talking about the handsome Scotchman. The -mammas, fearing your influence on the inflammable hearts of their -daughters, talk seriously of petitioning our principal never to let you -appear in public except with a veil on, like the women of the East." - -"Come, stop your fooling, and let me go on with my reading." - -"But I am very much in earnest," said Jules. And, dragging his friend -along with him, he read him part of a letter from his father, which ran -as follows: - -"What you tell me about your young friend, Master de Lochiel, interests -me very much. I grant your request with the greatest pleasure. Give -him my compliments, and beg him to come and spend his next vacation -with us, and all his vacations so long as he is attending college. If -he does not consider this invitation sufficiently formal, I will write -to him myself. His father sleeps upon a glorious field. Soldiers are -brothers everywhere; so should their sons be likewise. Let him come to -our own hearth-stone, and our hearts shall open to him as to one of our -own blood." - -Archie was so affected by the warmth of this invitation that for some -moments he could not answer. - -"Come, my haughty Scotlander, will you do us the honor?" said his -friend. "Or must my father send, on a special embassy, his chief -butler, José Dubé, with the bagpipes slung on his back in the form of -a St. Andrew's cross--as is the custom, I believe, among your Highland -chiefs--to present you his invitation with all due formality?" - -"As, fortunately, I am no longer in my Highlands," said Archie, -laughing, "we can dispense with these formalities. I shall write at -once to Captain D'Haberville, and thank him with my whole heart for his -noble generosity to the exiled orphan." - -"Then, let us speak reasonably for once," said Jules, "if only -for the novelty of the thing. You think me very light, silly, and -scatter-brained. I acknowledge that there is a little of all that in -me, which does not prevent me from being in earnest more often than -you think. I have long been seeking a friend, a true and high-hearted -friend. I have watched you very closely, and I find you all I could -wish. Lochiel, will you be my friend?" - -"Without a moment's question, my dear boy," answered Archie, "for I -have always felt strongly attracted toward you." - -"Well, then," cried Jules, grasping his hand warmly, "it is for life -and death with us Lochiel!" - -Thus, between a boy of twelve and a boy of fourteen, was ratified a -friendship which in the sequel will be exposed to the crudest tests. - -"Here's a letter from mother," said Jules, "in which there is a word -for you": - -"I hope your friend, Master de Lochiel, will do us the pleasure of -accepting your father's invitation. We are all eager to meet him. His -room is ready, alongside of your own. In the box which José will hand -you there is a parcel for him which he would grieve me greatly by -refusing. In sending it I am thinking of the mother he has lost." - - -The box contained equal shares for the two boys of cakes, sweetmeats, -jams, and other dainties. - -The friendship between the two boys grew stronger day by day. They -became inseparable. Their college-mates dubbed them variously Damon and -Pythias, Orestes and Pylades, Nisus and Euryalus. At last they called -them the brothers. - -All the time Lochiel was at college he spent his vacations with the -D'Habervilles, who made no difference between the two boys unless to -lavish the more marked attentions upon the young Scotchman who had -become as it were a son of the house. It was most natural, then, that -Archie, before sailing for Europe, should accompany Jules on his -farewell visit to his father's house. - -The friendship between the two young men, as we have already said, is -destined to be put to the bitterest trial, when that code of honor -which has been substituted by civilization for the truest sentiments -of the human heart, shall come to teach them the obligations of men -who are fighting under hostile flags. But why anticipate the dark -future? Have they not enjoyed during almost ten years of college life -the passing griefs, the little jealousies, the eager pleasures, the -differences and ardent reconciliations which characterize a boyish -friendship? - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -A NIGHT WITH THE SORCERERS. - - Angels and ministers of grace, defend us! - Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damned, - Bring with thee airs from heaven, or blasts from hell. - -_Hamlet._ - - Ecoute comme les bois crient. Les hiboux fuient épouvantés.... - Entends-tu ces voix dans les hauteurs, dans le lointain, ou près - de nous?... - Eh! oui! la montagne retentit, dans toute sa longueur, d'un furieux - chant magique. - -_Faust._ - - Lest bogles catch him unawares.... - - Where ghaits and howlets nightly cry.... - - When out the hellish legion sallied. - -+Burns.+ - - -As soon as our young travelers, crossing the St. Lawrence opposite -Quebec, have reached Point Lévis, José makes haste to harness a -splendid Norman horse into one of those low sledges which furnish the -only means of transport at this season, when the roads are only covered -here and there with snow or ice, and when overflowing streams intercept -the way at intervals. When they come to one of these obstacles José -unharnesses the horse, all three mount, and the brook is speedily -forded. It is true that Jules, who clasps José around the waist, tries -every now and then to throw him off, at the risk of partaking with him -the luxury of a bath at a little above zero. He might as well have -tried to throw Cape Tourmente into the St. Lawrence. José, who, in -spite of his comparatively small stature, is as strong as an elephant, -laughs in his sleeve and pretends not to notice it. The brook forded, -José goes back for the sledge, reharnesses the horse, climbs into the -sledge with the baggage in front of him lest he should get it wet, and -speedily overtakes his fellow-travelers, who have not halted a moment -in their march. - -Thanks to Jules, the conversation never flags during the journey. -Archie does nothing but laugh over the witticisms that Jules -perpetrates at his expense. He has long given up attempting any retort. - -"We must hurry," exclaimed D'Haberville; "it is thirty-six miles from -here to St. Thomas. My uncle De Beaumont takes supper at seven. If we -get there too late, we shall probably make a poor meal. The good things -will be all gobbled up. You know the proverb, _tarde venientibus ossa_." - -"Scotch hospitality is proverbial," exclaimed Archie. "With us the -welcome is the same day or night. That is the cook's business." - -"Verily," said Jules, "I believe it as if I saw it with my own eyes; -were it otherwise it would show a plentiful lack of skill or good-will -on the part of your peticoated cooks. It is delightfully primitive, -that Scotch cookery of yours. With a few handfuls of oatmeal sodden in -cold water--since you have neither wood nor coal in your country--you -can make an excellent soup at little cost and with no great expenditure -of culinary science, and feast your guests as well in the night as in -the daytime. It is quite true that, when some distinguished personage -seeks your hospitality--which often happens, since Scotland is loaded -down with enough coats-of-arms to crush a camel--it is true I say, that -you set before him, in addition to your oatmeal soup, the head, feet, -or nice, juicy tail of a sheep, with salt for sauce; the other parts -of the animal never seem to grow in Scotland." - -Lochiel contented himself with glancing at Jules over his shoulder and -repeating: - -"'Quis talia fando Myrmidonum, Dolopumve'--" - -"What's that?" exclaimed Jules, in assumed indignation; "you call me -a Myrmidon, a Dolopian--me, the philosopher! And, moreover, my worthy -pedant, you abuse me in Latin--you who so murder the accent with your -Caledonian tongue that Virgil must squirm in his grave! You call me -a Myrmidon--me, the geometrician of my class! You remember that the -Professor of Mathematics predicted that I should be another Vauban--" - -"Yes, indeed," interrupted Archie, "in recognition of your famous -perpendicular line, which leaned so much to the left that all the class -trembled lest it should fall and crush its base; seeing which, our -professor sought to console you by predicting that your services would -be required in case of the reconstruction of the Tower of Pisa." - -Jules struck a tragic attitude and cried: - -"'Tu t'en souviens, Cinna! et veux m'assassiner.' - -"You are going to stab me upon the king's highway, beside this mighty -St. Lawrence, untouched by all the beauty of nature which surrounds -us--untouched by yon lovely cascade of Montmorency, which the -_habitants_ call 'The Cow,' a title very much the reverse of poetic, -but which, nevertheless, expresses well enough the exquisite whiteness -of the stream which leaps from its bosom like the rich and foaming flow -from the milch-cow's udder. You are going to stab me right in sight -of the Isle of Orleans, which, as we go on, conceals from our view -the lovely waterfall which I have so poetically described! Heartless -wretch! will nothing make you relent--not even the sight of poor José -here, who is touched by all this wisdom and eloquence in one so young, -as Fénelon would have said could he have written my adventures?" - -"Do you know," interrupted Archie, "you are at least as remarkable in -poetry as you are in geometry?" - -"Who can doubt it?" answered Jules. "No matter, my perpendicular made -you all laugh and myself most of all. You know, however, that that -was only another trick of that scamp De Chavigny, who had stolen my -exercise and rolled up another in place of it, which I handed in to the -teacher. You all pretended not to believe me, since you were but too -glad to see the trickster tricked." - -José, who ordinarily took little part in the young men's conversation, -and who, moreover, had been unable to understand what they had just -been talking about, now began to mutter under his breath: - -"What a queer kind of a country that, where the sheep have only heads, -feet, and tails, and not even a handful of a body! But, after all, it -is none of my business; the men who are the masters will fix things to -suit themselves; but I can't help thinking of the poor horses!" - -José, who was a regular jockey, had a most tender consideration for -these noble beasts. Then, turning to Archie, he touched his cap and -said: - -"Saving your presence, sir, if the gentry themselves eat all the oats -in your country, which is because they have nothing better to eat, I -suppose, what do the poor horses do? They require to be well fed if -they do much hard work." - -The young men burst out laughing. José, a little abashed by their -ridicule, exclaimed: - -"Excuse me if I have said anything foolish. One may make mistakes -without being drunk, just like Master Jules there, who was telling you -that the _habitants_ call Montmorency Falls 'The Cow' because their -foam is white as milk. Now, I have a suspicion that it is because they -bellow like a cow in certain winds. At least that is what the old -bodies say when they get chattering." - -"Don't be angry, old boy," answered Jules, "you are probably quite -right. We were laughing because you thought there were horses in -Scotland. The animal is unknown in that country." - -"What! no horses, sir? What do the folks do when they want to travel?" - -"When I say no horses," answered D'Haberville, "you must not understand -me too literally. They have an animal resembling our horses, but not -much taller than my big dog Niger. It lives in the mountains, wild as -our caribous, and not altogether unlike them. When a Highlander wants -to travel, he sounds his bagpipe; all the villagers gather together -and he unfolds to them his project. Then they scatter through the -woods, or rather through the heather, and after a day or two of toil -and tribulation they succeed, occasionally, in capturing one of these -charming beasts; then, after another day or two, if the brute is not -too obstinate, and if the Highlander has enough patience, he sets out -on his journey, and sometimes even succeeds in coming to the end of it." - -"Well, I must say," retorted Lochiel, "you are a pretty one to be -making fun of my Highlanders! You have good right to be proud of this -princely turn-out of your own! It will be hard for posterity to believe -that the high and mighty lord of D'Haberville sends for his son and -heir in a sort of dung-cart without wheels! Doubtless he will send some -outriders on ahead of us, in order that nothing shall be lacking in our -triumphal approach to the manor of St. Jean Port Joli!" - -"Well done, Lochiel! you are saved, brother mine," cried Jules. "A -very neat home thrust. Claws for claws, as one of your Scottish saints -exclaimed one day, when he was having a scrimmage with the devil." - -José, during this discussion, was scratching his head disconsolately. -Like Caleb Balderstone, in The Bride of Lammermoor, he was very -sensitive on all subjects touching his master's honor. - -"What a wretched fool I am!" he cried in a piteous voice. "It is all my -fault. The seigneur has four carryalls in his coach-house, of which -two are brand new and varnished up like fiddles, so that I used one -for a looking-glass last Sunday. So, then, when the seigneur said to -me yesterday morning, 'Get ready, José, for you must go to Quebec to -fetch my son and his friend Mr. de Lochiel; see that you take a proper -carriage'--I, like a fool, said to myself that when the roads were so -bad the only thing to take was a sled like this! Oh, yes, I'm in for a -good scolding! I shall get off cheap if I have to do without my brandy -for a month! At three drinks a day," added José, "that will make a loss -of ninety good drinks, without counting extras. But it's all the same -to me; I'll take my punishment like a man." - -The young men were greatly amused at José's ingenious lying for the -honor of his master. - -"Now," said Archie, "since you seem to have emptied your budget of all -the absurdities that a hair-brained French head can contain, try and -speak seriously, and tell me why the Isle of Orleans is called the -Isle of the Sorcerers." - -"For the very simple reason," answered Jules, "that a great many -sorcerers live there." - -"There you begin again with your nonsense," said Lochiel. - -"I am in earnest," said Jules. "These Scotch are unbearably conceited. -They can't acknowledge any excellence in other nations. Do you think, -my dear fellow, that Scotland has the monopoly of witches and wizards? -I would beg you to know that we too have our sorcerers; and that two -hours ago, between Point Lévis and Beaumont, I might as easily as not -have introduced you to a very respectable sorceress. I would have you -know, moreover, that on the estate of my illustrious father you shall -see a witch of the most remarkable skill. The difference is, my dear -boy, that in Scotland you burn them, while here we treat them in a -manner fitting their power and social influence. Ask José if I am not -telling the truth?" - -José did not fail to confirm all he said. In his eyes the witches of -Beaumont and St. Jean Port Joli were genuine and mighty sorceresses. - -"But to speak seriously," continued Jules, "since you would make a -reasonable man of me, _nolens volens_, as my sixth-form master used to -say when he gave me a dose of the strap, I believe the fable takes its -rise from the fact that the _habitants_ on the north and south shores -of the river, seeing the islanders on dark nights go out fishing with -torches, mistake their lights for will-o'-the-wisps. Then, you know -that our country folk regard the will-o'-the-wisps as witches, or as -evil spirits who endeavor to lure the wandering wretch to his death. -They even profess to hear them laugh when the deluded traveler falls -into the quagmire. The truth is, that there is an inflammable gas -continually escaping from our bogs and swampy places, from which to the -hobgoblins and sorcerers is but a single step." - -"Impossible," said Archie; "your logic is at fault, as the professor so -often had to tell you. You see the inhabitants of the north and south -shores themselves go fishing with torches, whence, according to your -reasoning, the islanders should have called them sorcerers; which is -not the case." - -While Jules was shaking his head, with no answer ready, José took up -the word. - -"If you would let me speak, gentlemen, I might explain your difficulty -by telling you what happened to my late father who is now dead." - -"Oh, by all means, tell us that; tell us what happened to your late -father who is now dead," cried Jules, with a marked emphasis on the -last four words. - -"Yes, my dear José, do us the favor of telling us about it," added -Lochiel. - -"I can't half tell the story," answered José, "for, you see, I have -neither the fine accent nor the splendid voice of my lamented parent. -When he used to tell us what happened to him in his vigil, our bodies -would shake so, as if with ague, as would do you good to see. But I'll -do my best to satisfy you: - -"It happened one day that my late father, who is now dead, had left the -city for home somewhat late. He had even diverted himself a little, so -to speak, with his acquaintances in Point Lévis. Like an honest man, he -loved his drop; and on his journeys he always carried a flask of brandy -in his dogfish-skin satchel. They say the liquor is the milk for old -men." - -"_Lac dulce_," interjected Archie, sententiously. - -"Begging your pardon, Mr. Archie," answered José, with some warmth, "it -was neither _sweet water_ (_de l'eau_ _douce_) nor _lake-water_ (_eau -de lac_), but very good, unadulterated brandy which my late father, now -dead, was carrying in his satchel." - -"Capital, upon my word!" cried Jules. "It serves you right for your -perpetual Latin quotations!" - -"I beg your pardon, José," said Lochiel, very seriously. "I intended -not the shadow of disrespect to your late father." - -"You are excused, sir," said José, entirely mollified. "It happened -that it was quite dark when my father at last got under way. His -friends did their best to keep him all night, telling him that he would -have to pass, all by himself, the iron cage wherein _La Corriveau_ did -penance for having killed her husband. - -"You saw it yourselves, gentlemen, when leaving Point Lévis at one -o'clock. She was quiet then in her cage, the wicked creature, with her -eyeless skull. But never you trust to her being blind. She is a cunning -one, you had better believe! If she can't see in the daytime, she knows -well enough how to find her way to torment poor folks at night. Well, -as for my late father, who was as brave as his captain's sword, he told -his friends that he didn't care--that he didn't owe _La Corriveau_ a -farthing--with a heap more reasons which I can not remember now. He put -the whip to his horse, a fine brute that could travel like the wind, -and was gone in a second. - -"As he was passing the skeleton, he thought he heard a noise, a sort -of wailing; but, as a heavy southwest wind was blowing, he made up his -mind it was only the gale whistling through the bones of the corpse. It -gave him a kind of a start, nevertheless, and he took a good pull at -the flask to brace himself up. All things considered, however, as he -said to himself, Christians should be ready to help each other; perhaps -the poor creature was wanting his prayers. He took off his cap and -devoutly recited a _de profundis_ for her benefit, thinking that, if it -didn't do her any good, it could at least do her no harm, and that he -himself would be the better for it. Well, then he kept on as fast as he -could; but, for all that, he heard a queer sound behind him--tic-tac, -tic-tac, like a piece of iron striking on the stones. He thought it -was the tire of his wheel, or some piece of the wagon, that had come -unfastened. He got out to see, but found everything snug. He touched -the horse to make up for lost time, but after a little he heard again -that tic-tac, tic-tac, on the stones. Being brave, he didn't pay much -attention. - -"When he got to the high ground of St. Michel, which we passed a little -way back, he grew very drowsy. 'After all,' said my late father, 'a -man is not a dog! let us take a little nap; we'll both be the better -for it, my horse and I.' Well, he unharnessed his horse, tied his legs -so he would not wander too far, and said: 'There, my pet, there's good -grass, and you can hear the brook yonder. Good-night.' - -"As my late father crawled himself into the wagon to keep out of the -dew, it struck him to wonder what time it was. After studying the -'Three Kings' to the south'ard and the 'Wagon' to the north'ard, he -made up his mind it must be midnight. 'It is time,' said he, 'for -honest men to be in bed.' - -"Suddenly, however, it seemed to him as if Isle d'Orléans was on fire. -He sprang over the ditch, leaned on the fence, opened his eyes wide, -and stared with all his might. He saw at last that the flames were -dancing up and down the shore, as if all the will-o'-the-wisps, all -the damned souls of Canada, were gathered there to hold the witches' -sabbath. He stared so hard that his eyes which had grown a little dim -grew very clear again, and he saw a curious sight; you would have said -they were a kind of men, a queer breed altogether. They had a head big -as a peck measure, topped off with a pointed cap a yard long; then they -had arms, legs, feet, and hands armed with long claws, but no body -to speak of. Their crotch, begging your pardon, gentlemen, was split -right up to their ears. They had scarcely anything in the way of flesh; -they were kind of all bone, like skeletons. Every one of these pretty -fellows had his upper lip split like a rabbit's, and through the split -stuck out a rhinoceros tusk a foot long, like you see, Mr. Archie, in -your book of unnatural history. As for the nose, it was nothing more -nor less, begging your pardon, than a long pig's snout, which they -would rub first on one side and then on the other of their great tusk, -perhaps to sharpen it. I almost forgot to say that they had a long -tail, twice as long as a cow's, which they used, I suppose, to keep off -the flies. - -"The funniest thing of all was that there were but three eyes to every -couple of imps. Those that had but one eye, in the middle of the -forehead, like those Cyclopes that your uncle, who is a learned man, -Mr. Jules, used to read to us about out of that big book of his, all -Latin, like the priest's prayer-book, which he called his Virgil--those -that had but one eye held each by the claw two novices with the proper -number of eyes. Out of all these eyes spurted the flames which lit up -Isle d'Orléans like broad day. The novices seemed very respectful to -their companions, who were, as one might say, half blind; they bowed -down to them, they fawned upon them, they fluttered their arms and -legs, just like good Christians dancing the minuet. - -"The eyes of my late father were fairly starting out of his head. It -was worse and worse when they began to jump and dance without moving -from their places, and to chant in a voice as hoarse as that of a -choking cow, this song: - - "Hoary Frisker, Goblin gay, - Long-nosed Neighbor, come away! - Come my Grumbler in the mud, - Brother Frog of tainted blood! - Come, and on this juicy Christian - Let us feast it while we may!" - - * * * * * - -"'Ah! the accursed heathens,' exclaimed my late father, 'an honest -man can not be sure of his property for a moment! Not satisfied with -having stolen my favorite song, which I always keep to wind up with at -weddings and feasts, just see how they've played the devil with it! One -would hardly recognize it. It is Christians instead of good wine that -they are going to treat themselves to, the scoundrels!' - -"Then the imps went on with their hellish song, glaring at my late -father, and curling their long snouts around their great rhinoceros -tusks: - - "Come, my tricksy Traveler's Guide, - Devil's Minion true and tried. - Come, my Sucking-Pig, my Simple, - Brother Wart and Brother Pimple; - Here's a fat and juicy Frenchman - To be pickled, to be fried!" - - * * * * * - -"'All that I can say to you just now, my darlings,' cried my late -father, 'is that if you get no more fat to eat than what I'm going to -bring you on my lean carcass you'll hardly need to skim your broth.' - -"The goblins, however, seemed to be expecting something, for they kept -turning their heads every moment. My late father looked in the same -direction. What was that he saw on the hill-side? A mighty devil, built -like the rest, but as long as the steeple St. Michel, which we passed -awhile back. Instead of the pointed bonnet, he wore a three-horned -hat, topped with a big thorn bush in place of a feather. He had but -one eye, blackguard that he was, but that was as good as a dozen. He -was doubtless the drum-major of the regiment, for he held in his hand -a saucepan twice as big as our maple-sugar kettles, which hold twenty -gallons, and in the other hand a bell-clapper, which no doubt the dog -of a heretic had stolen from some church before its consecration. He -pounded on his saucepan, and all the scoundrels began to laugh, to -jump, to flutter, nodding to my late father as if inviting him to come -and amuse himself with them. - -"'You'll wait a long time, my lambs,' thought my late father to -himself, his teeth chattering in his head as if he had the shaking -fever--'you will wait a long time, my gentle lambs. I'm not in any -hurry to quit the good Lord's earth to live with the goblins!' - -"Suddenly the tall devil began to sing a hellish round, accompanying -himself on the saucepan, which he beat furiously, and all the goblins -darted away like lightning--so fast, indeed, that it took them less -than a minute to go all the way around the island. My poor late father -was so stupefied by the hubbub that he could not remember more than -three verses of the song, which ran like this: - - "Here's the spot that suits us well - When it gets too hot in hell-- - Toura-loura; - Here we go all round, - Hands all round, - Here we go all round. - - "Come along and stir your sticks, - You jolly dogs of heretics-- - Toura-loura; - Here we go all round, - Hands all round, - Here we go all round. - - "Room for all, there's room for all - That skim or wriggle, bounce or crawl-- - Toura-loura; - Here we go all round, - Hands all round, - Here we go all round." - -"My late father was in a cold sweat; he had not yet, however, come to -the worst of it." - -Here José paused. "But I am dying for a smoke, and, with your -permission, gentlemen, I'll light my pipe." - -"Quite right, my dear José," answered D'Haberville. "For my own part, -I am dying for something else. My stomach declares that this is -dinner-hour at college. Let's have a bite to eat." - -Jules enjoyed the privilege of aristocratic descent--he had always a -magnificent appetite. This was specially excusable to-day, seeing that -he had dined at noon, and had had an immense deal of exercise since. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -LA CORRIVEAU. - -Sganarelle.--Seigneur commandeur, mon maitre, Don Juan, vous demande -si vous voulez lui faire l'honneur de venir souper avec lui. - -Le même.--La statue m'a fait signe. - -+Le Festin de Pierre.+ - - What? the ghosts are growing ruder, - How they beard me.... - - To-night--why this is Goblin Hall, - Spirits and specters all in all. - -+Faustus.+ - - -José, after having unbridled the horse and given him what he called -a mouthful of hay, made haste to open a box which he had ingeniously -arranged on the sled to serve, as needs might be, both for seat and -larder. He brought out a great napkin in which were wrapped up two -roast chickens, a tongue, a ham, a little flask of brandy, a good big -bottle of wine. He was going to retire when Jules said to him: - -"Come along and take a bite with us, José." - -"Yes, indeed, come and sit here by me," said Archie. - -"Oh, gentlemen," said José, "I know my place too well--" - -"Come now, no affectations," said Jules. "We are here like three -soldiers in camp; will you be so good as to come, you obstinate fellow?" - -"Since you say so, gentlemen, I must obey my officers," answered Jules. - -The two young men seated themselves on the box which served them also -for a table. José took his place very comfortably on a bundle of hay, -and all three began to eat and drink with a hearty appetite. - -Archie, naturally abstemious, had soon finished his meal. Having -nothing better to do, he began to philosophize. In his lighter moods he -loved to propound paradoxes for the pleasure of the argument. - -"Do you know, brother mine, what it was that interested me most in my -friend's story?" - -"No," exclaimed Jules, attacking another drumstick; "and what's more, -for the next quarter of an hour I don't care. The hungry stomach has no -ears." - -"Oh, that's no matter," said Archie. "It was those devils, goblins, -spirits, or whatever you choose to call them, with only one eye; I -wish that the fashion could be adopted among men; there would be fewer -hypocrites, fewer rogues, and therefore fewer dupes. Assuredly, it -is some consolation to see that virtue is held in honor even among -hobgoblins. Did you notice with what respect those one-eyed fellows -were treated by the other imps?" - -"That may be," said Jules, "but what does it prove?" - -"It proves," answered Lochiel, "that the one-eyed fellows deserved the -special attentions that were paid them; they are the _haute noblesse_ -among hobgoblins. Above all they are not hypocrites." - -"Nonsense," said Jules, "I begin to be afraid your brain is softening." - -"Oh, no, I'm not so crazy as you think," answered Archie. "Just watch -a hypocrite with somebody he wants to deceive. With what humility he -keeps one eye half shut while the other watches the effect of his -words. If he had but one eye he would lose this immense advantage, -and would have to give up his _rôle_ of hypocrite which he finds -so profitable. There, you see, is one vice the less. My Cyclops of -a hobgoblin has probably many other vices, but he is certainly no -hypocrite; whence the respect to which he is treated by a class of -beings stained with all the vices in the category." - -"Here's your health, my Scottish philosopher," exclaimed Jules, tossing -off a glass of wine. "Hanged if I understand a word of your reasoning -though." - -"But it's clear as day," answered Archie. "The heavy and indigestible -stuff with which you are loading down your stomach must be clogging -your brains. If you ate nothing but oatmeal, as we Highlanders do, your -ideas would be a good deal clearer." - -"That oatmeal seems to stick in your throat, my friend," said Jules; -"it ought to be easy enough to digest, however, even without the help -of sauce." - -"Here's another example," said Archie. "A rogue who wishes to cheat an -honest man in any kind of a transaction always keeps one eye winking -or half shut, while the other watches to see whether he is gaining -or losing in the trade. One eye is plotting while the other watches. -That is a vast advantage for the rogue. His antagonist, on the other -hand, seeing one eye clear, frank, and honest, can not suspect what -is going on behind the eye which blinks, and plots, and calculates, -while its fellow keeps as impenetrable as fate. Now let us reverse the -matter," continued Archie. "Let us suppose the same rogue in the same -circumstances, but blind of one eye. The honest man watching his face -may often read in his eye his inmost thoughts; for my Cyclops, being -himself suspicious, is constrained to keep his one eye wide open." - -"Rather," laughed Jules, "if he doesn't want to break his neck." - -"Granted," replied Lochiel, "but still more for the purpose of reading -the soul of him he wants to deceive. He finds it necessary, moreover, -to give his eye an expression of candor and good-fellowship in order to -divert suspicion--which must absorb a portion of his wits. Then, since -there are few men who can follow, without the help of both their eyes, -two different trains of thought at the same time, our rogue finds that -he has lost half of his advantage. He renounces his wicked calling, and -society is the richer by one more honest man." - -"My poor Archie," murmured Jules, "I see that we have exchanged -_rôles_; that I am now the Scotch philosopher, as I so courteously -entitle you, while you are the crazy Frenchman, as you irreverently -term me. For, don't you see, my new Prometheus, that this one-eyed race -of men, endowed with all the virtues which you intend to substitute, -might very readily blink, if that is an infallible recipe for -deception, and for the purpose of taking observations just open their -eye from time to time." - -"Oh, you French, you frivolous French, you deluded French, no wonder -the English catch you on the hip in diplomacy!" - -"It would seem to me," interrupted Jules, "that the Scotch ought to -know something by this time about English diplomacy!" - -Archie's face saddened and grew pale; his friend had touched a sore -spot. Jules perceived this at once and said: - -"Forgive me, dear fellow, if I have hurt you. I know the subject is one -that calls up painful memories. I spoke, as usual, without thinking. -One often thoughtlessly wounds those one best loves by a retort which -one may think very witty. But come, let us drink to a merry life! Go -on with your remarkable reasoning; that will be pleasanter for both of -us." - -"The cloud has passed over, and I resume my argument," said Lochiel, -repressing his emotion. "Don't you see that my rascal could not shut -his eye for an instant without the risk of his prey escaping him? Do -you remember the squirrel that we saved last year from that great -snake, at the foot of the old maple-tree in your father's park; -remember how the snake kept its glowing eyes fixed upon the poor little -creature in order to fascinate it; how the squirrel kept springing from -branch to branch with piteous cries, unable to remove its gaze for an -instant from that of the hideous reptile? When we made it look away it -was saved. Do you remember how joyous it was after the death of its -enemy? Well, my friend, let our rogue shut his eye and his prey escapes -him." - -"Verily," said Jules, "you are a mighty dialectician. I shouldn't -wonder if you would some day eclipse, if you don't do it already, such -prattlers as Socrates, Zeno, Montaigne, and other philosophers of that -ilk. The only danger is lest your logic should some day land you in the -moon." - -"You think you can make fun of me," said Archie. "Very well, but only -let some pedant, with his pen behind his ear, undertake to refute my -thesis seriously, and a hundred scribblers in battle array will take -sides for and against, and floods of ink will flow. The world has been -deluged with blood itself in defense of theories about as reasonable as -mine. Why such a thing has often been enough to make a man famous." - -"Meanwhile," answered Jules, "your argument will serve as one of those -after-pieces with which Sancho Panza used to put Don Quixote to sleep. -As for me, I greatly prefer the story of our friend José." - -"You are easily pleased, sir," said the latter, who had been taking a -nap during the scientific discussion. - -"Let us listen," said Archie; "_Conticuêre omnes, intentique ora -tenebant._" - -"_Conticuêre_ ... you irrepressible pedant," cried D'Haberville. - -"It's not one of the priest's stories," put in José briskly; "but it is -as true as if he had told it from the pulpit; for my late father never -lied." - -"We believe you, my dear José," said Lochiel. "But now please go on -with your delightful narrative." - -"Well," said José, "it happened that my late father, brave as he was, -was in such a devil of a funk that the sweat was hanging from the end -of his nose like a head of oats. There he was, the dear man, with his -eyes bigger than his head, never daring to budge. Presently he thought -he heard behind him the 'tic tac,' 'tic tac,' which he had already -heard several times on the journey; but he had too much to occupy his -attention in front of him to pay much heed to what might pass behind. -Suddenly, when he was least expecting it, he felt two great bony hands, -like the claws of a bear, grip him by the shoulders. He turned around -horrified, and found himself face to face with La Corriveau, who was -climbing on his back. She had thrust her hands through the bars of her -cage and succeeded in clutching him; but the cage was heavy, and at -every leap she fell back again to the ground with a hoarse cry, without -losing her hold, however, on the shoulders of my late father, who bent -under the burden. If he had not held tight to the fence with both -hands, he would have been crushed under the weight. My poor late father -was so overwhelmed with horror that one might have heard the sweat -that rolled off his forehead dropping down on the fence like grains of -duck-shot. - -"'My dear Francis,' said La Corriveau, 'do me the pleasure of taking me -to dance with my friends of Isle d'Orléans?' - -"'Oh, you devil's wench!' cried my late father. That was the only oath -the good man ever used, and that only when very much tried." - -"The deuce!" exclaimed Jules, "it seems to me that the occasion was a -very suitable one. For my own part, I should have been swearing like a -heathen." - -"And I," said Archie, "like an Englishman." - -"Isn't that much the same thing," answered D'Haberville. - -"You are wrong, my dear Jules. I must acknowledge that the heathen -acquit themselves very well; but the English? Oh, my! Le Roux who, soon -as he got out of college, made a point of reading all the bad books -he could get hold of, told us, if you remember, that that blackguard -of a Voltaire, as my uncle the Jesuit used to call him, had declared -in a book of his, treating of what happened in France in the reign -of Charles VII, when that prince was hunting the islanders out of -his kingdom--Le Roux told us that Voltaire had put it on record that -'every Englishman swears.' Well, my boy, those events took place about -the year 1445--let us say, three hundred years ago. Judge, then, what -dreadful oaths that ill-tempered nation must have invented in the -course of three centuries!" - -"I surrender," said Jules. "But go on, my dear José." - -"'Devil's wench!' exclaimed my late father, 'is that your gratitude for -my _de profundis_ and all my other prayers? You'd drag _me_ into the -orgie, would you? I was thinking you must have been in for at least -three or four thousand years of purgatory for your pranks; and you had -only killed two husbands--which was a mere nothing. So having always a -tender heart for everything, I felt sorry for you, and said to myself -we must give you a helping hand. And this is the way you thank me, that -you want to straddle my shoulders and ride me to hell like a heretic!' - -"'My dear Francis,' said La Corriveau, 'take me over to dance with my -dear friends;' and she knocked her head against that of my late father -till her skull rattled like a dry bladder filled with pebbles. - -"'You may be sure,' said my late father, 'You hellish wench of Judas -Iscariot, I'm not going to be your jackass to carry you over to dance -with those pretty darlings!' - -"'My dear Francis,' answered the witch, 'I can not cross the St. -Lawrence, which is a consecrated stream, except with the help of a -Christian.' - -"'Get over as best you can, you devilish gallows bird,' said my late -father. 'Get over as best you can; every one to his own business. Oh, -yes, a likely thing that I'll carry you over to dance with your dear -friends; but that will be a devil of a journey you have come, the Lord -knows how, dragging that fine cage of yours, which must have torn up -all the stones on the king's highway! A nice row there'll be when the -inspector passes this way one of these days and finds the road in such -a condition! And then, who but the poor _habitant_ will have to suffer -for your frolics, getting fined for not having kept the road properly!' - -"The drum-major suddenly stopped beating on his great sauce-pan. All -the goblins halted and gave three yells, three frightful whoops, like -the Indians give when they have danced that war-dance with which they -always begin their bloody expeditions. The island was shaken to its -foundation, the wolves, the bears, all the other wild beasts, and the -demons of the northern mountains took up the cry, and the echoes -repeated it till it was lost in the forests of the far-off Saguenay. - -"My poor, late father thought that the end of the world had come, and -the Day of Judgment. - -"The tall devil with the sauce-pan struck three blows; and a silence -most profound succeeded the hellish hubbub. He stretched out his arm -toward my late father, and cried with a voice of thunder: 'Will you -make haste, you lazy dog? will you make haste, you cur of a Christian, -and ferry our friend across? We have only fourteen thousand four -hundred times more to prance around the island before cock-crow. Are -you going to make her lose the best of the fun?' - -"'Go to the devil, where you all belong,' answered my late father, -losing all patience. - -"'Come, my dear Francis,' said La Corriveau, 'be a little more -obliging. You are acting like a child about a mere trifle. Moreover, -see how the time is flying. Come, now, one little effort!' - -"'No, no, my wench of Satan,' said my late father. 'Would to Heaven you -still had on the fine collar which the hangman put around your neck two -years ago. You wouldn't have so clear a wind-pipe.' - -"During this dialogue the goblins on the island resumed their chorus: - - "'Here we go all round, - Hands all round, - Here we go all round.' - -"'My dear Francis,' said the witch, 'if your body and bones won't carry -me over, I'm going to strangle you. I will straddle your soul and ride -over to the festival.' With these words, she seized him by the throat -and strangled him." - -"What," exclaimed the young men, "she strangled your poor, late father, -now dead?" - -"When I said strangled, it was very little better than that," answered -José, "for the dear man lost his consciousness." - -"When he came to himself he heard a little bird, which cried _Qué-tu_? -(Who art thou?) - -"'Oh, ho!' said my late father, 'it's plain I'm not in hell, since I -hear the dear Lord's birds!' He opened first one eye, then the other, -and saw that it was broad daylight. The sun was shining right in his -face; the little bird, perched on a neighboring branch, kept crying -_qué-tu_?' - -"'My dear child,' said my late father, 'it is not very easy to answer -your question, for I'm not very certain this morning just who I am. -Only yesterday I believed myself to be a brave, honest, and God-fearing -man; but I have had such an experience this night that I can hardly be -sure that it is I, Francis Dubé, here present in body and soul. Then -the dear man began to sing: - - 'Here we go all round, - Hands all round, - Here we go all round.' - -"In fact, he was half bewitched. At last, however, he perceived that -he was lying full length in a ditch where, happily, there was more mud -than water; but for that my poor, late father, who now sleeps with the -saints, surrounded by all his relations and friends, and fortified by -all the holy sacraments, would have died without absolution, like a -monkey in his old tree, begging your pardon for the comparison, young -gentlemen. When he had got his face clear from the mud of the ditch, -in which he was stuck fast as in a vise, the first thing he saw was -his flask on the bank above him. At this he plucked up his courage and -stretched out his hand to take a drink. But no such luck! The flask was -empty! The witch had drained every drop." - -"My dear José," said Lochiel, "I think I am about as brave as the next -one. Nevertheless, if such an adventure had happened to me, never again -would I have traveled alone at night." - -"Nor I either," said D'Haberville. - -"To tell you the truth, gentlemen," said José, "since you are so -discriminating, I will confess that my late father, who before this -adventure would not have turned a hair in the graveyard at midnight, -was never afterward so bold; he dared not even go alone after sunset to -do his chores in the stable." - -"And very sensible he was; but finish your story," said Jules. - -"It is finished," said José. "My late father harnessed his horse, who -appeared, poor brute, to have noticed nothing unusual, and made his way -home fast as possible. It was not till a fortnight later that he told -us his adventure." - -"What do you say to all that, my self-satisfied skeptic who would -refuse to Canada the luxury of witches and wizards?" inquired -D'Haberville. - -"I say," answered Archie, "that our Highland witches are mere infants -compared with those of New France, and, what's more, if ever I get -back to my Scottish hills, I'm going to imprison all our hobgoblins in -bottles, as Le Sage did with his wooden-legged devil, Asmodeus." - -"Hum-m-m!" said José. "It would serve them just right, accursed -blackguards; but where would you get bottles big enough? There'd be the -difficulty." - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -THE BREAKING UP OF THE ICE. - -On entendit du côté de la mer un bruit epouvantable, comme si des torrents -d'eau, mêlés à des tonnerres, eussent roulé du haut des montagnes; -tout le monde s'écria: voilà l'ouragan. - -+Bernardin de Saint-Pierre.+ - - Though aged, he was so iron of limb - Few of your youths could cope with him. - -+Byron.+ - -Que j'aille à son secours, s'écria-t-il, ou que je meure. - -+Bernardin de Saint-Pierre.+ - -Les vents et les vagues sont toujours du côté du plus habile nageur. - -+Gibbon.+ - - -The travelers merrily continued their journey. The day drew to a close, -and they kept on for a time by starlight. At length the moon rose and -shone far over the still bosom of the Saint Lawrence. At the sight of -her, Jules broke out into rhapsodies, and cried: - -"I feel myself inspired, not by the waters of Hippocrene, which I -have never tasted and which, I trust, I never shall taste, but by the -kindly juice of Bacchus, dearer than all the fountains in the world, -not even excepting the limpid wave of Parnassus. Hail to thee, fair -moon! Hail to thee, thou silvern lamp, that lightest the steps of two -men free as the children of our mighty forests, two men but now escaped -from the shackles of college! How many times, O moon, as thy pale rays -pierced to my lonely couch, how many times have I longed to break my -bonds and mingle with the joyous throngs at balls and routs, while a -harsh and inexorable decree condemned me to a sleep which I abhorred! -Ah, how many times, O moon, have I sighed to traverse, mounted upon -thy crescent at the risk of breaking my neck, the regions thou wast -illuminating in thy stately course, even though it should take me to -another hemisphere! Ah, how many times--" - -"Ah, how many times in thy life hast thou talked nonsense!" exclaimed -Archie. "But, since frenzy is infectious, listen now to a true poet, -and abase thyself, proud spirit. O moon, thou of the threefold essence, -thou whom the poets of old invoked as Artemis the Huntress, how sweet -it must be to thee to forsake the dark realms of Pluto, and not less -the forests wherein, with thy baying pack, thou raisest a din enough -to deafen all the demons of Canada! How sweet it must be to thee, O -moon, to journey now in tranquil dominance, in stupendous silence, the -ethereal spaces of heaven! Repent of thy work, I beseech thee! Restore -the light of reason to this poor afflicted one, my dearest friend, -who--" - -"O Phoebe, patron of fools," interrupted Jules, "not for my friend have -I any prayer to make thee. Thou art all guiltless of his infirmity, for -the mischief was done--" - -"I say, gentlemen," exclaimed José, "when you are done your -conversation with my lady moon--I don't know how you find so much to -say to her--would it please you to notice what a noise they are making -in St. Thomas yonder?" - -All listened intently. It was the church bell pealing wildly. - -"It is the Angelus," exclaimed Jules D'Haberville. - -"Oh, yes," exclaimed José, "the Angelus at eight o'clock in the -evening." - -"Then it's a fire," said Archie. - -"But we don't see any flames," answered José. "Whatever it is let's -make haste. There is something unusual going on yonder." - -Driving as fast as they could, half an hour later they entered the -village of St. Thomas. All was silence. The village appeared deserted. -Only the dogs, shut up in some of the houses, were barking madly. -But for the noise of the curs they might have thought themselves -transported into that city which we read of in the Arabian Nights whose -inhabitants had all been turned into marble. - -Our travelers were on the point of entering the church, the bell of -which was still ringing, when they noticed a light and heard shouts -from the bank by the rapids near the manor house. Thither they made -their way at full speed. - -It would take the pen of a Cooper or a Chateaubriand to paint the scene -that met their eyes on the bank of South River. - -Captain Marcheterre, an old sailor of powerful frame, was returning to -the village toward dusk at a brisk pace, when he heard out on the river -a noise like some heavy body falling into the water, and immediately -afterward the groans and cries of some one appealing for help. It was -a rash _habitant_ named Dumais, who, thinking the ice yet sufficiently -firm, had ventured upon it with his team, about a dozen rods southwest -of the town. The ice had split up so suddenly that his team vanished -in the current. The unhappy Dumais, a man of great activity, had just -succeeded in springing from the sled to a stronger piece of ice, but -the violence of the effort had proved disastrous; catching his foot in -a crevice, he had snapped his leg at the ankle like a bit of glass. - -Marcheterre, who knew the dangerous condition of the ice, which was -split in many places, shouted to him not to stir, and that he was going -to bring him help. He ran at once to the sexton, telling him to ring -the alarm while he was routing out the nearest neighbors. In a moment, -all was bustle and confusion. Men ran hither and thither without -accomplishing anything. Women and children began to cry. Dogs began to -howl, sounding every note of the canine gamut; so that the captain, -whose experience pointed him out as the one to direct the rescue, had -great difficulty in making himself heard. - -However, under the directions of Marcheterre, some ran for ropes and -boards while others stripped the fences and wood-piles of their cedar -and birch bark to make torches. The scene grew more and more animated, -and by the light of fifty torches shedding abroad their fitful glare -the crowd spread along the river bank to the spot pointed out by the -old sailor. - -Dumais waited patiently enough for the coming of help. As soon as -he could make himself heard he implored them to hurry, for he was -beginning to hear under the ice low grumbling sounds which seemed to -come from far off toward the river's mouth. - -"There's not a moment to lose, my friends," exclaimed the old captain, -"for that is a sign the ice is going to break up." - -Men less experienced than he wished immediately to thrust out upon the -ice their planks and boards without waiting to tie them together; but -this he forbade, for the ice was already full of cracks, and moreover -the ice cake which supported Dumais was isolated, having on the one -side the shattered surface where the horse had been engulfed, and on -the other a large air-hole which cut off all approach. Marcheterre, who -knew that the breaking up was not only inevitable, but to be expected -at any moment, was unwilling to risk the life of so many people -without taking every precaution that his experience could dictate. - -Some thereupon with hatchets began to notch the planks and boards; some -tied them together end to end; some, with the captain at their head, -dragged them out on the ice, while others were pushing from the bank. -This improvised bridge was not more than fifty feet from the bank when -the old sailor cried: "Now, boys, let some strong active fellows follow -me at a distance of ten feet from one another, and let the rest keep -pushing as before!" - -Marcheterre was closely followed by his son, a young man in the prime -of life, who, knowing his father's boldness, kept within reach in -order to help him in case of need, for lugubrious mutterings, the -ominous forerunners of a mighty cataclysm, were making themselves heard -beneath the ice. But every one was at his post and every one doing his -utmost; those who broke through, dragged themselves out by means of the -floating bridge, and, once more on the solid ice, resumed their efforts -with renewed zeal. Two or three minutes more and Dumais would be saved. - -The two Marcheterres, the father ahead, were within about a hundred -feet of the wretched victim of his own imprudence, when a subterranean -thunder, such as precedes a strong shock of earthquake, seemed to -run the whole length of South River. This subterranean sound was at -once followed by an explosion like the discharge of a great piece of -artillery. Then rose a terrible cry. "The ice is going! the ice is -going! save yourselves!" screamed the crowd on shore. - -Indeed the ice cakes were shivering on all sides under the pressure -of the flood, which was already invading the banks. Then followed -dreadful confusion. The ice cakes turned completely over, climbed -upon each other with a frightful grinding noise, piled themselves to -a great height, then sank suddenly and disappeared beneath the waves. -The planks and boards were tossed about like cockle-shells in an ocean -gale. The ropes and chains threatened every moment to give away. - -The spectators, horror-stricken at the sight of their kinsfolk exposed -to almost certain destruction, kept crying: "Save yourselves! save -yourselves!" It would have been indeed tempting Providence to continue -any longer the rash and unequal struggle with the flood. - -Marcheterre, however, who seemed rather inspired than daunted by the -appalling spectacle, ceased not to shout: "Forward boys! forward, for -God's sake!" - -This old sea-lion, ever cool and unmoved when on the deck of his -reeling ship and directing a man[oe]uvre on whose success the lives of -all depended, was just as calm in the face of a peril which froze the -boldest hearts. Turning round, he perceived that, with the exception of -his son and Joncas, one of his sailors, the rest had all sought safety -in a headlong flight. "Oh, you cowards, you cowards!" he cried. - -He was interrupted by his son, who, seeing him rushing to certain -death, seized him and threw him down on a plank, where he held him some -moments in spite of the old man's mighty struggles. Then followed a -terrible conflict between father and son. It was filial love against -that sublime self-abnegation, the love of humanity. - -The old man, by a tremendous effort, succeeded in throwing himself off -the plank, and he and his son rolled on to the ice, where the struggle -was continued fiercely. At this crisis, Joncas, leaping from plank to -plank, from board to board, came to the young man's assistance. - -The spectators, who from the shore lost nothing of the heart-rending -scene, in spite of the water already pursuing them, made haste to draw -in the ropes, and the united efforts of a hundred brawny arms were -successful in rescuing the three heroes. Scarcely, indeed, had they -reached a place of safety, when the great sheet of ice, which had -hitherto remained stationary in spite of the furious attacks of the -enemy assailing it on all sides, groaning, and with a slow majesty of -movement, began its descent toward the falls. - -All eyes were straightway fixed upon Dumais. He was a brave man. Many a -time had he proved his courage upon the enemies of his country. He had -even faced the most hideous of deaths, when, bound to a post, he was on -the point of being burned alive by the Iroquois, which he would have -been but for the timely aid of his friends the Melicites. Now he was -sitting on his precarious refuge calm and unmoved as a statue of death. -He made some signs toward the shore, which the spectators understood as -a last farewell to his friends. Then, folding his arms, or occasionally -lifting them toward heaven, he appeared to forget all earthly ties and -to prepare himself for passing the dread limits which divide man from -the eternal. - -Once safely ashore, the captain displayed no more of his anger. -Regaining his customary coolness he gave his orders calmly and -precisely. - -"Let us take our floating bridge," said he, "and follow yonder sheet of -ice down river." - -"What is the use?" cried some who appeared to have had experience. "The -poor fellow is beyond the reach of help." - -"There's one chance yet, one little chance of saving him," said the -old sailor, giving ear to certain sounds which he heard far off to the -southward, "and we must be ready for it. The ice is on the point of -breaking up in the St. Nicholas, which, as you know, is very rapid. -The violence of the flood at that point is likely to crowd the ice of -South River over against our shore; and what's more, we shall have no -reason to reproach ourselves." - -It fell out as Captain Marcheterre predicted. In a moment or two there -was a mighty report like a peal of thunder; and the St. Nicholas, -bursting madly from its fetters, hurled itself upon the flank of the -vast procession of ice floes which, having hitherto encountered no -obstacle, were pursuing their triumphant way to the St. Lawrence. -It seemed for a moment that the fierce and swift attack, the sudden -thrust, was going to pile the greater part of the ice cakes upon -the other shore as the captain hoped. The change it wrought was but -momentary, for the channel getting choked there was an abrupt halt, -and the ice cakes, piling one upon another, took the shape of a lofty -rampart. Checked by this obstacle, the waves spread far beyond both -shores and flooded the greater part of the village. This sudden deluge, -driving the spectators from the banks, destroyed the last hope of poor -Dumais. - -The struggle was long and obstinate between the angry element and -the obstacle which barred its course; but at length the great lake, -ceaselessly fed by the main river and the tributaries, rose to the top -of the dam, whose foundations it was at the same time eating away from -beneath. The barrier, unable to resist the stupendous weight, burst -with a roar that shook both banks. As South River widens suddenly below -its junction with the St. Nicholas, the unchained mass darted down -stream like an arrow, and its course was unimpeded to the cataract. - -Dumais had resigned himself to his fate. Calm amid the tumult, his -hands crossed upon his breast, his eyes lifted heavenward, he seemed -absorbed in contemplation. - -The spectators crowded toward the cataract to see the end of the -tragedy. Numbers, roused by the alarm bell, had gathered on the other -shore and had supplied themselves with torches by stripping off the -bark from the cedar rails. The dreadful scene was lighted as if for a -festival. - -One could see in the distance the long, imposing structure of the -manor house, to the southwest of the river. It was built on the top -of a knoll overlooking the basin and ran parallel to the falls. About -a hundred feet from the manor house rose the roof of a saw mill, the -sluice of which was connected with the fall itself. Two hundred feet -from the mill, upon the crest of the fall, were sharply outlined the -remnants of a little island upon which, for ages, the spring floods -had spent their fury. Shorn of its former size--for it had once been a -peninsula--the islet was not now more than twelve feet square. - -Of all the trees that had once adorned the spot there remained but a -single cedar. This veteran, which for so many years had braved the fury -of the equinoxes and the ice floods of South River, had half given way -before the relentless assaults. Its crown hung sadly over the abyss in -which it threatened soon to disappear. Several hundred feet from this -islet stood a grist mill, to the northwest of the fall. - -Owing to a curve in the shore, the tremendous mass of ice which, -drawn by the fall, was darting down the river with frightful speed, -crowded all into the channel between the islet and the flour mill, the -sluice of which was demolished in a moment. Then the ice cakes, piling -themselves against the timbers to the height of the roof, ended by -crushing the mill itself as if it had been a house of cards. The ice -having taken this direction, the channel between the saw mill and the -island was comparatively free. - -The crowd kept running along the bank and watching with horrified -interest the man whom nothing short of a miracle could save from a -hideous death. Indeed, up to within about thirty feet of the island, -Dumais was being carried farther and farther from his only hope of -rescue, when an enormous ice cake, dashing down with furious speed, -struck one corner of the piece on which he was sitting, and diverted -it violently from its course. It wheeled upon the little island and -came in contact with the ancient cedar, the only barrier between Dumais -and the abyss. The tree groaned under the shock; its top broke off and -vanished in the foam. Relieved of this weight, the old tree recovered -itself suddenly, and made ready for one more struggle against the -enemies it had so often conquered. - -Dumais, thrown forward by the unexpected shock, clasped the trunk -of the cedar convulsively with both arms. Supporting himself on one -leg, he clung there desperately while the ice swayed and cracked and -threatened every instant to drag him from his frail support. - -Nothing was lacking to the lurid and dreadful scene. The hurrying -torches on the shores threw a grim light on the ghastly features and -staring eyes of the poor wretch thus hanging by a hair above the gulf -of death. Unquestionably Dumais was brave, but in this position of -unspeakable horror he lost his self-control. - -Marcheterre and his friends, however, still cherished a hope of saving -him. - -Descrying on the shore near the saw mill two great pieces of squared -timber, they dragged these to a rock which projected into the river -about two hundred feet above the fall; to each of these timbers they -attached a cable and launched them forth, in hopes that the current -would carry them upon the island. Vain attempt! They could not thrust -them far enough out into the stream, and the timbers, anchored, as it -were, by the weight of the chains, kept swaying mid way between shore -and island. - -It seemed impossible to add to the awful sublimity of the picture, but -on the shore was being enacted a most impressive scene. It was religion -preparing the Christian to appear before the dread tribunal; it was -religion supporting him to endure the final agony. - -The parish priest, who had been at a sick bed, was now upon the -scene. He was a tall old man of ninety. The burden of years had not -availed to bend this modern Nestor, who had baptized and married all -his parishioners, and had buried three generations of them. His long -hair, white as snow and tossed by the night wind, made him look like a -prophet of old. He stood erect on the shore, his hands stretched out -to the miserable Dumais. He loved him; he had christened him; he had -prepared him for that significant rite of the Catholic Church which -seems suddenly to touch a child's nature with something of the angelic. -He loved him also as the husband of an orphan girl whom the old priest -had brought up. He loved him for the sake of his two little ones, who -were the joy of his old age. Standing there on the shore, like the -Angel of Pity, he not only administered the consolations of his sacred -office, but spoke to him tender words of love. He promised him that the -seigneur would never let his family come to want. Finally, seeing the -tree yield more and more before every shock, he cried in a loud voice, -broken with sobs: "My son, make me the 'Act of Contrition' and I will -give you absolution." A moment later, in a voice that rang clear above -the roaring of the flood and of the cataract, the old priest pronounced -these words: "My son, in the name of God the Father, in the name of -Jesus Christ, his Son, by whose authority I speak, in the name of -the Holy Ghost, your sins are forgiven you. Amen." And all the people -sobbed, "Amen." - -Then Nature reasserted herself, and the old man's voice was choked with -tears. Again he regained his self-control, and cried: "Kneel, brethren, -while I say the prayers for the dying." - -Once more the old priest's voice soared above the tumult, as he cried: - -"Blessed soul, we dismiss you from the body in the name of God -the Father Almighty who created you, in the name of Jesus Christ -who suffered for you, in the name of the Holy Ghost in whom you -were regenerate and born again, in the name of the angels and the -archangels, in the name of the thrones and the dominions, in the -name of the cherubim and seraphim, in the name of the patriarchs and -prophets, in the name of the blessed monks and nuns and all the saints -of God. The peace of God be with you this day, and your dwelling -forever in Sion; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." And all the -people wailed "Amen." - -A death-like silence fell upon the scene, when suddenly shrieks were -heard in the rear of the crowd, and a woman in disordered garments, -her hair streaming out behind her, carrying a child in her arms and -dragging another at her side, pushed her way wildly to the river's -edge. It was the wife of Dumais. - -Dwelling about a mile and a half from the village, she had heard the -alarm bell; but being alone with her children, whom she could not -leave, she had resigned herself as best she could till her husband -should return and tell her the cause of the excitement. - -The woman, when she saw her husband thus hanging on the lip of the -fall, uttered but one cry, a cry so terrible that it pierced every -heart, and sank in a merciful unconsciousness. She was carried to the -manor house, where every care was lavished upon her by Madame de -Beaumont and her family. - -As for Dumais, at the sight of his wife and children, a hoarse scream, -inarticulate and like the voice of a wounded beast, forced its way from -his lips and made all that heard it shudder. Then he appeared to fall -into a kind of stupor. - -At the very moment when the old priest was administering the absolution -our travelers arrived upon the scene. Jules thrust through the crowd -and took his place between the priest and his uncle de Beaumont. -Archie, on the other hand, pushed forward to the water's edge, folded -his arms, took a rapid survey of the situation, and calculated the -chances of rescue. - -After a moment's thought, he bounded rather than ran toward the group -surrounding Marcheterre. He began to strip off his clothes and to give -directions at the same time. His words were few and to the point: -"Captain, I am like a fish in the water; there is no danger for me, -but for the poor fellow yonder, in case I should strike that block of -ice too hard and dash it from its place. Stop me about a dozen feet -above the island, that I may calculate the distance better and break -the shock. Your own judgment will tell you what else to do. Now, for a -strong rope, but as light as possible, and a good sailor's knot." - -While the old captain was fastening the rope under his arms, he -attached another rope to his body, taking the coil in his right hand. -Thus equipped, he sprang into the river, where he disappeared for an -instant, but when he came to the surface the current bore him rapidly -toward the shore. He made the mightiest efforts to gain the island, but -without succeeding, seeing which Marcheterre made all haste to draw -him back to land before his strength was exhausted. The moment he was -on shore, he made his way to the jutting rock. The spectators scarcely -breathed when they saw Archie plunge into the flood. Every one knew -of his giant strength, his exploits as a swimmer during his vacation -visits to the manor house of Beaumont. The anxiety of the crowd, -therefore, had been intense during the young man's superhuman efforts, -and, on seeing his failure, a cry of disappointment went up from every -breast. - -Jules D'Haberville was all unaware of his friend's heroic undertaking. -Of an emotional and sympathetic nature, he could not endure the -heart-rending sight that met his view. After one glance of measureless -pity, he had fixed his eyes on the ground and refused to raise them. -This human being suspended on the verge of the bellowing gulf, this -venerable priest administering from afar under the open heaven the -sacrament of penance, the anguished prayers, the sublime invocation, -all seemed to him a dreadful dream. - -Absorbed in these conflicting emotions, Jules D'Haberville had no idea -of Archie's efforts to save Dumais. He had heard the lamentations which -greeted the first fruitless effort, and had attributed them to some -little variation in the spectacle from which he withheld his gaze. - -The bond between these two friends was no ordinary tie; it was the love -between a David and a Jonathan, "passing the love of woman." - -Jules, indeed, spared Archie none of his ridicule, but the privilege -of tormenting was one which he would permit no other to share. Unlucky -would he be who should affront Lochiel in the presence of the impetuous -young Frenchman! - -Whence arose this passionate affection? The young men had apparently -little in common. Lochiel was somewhat cold in demeanor, while Jules -was exuberantly demonstrative. They resembled one another, however, in -one point of profoundest importance; they were both high-hearted and -generous to the last degree. - -José, who had been watching Lochiel's every movement, and who well knew -the extravagance of Jules's devotion, had slipped behind his young -master, and stood ready to restrain, by force, if necessary, this fiery -and indomitable spirit. - -The anxiety of the spectators became almost unendurable over Archie's -second attempt to save Dumais, whom they regarded as utterly beyond -hope. The convulsive trembling of the unhappy man showed that his -strength was rapidly ebbing. Nothing but the old priest's prayers broke -the deathly silence. - -As for Lochiel, his failure had but strengthened him in his heroic -purpose. He saw clearly that the effort was likely to cost him his -life. The rope, his only safety, might well break when charged with a -double burden and doubly exposed to the torrent's force. Too skillful -a swimmer was he not to realize the peril of endeavoring to rescue one -who could in no way help himself. - -Preserving his coolness, however, he merely said to Marcheterre: - -"We must change our tactics. It is this coil of rope in my right hand -which has hampered me from first to last." - -Thereupon he enlarged the loop, which he passed over his right shoulder -and under his left armpit, in order to leave both arms free. This -done, he made a bound like that of a tiger, and, disappearing beneath -the waves, which bore him downward at lightning speed, he did not -come to the surface until within about a dozen feet of the island, -where, according to agreement, Marcheterre checked his course. This -movement appeared likely to prove fatal, for, losing his balance, he -was so turned over that his head remained under the waves while the -rest of his body was held horizontally on the surface of the current. -Happily his coolness did not desert him in this crisis, so great was -his confidence in the old sailor. The latter promptly let out two -more coils of rope with a jerky movement, and Lochiel, employing one -of those devices which are known to skillful swimmers, drew his heels -suddenly up to his hips, thrust them out perpendicularly with all his -strength, beat the water violently on one side with his hands, and so -regained his balance. Then, thrusting forward his right shoulder to -protect his breast from a shock which might be as fatal to himself as -to Dumais, he was swept upon the island in a flash. - -Dumais, in spite of his apparent stupor, had lost nothing of what was -passing. A ray of hope had struggled through his despair at sight of -Lochiel's tremendous leap from the summit of the rock. Scarcely had -the latter, indeed, reached the edge of the ice, where he clung with -one hand while loosening with the other the coil of rope, than Dumais, -dropping his hold on the cedar, took such a leap upon his one uninjured -leg that he fell into Archie's very arms. - -The torrent at once rose upon the ice, which, borne down by the -double weight, reared like an angry horse. The towering mass, pushed -irresistibly by the torrent, fell upon the cedar, and the old tree, -after a vain resistance, sank into the abyss, dragging with it in its -fall a large portion of the domain over which it had held sway for -centuries. - -Mighty was the shout that went up from both banks of South River--a -shout of triumph from the more distant spectators, a heart-rending cry -of anguish from those nearer the stage whereon this drama of life and -death was playing itself out. Indeed, all had disappeared, as if the -wand of a mighty enchanter had been waved over scene and actors. From -bank to bank, in all its breadth, the cataract displayed nothing but a -line of gigantic waves falling with a sound of thunder, and a curtain -of pale foam waving to the summit of its crest. - -Jules D'Haberville had not recognized his friend till the moment when, -for the second time, he plunged into the waves. Having often witnessed -his exploits as a swimmer, and knowing his tremendous strength, Jules -had manifested at first merely a bewildered astonishment; but when he -saw his friend disappear beneath the torrent, he uttered such a mad cry -as comes from the heart of a mother at sight of the mangled body of an -only son. Wild with grief, he was on the point of springing into the -river, when he felt himself imprisoned by the iron arms of José. - -Prayers, threats, cries of rage and despair, blows and bites--all were -utterly wasted on the faithful José. - -"There, there, my dear Master Jules," said José, "strike me, bite me, -if that's any comfort to you, but, for God's sake, be calm. You'll see -your friend again all right enough; you know he dives like a porpoise, -and one never knows when he is going to come up again when once he goes -under water. Be calm, my dear little Master Jules, you wouldn't want -to be the death of poor José, who loves you so, and who has so often -carried you in his arms. Your father sent me to bring you from Quebec. -I am answerable for you, body and soul, and it won't be my fault if I -don't hand you over to him safe and sound. Otherwise, you see, Master -Jules, why just a little bullet through old José's head! But, hold on, -there's the captain hauling in on the rope with all his might, and you -may be sure Master Archie is on the other end of it and lively as ever." - -It was as José said; Marcheterre and his companions, in furious haste, -were running down the shore and by mighty armfuls dragging in the rope, -at the end of which they felt a double burden. - -In another moment the weight was dragged ashore. It was all that they -could do to set Lochiel free from the convulsive clasp of Dumais, who -gave no other sign of life. Archie, on the other hand, when delivered -from the embrace which was strangling him, vomited a few mouthfuls of -water, breathed hoarsely, and exclaimed: - -"He is not dead; it is nothing more than a swoon; he was lively enough -a minute ago." - -Dumais was carried in all haste to the manor house, where everything -that the most loving care could suggest was done for him. At the end of -a half-hour some drops of wholesome moisture gathered upon his brow, -and a little later he reopened haggard eyes. After staring wildly -around the room for a time, he at length fixed his regard upon the old -priest. The latter placed his ear to Dumais's lips, and the first words -he gathered were: "My wife! My children! Mr. Archie!" - -"Be at ease, my dear Dumais," said the old man. "Your wife has -recovered from her swoon; but, as she believes you to be dead, I must -be careful how I tell her of your deliverance, lest I kill her with -joy. As soon as prudent I will bring her to you. Meanwhile, here is Mr. -de Lochiel, to whom, through God, you owe your life." - -At the sight of his deliverer, whom he had not yet recognized among the -attendants who crowded about him, a change came over the sick man. He -embraced Archie, he pressed his lips to his cheek, and a flood of tears -broke from his eyes. - -"How can I ever repay you," said he, "for all you have done for me, for -my poor wife, and for my children?" - -"By getting well again as soon as possible," answered Lochiel gayly. -"The seigneur has sent a messenger post-haste to Quebec to fetch the -most skillful surgeon, and another to place relays of horses along the -whole route, so that by midday to-morrow, at the latest, your leg will -be so well set that within two months you will be able again to carry -the musket against your old enemies the Iroquois." - -When the old priest entered the room whither they had taken his adopted -daughter, the latter was sitting up in bed, holding her youngest child -in her arms while the other slept at her feet. Pale as death, cold, and -unresponsive to all that was said by Madame de Beaumont and the other -women, she kept repeating incessantly: "My husband! my poor husband! -I shall not even be allowed to kiss the dead body of my husband, the -father of my children!" - -When she saw the old priest she stretched out her arms to him and -cried: "Is it you, my father, you who have been so kind to me since -childhood? Is it you who can have the heart to come and tell me all is -over? No, I know your love too well; you can not bring such a message. -Speak, I implore you, you whose lips can utter nothing but good!" - -"Your husband," said the old man, "will receive Christian burial." - -"He is dead, then," cried the unhappy woman; and for the first time she -burst into tears. - -This was the reaction which the old priest looked for. - -"My daughter," said he, "but a moment ago you were praying as a -peculiar favor that you might be permitted once more to embrace the -body of your husband, and God has heard your petition. Trust in him, -for the mighty hand which has plucked your husband out of the abyss is -able also to give him back to life." The young woman answered with a -fresh storm of sobs. - -"He is the same all-merciful God," went on the old priest, "who said to -Lazarus in the tomb, 'Friend, I say unto you arise!' All hope is not -yet lost, for your husband in his present state of suffering--" - -The poor woman, who had hitherto listened to her old friend without -understanding him, seemed suddenly to awaken as from a horrible -nightmare, and clasping her sleeping children in her arms she sprang to -the door. - -On the meeting between Dumais and his family we will not intrude. - -"Now, let us go to supper," said the seigneur to his venerable friend. -"We all need it, but more especially this heroic young man," added he, -bringing Archie forward. - -"Gently, gently, my dear sir," said the old priest. "We have first -a more pressing duty to fulfill. We have to thank God, who has so -manifested his favor this night." - -All present fell on their knees; and the old priest in a short but -touching prayer rendered thanks to Him who commands the sea in its -fury, who holds His creatures in the hollow of His hand. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -A SUPPER AT THE HOUSE OF A FRENCH-CANADIAN -SEIGNEUR. - - Half-cut-down, a pasty costly made, - Where quail and pigeon, lark and leveret, lay - Like fossils of the rock, with golden yolks - Imbedded and injellied. - -+Tennyson.+ - - -The table was spread in a low but spacious room, whose furniture, -though not luxurious, lacked nothing of what an Englishman calls -comfort. - -A thick woolen carpet, of Canadian manufacture and of a diamond -pattern, covered the greater part of the dining-room floor. The bright -woolen curtains, the backs of the mahogany sofa, ottomans, and chairs -were embroidered with gigantic birds, such as it would have puzzled the -most brilliant ornithologist to classify. - -A great sideboard, reaching almost to the ceiling, displayed on its -many shelves a service of blue Marseilles china, of a thickness to defy -the awkwardness of the servants. Over the lower part of this sideboard, -which served the purpose of a cupboard and which might be called the -ground floor of the structure, projected a shelf a foot and a half -wide, on which stood a sort of tall narrow cabinet, whose drawers, -lined with green cloth, held the silver spoons and forks. On this shelf -also were some bottles of old wine, together with a great silver jar -of water, for the use of those who cared to dilute their beverage. - -A pile of plates of the finest porcelain, two decanters of white wine, -a couple of tarts, a dish of whipped cream, some delicate biscuits, a -bowl of sweetmeats, on a little table near the sideboard covered with a -white cloth, constituted the dessert. In one corner of the room stood -a sort of barrel-shaped fountain of blue and white stone china, with -faucet and basin, where the family might rinse their hands. - -In an opposite corner a great closet, containing square bottles filled -with brandy, absinthe, _liqueurs_ of peach kernel, raspberry, black -currant, anise, etc., for daily use, completed the furnishing of the -room. - -The table was set for eight persons. A silver fork and spoon, wrapped -in a napkin, were placed at the left of each plate, and a bottle of -light wine at the right. There was not a knife on the table during the -serving of the courses; each was already supplied with this useful -instrument, which only the Orientals know how to do without. If the -knife one affected was a clasp knife, it was carried in the pocket; -if a sheath-knife, it was worn suspended from the neck in a case of -morocco, of silk, or even of birch-bark artistically wrought by the -Indians. The handles were usually of ivory riveted with silver; those -for the use of ladies were of mother-of-pearl. - -To the right of each plate was a silver cup or goblet. These cups were -of different forms and sizes, some being of simple pattern with or -without hoops, some with handles, some in the form of a chalice, some -worked in relief, and very many lined with gold. - -A servant, placing on a side-table the customary appetizers, namely, -brandy for the men and sweet cordials for the women, came to announce -that the supper was served. Eight persons sat down at the table--the -Seigneur de Beaumont and his wife; their sister, Madame Descarrières; -the old priest; Captain Marcheterre and his son Henri; and lastly -Archie and Jules. The lady of the house gave the place of honor at -her right to the priest, and the next place, at her left, to the old -captain. The _menu_ opened with an excellent soup (soup was then _de -rigueur_ for dinner and supper alike), followed by a cold pasty, called -the Easter pasty, which, on account of its immense proportions, was -served on a great tray covered with a napkin. This pasty, which would -have aroused the envy of Brillat-Savarin, consisted of one turkey, two -chickens, two partridges, two pigeons, the backs and thighs of two -rabbits, all larded with slices of fat pork. The balls of force-meat -on which rested, as on a thick, soft bed, these gastronomic riches, -were made of two hams of that animal which the Jew despises, but which -the Christian treats with more regard. Large onions scattered here -and there and a liberal seasoning of the finest spices completed the -appetizing marvel. But a very important point was the cooking, which -was beset with difficulty; for should the gigantic structure be allowed -to break, it would lose at least fifty per cent of its flavor. To guard -against so lamentable a catastrophe, the lower crust, coming at least -three inches up the sides, was not less than an inch thick. This crust -itself, saturated with the juices of all the good things inside, was -one of the best parts of this unique dish. - -Chickens and partridges roasted in slices of pork, pigs feet _à la -Sainte-Ménéhould_, a hare stew, very different from that with which the -Spanish landlord regaled the unhappy Gil Blas--these were among the -other dishes which the seigneur set before his friends. - -For a time there was silence with great appetites; but when dessert was -reached, the old sailor, who had been eating like a hungry wolf and -drinking proportionately, and all the time managing to keep his eyes on -Archie, was the first to break the silence. - -"It would seem, young man," said he facetiously, "that you are not -much afraid of a cold in your head. It would seem, also, that you -don't really need to breathe the air of heaven, and that, like your -cousins the beaver and otter, you only put your nose out of water every -half-hour, for form sake, and to see what's going on in the upper -world. You are a good deal like a salmon--when one gives him line he -knows how to profit by it. It's my opinion, however, that gudgeons like -you are not found in every brook." - -"It was only your presence of mind, captain," said Archie, "your -admirable judgment in letting out the exact quantity of rope, that -prevented me smashing my head or my stomach on the ice; and but for -you, poor Dumais, instead of being warm in bed would now be rolling -under the St. Lawrence ice." - -"A nice joke," cried Marcheterre; "to hear him talk as if I had done -the thing! It was very necessary to give you line when I saw that -you threatened to stand on your head, which would have been a very -uncomfortable position in those waves. I wish to the d--Beg pardon, -your reverence, I was just going to swear; it is a habit with us -sailors." - -"Nonsense," laughed the old priest, "you have been accustomed to it so -long, you old sinner, that one more or less hardly matters; your record -is full, and you no longer keep count of them." - -"When the tally-board is quite full, reverend father," said -Marcheterre, "you shall just pass the plane over it, as you have done -so often before, and we'll run up another score. Moreover, I am sure -not to escape you, for you know so well when and where to hook me and -drag me into a blessed harbor with the rest of the sinners." - -"You are too severe, sir," said Jules. "How could you wish to deprive -our dear captain of the comfort of swearing a little, if only against -his darky cook, who burns his fricassees as black as his own phiz?" - -"You hair-brained young scoundrel," cried the captain with a comical -assumption of anger, "do you dare talk to me so after the trick you -played me?" - -"I!" said Jules innocently, "I played you a trick? I am incapable of -it, dear captain. You are slandering me cruelly." - -"Just listen to the young saint!" said Marcheterre. "I slandering him! -No matter, let us drop the subject for a moment. 'Lay to' for a bit, -boy; I shall know how to find you again soon. I was going to say," -continued the captain, "when his reverence tumbled my unfortunate -exclamation to the bottom of the hold and shut the hatch down on it, -that if out of curiosity, Mr. Archie, you had gone down to the foot of -the fall, then, like your _confrère_ the salmon, you would probably -have shown us the trick of swimming up it again." - -The spirit of mirth now ruled the conversation, and in repartee and -witticism the company found relief from the intense emotions to which -they had been subjected. - -"Fill your glasses! Attention, everybody," cried the Seigneur de -Beaumont. "I am going to propose a health which will, I am very sure, -be received with acclamation." - -"It is very easy for you to talk," said the old priest, whom they had -honored especially by giving him a goblet richly carved, but holding -nearly double what those of the other guests could contain. "I am over -ninety, and I have no longer the hard head of a twenty-five year old." - -"Come, my old friend," said the seigneur, "you will not have far to go, -for you must sleep here to-night. Moreover, if your legs should become -unsteady, it will pass for the weakness of old age, and no one will be -shocked." - -"You forget, seigneur," said the priest, laughing, "that I have -accepted your kind invitation to help take care of poor Dumais -to-night. I intend to sit up with him. If I take too much wine, what -use do you think I could be to the poor fellow?" - -"Indeed, you shall go to bed," said the seigneur. "The master of the -house decrees it. We will rouse you in case of need. Have no anxiety -as to Dumais and his wife; their friend Mrs. Couture is with them. I -am even sending home, after they have supped, a lot of their gossips -and cronies, who wanted to be in the way all night and use up the fresh -air which the sick man is so much in need of. We will all be up if -necessary." - -"You argue so well," answered the priest, "that I must even do as you -say," and he poured a fair quantity of wine into his formidable cup. - -Then the Seigneur de Beaumont said to Archie, with solemn emphasis: -"What you have done is beyond all praise. I know not which is most -admirable, the splendid spirit of self-sacrifice which moved you to -risk your life for that of a stranger, or the courage and coolness -which enabled you to succeed. You possess all the qualities most -requisite to the career you are to follow. A soldier myself, I prophesy -great success for you. Let us drink to the health of Mr. de Lochiel!" - -The toast was drunk with ardent enthusiasm. - -In returning thanks, Archie said modestly: - -"I am bewildered by so much praise for so simple a performance. I was -probably the only one present who knew how to swim; for any one else -would have done as I did. It is claimed that your Indian women throw -their infants into the water and let them make the best of their way to -shore; this teaches them to swim very early. I am tempted to believe -that our mothers in the Scottish Highlands follow the same excellent -custom. As long as I can remember I have been a swimmer." - -"At your fooling again, Mr. Archie," said the captain. "As for me, I -have been a sailor these fifty years, and I have never yet learned how -to swim. Not that I have never fallen into the water, but I have always -had the good luck to catch hold of something. Failing that, I always -kept my feet going, as cats and dogs do. Sooner or later some one -always hauled me out; and here I am. - -"That reminds me of a little adventure which happened to me when I was -a sailor. My ship was anchored by the banks of the Mississippi. It -might have been about nine o'clock in the evening, after one of those -suffocating days which one can experience only in the tropics. I had -made my bed up in the bows of my ship, in order to enjoy the evening -breezes. But for the mosquitoes, the sand flies, the black flies, and -the infernal noise of the alligators, which had gathered, I think, -from the utmost limits of the Father of Streams to give me a good -serenading, a monarch of the East might have envied me my bed. I am not -naturally timid, but I have an unconquerable horror of all kinds of -reptiles, whether they crawl on land or wriggle in the water." - -"Captain, you have a refined and aristocratic taste which does you much -honor," said Jules. - -"Do you dare to speak to me again, you disreputable," cried -Marcheterre, shaking his great fist at him. I was about forgetting you, -but your turn will come very soon. Meanwhile, I go on with my story. -I was feeling very safe and comfortable on my mat, whence I could -hear the hungry monsters snapping their jaws. I derided them, saying: -'You would be delighted, my lambs, to make a meal off my carcass, but -there's one little difficulty in the way of it; though you should have -to fast all your lives through like hermits I would never be the one to -break your fasting, for my conscience is too tender.' - -"I don't know exactly how the thing happened, but I ended by falling -asleep, and when I awoke I was in the midst of these jolly companions. -You could never imagine the horror that seized me, in spite of my -customary coolness. I did not lose my presence of mind, however. -While under water I remembered that there was a rope hanging from the -bowsprit. As I came to the surface I had the good fortune to catch it. -I was as active as a monkey in those days; but I did not escape without -leaving as a keepsake in the throat of a very barbarous alligator one -of my boots and a valued portion of the calf of my leg. - -"Now for your turn, you imp," continued the captain, turning to Jules. -"I must get even with you, sooner or later, for the trick you played -me. On my return from Martinique last year, I met monsieur one morning -in Quebec Lower Town as he was on the point of crossing the river to -return home for his vacation. After a perfect squall of embraces, -from which I escaped with difficulty by sheering off to larboard, I -commissioned him to tell my family of my arrival, and to say that I -could not be at St. Thomas for several days. What did this young saint -do? He went to my house at eight o'clock in the evening, shouting, like -all possessed: 'Oh, joy! oh, rapture! Three cheers and a tiger!' - -"'My husband has come!' exclaimed Madame Marcheterre. 'Father has -come!' cried my two daughters. - -"'Certainly,' said he; 'what else could I be making all this fuss -about?' - -"Then he kissed my good wife--there was no great difficulty in that. -He wanted to kiss the girls, too, but they boxed his ears and sheered -off with all sails set. What does your reverence think of this for a -beginning, to say nothing of what followed?" - -"Ah, Mr. Jules," cried the old priest, "these are nice things I am -hearing about you. Queer conduct this for a pupil of the Jesuit -fathers." - -"You see, Mr. Abbé," said Jules, "that all that was only a bit of fun -to enable me to share the happiness of that estimable family. I knew -too well the ferocious virtue, immovable as the Cape of Storms, of -these daughters of the sea. I well knew that they would box my ears -soundly and sheer off with all sails set." - -"I begin to believe that you are telling the truth, after all," said -the old priest, "and that there were no evil designs on your part. I -know my Jules pretty thoroughly." - -"Worse and more of it," said the captain. "Take his part, do; that's -all he was wanting. But we'll see what you think when you hear the -rest. When my young gentleman had finished his larking, he said to my -wife: 'The captain told me to say he would be here to-morrow evening, -in the neighborhood of ten o'clock, and that, as his business had -prospered exceedingly (which, indeed, was all true), he wished that his -friends should celebrate his good luck with him. He wished that there -should be a ball and supper going on at his house when he arrived, -which would be just as the guests were sitting down to table. Make -ready, therefore, for this celebration, to which he has invited myself -and my brother de Lochiel. This puts me out a little,' added the young -hypocrite, 'for I am in a great hurry to get home, but for you ladies -there is nothing that I would not do.' - -"'My husband does not consider that he is giving me too little time,' -said Madame Marcheterre. 'We have no market here. My cook is very old -to undertake so much in one day. The case is desperate, but to please -him we must accomplish the impossible.' - -"'Perhaps I can be of some use to you,' said the hypocrite, pretending -to sympathize with her. 'I will undertake with pleasure to send out the -invitations.' - -"'My dear Jules,' said my wife, 'that would be the greatest help. You -know our society. I give you _carte blanche_.' - -"My wife ran all over the parish to get provisions for the feast. She -and the girls spent the greater part of the night helping the old cook -make pastries, whipped creams, blanc-mange, biscuits, and a lot of -sweet stuff that I wouldn't give for one steak of fresh codfish, such -as one gets on the Banks of Newfoundland. Mr. Jules, for his part, did -things up in style. That night he sent out two messengers, one to the -northeast, the other to the southwest, carrying invitations; so that by -six o'clock the next evening, thanks to his good management, my house -was full of guests, who were whirling around like so many gulls, while -I was anchored in Quebec, and poor madame, in spite of a frightful -cold, was doing the honors of the house with the best grace possible. -What do you think, gentlemen, of a trick like that; and what have you -to say in your defense, you wolf in sheep's clothing?" - -"I wished," said Jules, "that everybody should share beforehand -in the joy of the family over the good fortune of so dear and so -generous a friend. Also, if you could have seen the regret and general -consternation when, toward eleven o'clock, it was found necessary -to sit down at table without waiting for you any longer, you would -certainly have been moved to tears. The morrow, you will remember, was -a fast day. As for your wife, she seems to be without the smallest idea -of gratitude. Observing, a little before eleven, that she was in no -hurry to bring on the supper, and that she was beginning to be anxious -about her dear husband, I whispered a word in her ear, and for thanks -she broke her fan over my back." - -Everybody, the captain himself included, burst out laughing. - -"How is it you never told us of this before, Marcheterre?" said the -Seigneur de Beaumont. - -"It was hardly necessary," said the captain, "to publish it to the -world that we had been tricked by this young rascal. Moreover, it would -have been no particular satisfaction to us to inform you that you owed -the entertainment to the munificence of Mr. Jules D'Haberville; we -preferred to have the credit of it ourselves. I only tell it to you -to-day because it is too good to keep any longer." - -"It seems to me, Mr. Diver," continued Marcheterre, addressing Archie, -"that, in spite of your reserved and philosophical demeanor, you were -an accomplice of Master Jules." - -"I give you my word," replied Lochiel, "that I knew nothing of it -whatever. Not till the next day did Jules take me into his confidence, -whereupon I gave him a good scolding." - -"You could hardly say much," said Jules, "after the rate at which -you kicked round your great Scotch legs with great peril to the more -civilized shins of your neighbors. You have doubtless forgotten that, -since you were not content with French cotillons, such as are accepted -among all civilized people, to please you we had to have Scotch reels. -The music for these our fiddler picked up by ear in an instant. It was -a very simple matter; he merely had to scrape his strings till they -screeched as if a lot of cats were shut up in a bag and some one were -pulling their tails." - -"Oh, you are a bad lot," said the captain; "but won't you come and take -supper with us to-morrow, you and your friend, and make your peace with -the family?" - -"That's the way to talk, now!" said Jules. - -"Listen to the irrepressible," retorted Marcheterre. - -As it was now very late, the party broke up, after drinking the health -of the old sailor and his son and pronouncing the eulogies they -deserved for the part they had played that night. - -The young men had to stay some days at St. Thomas. The flood continued. -The roads were deluged. The nearest bridge, even supposing it had -escaped the general disaster, was some leagues southwest of the -village, and the rain came down in torrents. They were obliged to wait -till the river should be clear of ice, so as to cross in a boat below -the falls. They divided their time between the seigneur's family, their -other friends, and poor Dumais, whom the seigneur would not permit to -be moved. The sick man entertained them with stories of his fights -against the English and their savage allies, and with accounts of the -manners and customs of the aborigines. - -"Although I am a native of St. Thomas," said Dumais one day, "I was -brought up in the parish of Sorel. When I was ten years old and my -brother nine, while we were in the woods one day picking raspberries -a party of Iroquois surprised and captured us. After a long march, we -came to the place where their canoe was hidden among the brambles by -the water's edge; and they took us to one of the islands of the St. -Lawrence. My father and his three brothers, armed to the teeth, set out -to rescue us. They were only four against ten; but I may say without -boasting that my father and my uncles were not exactly the kind of men -to be trifled with. They were tall, broad-chested fellows, with their -shoulders well set back. - -"It might have been about ten o'clock in the evening. My brother and -I, surrounded by our captors, were seated in a little clearing in the -midst of thick woods, when we heard my father's voice shouting to -us: 'Lie flat down on your stomachs.' I immediately seized my little -brother around the neck and flattened him down to the ground with me. -The Iroquois were hardly on their feet when four well-aimed shots rang -out and four of the band fell squirming like eels. The rest of the -vermin, not wishing, I suppose, to fire at hazard against the invisible -enemies to whom they were serving as targets, started for the shelter -of the trees; but our rescuers gave them no time. Falling upon them -with the butts of their muskets, they beat down three at the first -charge, and the others saved themselves by flight. Our mother almost -died of joy when we were given back to her arms." - -In return, Lochiel told the poor fellow about the combats of the -Scottish Highlanders, their manners and customs, and the semi-fabulous -exploits of his hero, the great Wallace; while Jules amused him with -the story of his practical jokes, or with such bits of history as he -might appreciate. - -When the young men were bidding Dumais farewell, the latter said to -Archie with tears in his eyes: - -"It is probable, sir, that I shall never see you again, but be sure -that I will carry you ever in my heart, and will pray for you, I and -my family, every day of our lives. It is painful for me to think that -even should you return to New France, a poor man like me would have no -means of displaying his gratitude." - -"Who knows," said Lochiel, "perhaps you will do more for me than I have -done for you." - -Was the Highlander gifted with that second sight of which his -fellow-countrymen are wont to boast? Let us judge from the sequel. - -On the 30th day of April, at ten o'clock in the morning, with weather -magnificent but roads altogether execrable, our travelers bade farewell -to their friends at St. Thomas. They had yet six leagues to go before -arriving at St. Jean-Port-Joli, and the whole distance they had to -travel afoot, cursing at the rain which had removed the last traces -of ice and snow. In traversing the road across the plain of Cape St. -Ignace it was even worse. They sank to their knees, and their horse was -mired to the belly and had to be dug out. Jules, the most impatient of -the three, kept grumbling: - -"If I had had anything to do with the weather we would never have had -this devil of a rain which has turned all the roads into bogholes." - -Perceiving that José shook his head whenever he heard this remark, he -asked him what he meant. - -"Oh, Master Jules," said José, "I am only a poor ignorant fellow, but I -can't help thinking that if you had charge of the weather we shouldn't -be much better off. Take the case of what happened to Davy Larouche." - -"When we get across this cursed boghole," said Jules, "you shall tell -us the story of Davy Larouche. Oh, that I had the legs of a heron, like -this haughty Scotchman who strides before us whistling a pibroch just -fit for these roads." - -"What would you give," said Archie, "to exchange your diminutive -French legs for those of the haughty Highlander?" - -"Keep your legs," retorted Jules, "for when you have to run away from -the enemy." - -Once well across the meadow, the young men asked José for his story. - -"I must tell you," said the latter, "that a fellow named Davy Larouche -once lived in the parish of St. Roch. He was a good enough provider, -neither very rich nor very poor. I used to think that the dear fellow -was not quite sharp enough, which prevented him making great headway in -the world. - -"It happened that one morning Davy got up earlier than usual, put -through his chores in the stable, returned to the house, fixed his -whiskers as if it were Sunday, and got himself up in his best clothes. - -"'Where are you going, my good man?' asked his wife. 'What a swell you -are! Are you going to see the girls?' - -"You must understand that this was a joke of hers; she knew that her -husband was bashful with women, and not at all inclined to run after -them. As for La Thèque herself, she was the most facetious little body -on the whole south side, inheriting it from her old Uncle Bernuchon -Castonguay. She often used to say, pointing to her husband, 'You see -that great fool yonder?' Certainly not a very polite way to speak of -her husband. 'Well, he would never have had the pluck to ask me in -marriage, though I was the prettiest girl in the parish, if I had not -met him more than half-way. Yet, how his eyes used to shine whenever -he saw me! I took pity on him, because he wasn't making much progress. -To be sure, I was even more anxious about it than he; he had four good -acres of land to his name, while I had nothing but this fair body of -mine.' - -"She was lying a little to be sure, the puss," added José. "She had a -cow, a yearling bull, six sheep, her spinning-wheel, a box so full of -clothes that you had to kneel on it to shut it, and in the box fifty -silver francs. - -"'I took pity on him one evening,' said she, 'when he called at our -house and sat in the corner without even daring to speak to me. "I know -you are in love with me, you great simpleton," said I. "Go and speak -to my father, who is waiting for you in the next room, and you can get -the banns published next Sunday." Moreover, since he sat there without -budging and as red as a turkey-cock, I took him by the shoulders and -pushed him into the other room. My father opened a closet and brought -out a flask of brandy to encourage him. Well, in spite of all these -hints, he had to get three drinks into his body before he found his -tongue.' - -"Well, as I was saying," continued José, "La Thèque said to her -husband: 'Are you going to see the girls, my man? Look out for -yourself! If you get off any pranks I will let you into the soup.' - -"'You know very well I'm not,' said Larouche laughingly, and flicking -her on the back with his whip. 'Here we are at the end of March, my -grain is all thrashed out, and I'm going to carry my tithes to the -priest.' - -"'That's right, my man,' said his wife, who was a good Christian; 'we -must render back to God a share of what he has just given us.' - -"Larouche then threw his sacks upon the sled, lit his pipe with a hot -coal, sprang aboard, and set off in high spirits. - -"As he was passing a bit of woods he met a traveler, who approached by -a side path. - -"This stranger was a tall, handsome man of about thirty. Long fair hair -fell about his shoulders, his blue eyes were as sweet as an angel's, -and his countenance wore a sort of tender sadness. His dress was a -long blue robe tied at the waist. Larouche said he had never seen any -one so beautiful as this stranger, and that the loveliest woman was -ugly in comparison. - -"'Peace be with you, my brother,' said the traveler. - -"'I thank you for your good wishes,' answered Davy; 'a good word burns -nobody's mouth. But that is something I don't particularly need. I am -at peace, thank God, with everybody. I have an excellent wife, good -children, we get on well together, all my neighbors love me. I have -nothing to desire in the way of peace.' - -"'I congratulate you,' said the traveler. 'Your sled is well loaded; -where are you going this morning?' - -"'It is my tithes which I am taking to the priest.' - -"'It would seem, then,' said the stranger, 'that you have had a good -harvest, reckoning one measure of tithes to every twenty-six measures -of clean grain.' - -"'Good enough, I confess; but if I had had the weather just to my fancy -it would have been something very much better.' - -"'You think so,' said the traveler. - -"'No manner of doubt of it,' answered Davy. - -"'Very well,' said the stranger; 'now you shall have just what weather -you wish, and much good may it do you.' - -"Having spoken thus, he disappeared around the foot of a little hill. - -"'That's queer now,' thought Davy. 'I know very well that there are -wicked people who go about the world putting spells on men, women, -children, or animals. Take the case of the woman, Lestin Coulombe, -who, on the very day of her wedding, made fun of a certain beggar who -squinted in his left eye. She had good cause to regret it, poor thing; -for he said to her angrily: "Take care, young woman, that your own -children don't turn out cross-eyed." She trembled, poor creature, for -every child she brought into the world, and not without good cause; for -the fourteenth, when looked at closely, showed a blemish on its right -eye.'" - -"It seems to me," said Jules, "that Madame Lestin must have had a -mighty dread of cross-eyed children if she could not be content to -present her dear husband with one even after twenty years of married -life. Evidently she was a thoughtful and easy-going woman, who took her -time about whatever she was going to do." - -José shook his head with a dubious air and continued: - -"'Well,' thought Larouche to himself, 'though bad folk go about -the country putting spells on people, I have never heard of saints -wandering around Canada to work miracles. After all, it is no business -of mine. I won't say a word about it, and we'll see next spring.' - -"About that time the next year Davy, very much ashamed of himself, got -up secretly, long before daylight, to take his tithes to the priest. -He had no need of horse or sleigh. He carried the whole thing in his -handkerchief. - -"As the sun was rising he once more met the stranger, who said to him: - -"'Peace be with you, my brother!' - -"'Never was wish more appropriate,' answered Larouche, 'for I believe -the devil himself has got into my house, and is kicking up his pranks -there day and night. My wife scolds me to death from morn till eve, my -children sulk when they are not doing worse, and all my neighbors are -set against me.' - -"'I am very sorry to hear it,' said the traveler, 'but what are you -carrying in that little parcel?' - -"'My tithes,' answered Larouche, with an air of chagrin. - -"'It seems to me, however,' said the stranger, 'that you have been -having just the weather you asked for.' - -"'I acknowledge it,' said Davy. 'When I asked for sunshine, I had it; -when I wanted rain, wind, calm weather, I got them; yet nothing has -succeeded with me. The sun burned up the grain, the rain caused it -to rot, the wind beat it down, the calm brought the night frosts. My -neighbors are all bitter against me; they regard me as a sorcerer, who -has brought a curse on their harvests. My wife began by distrusting me, -and has ended by heaping me with reproaches. In a word, it is enough to -drive one crazy.' - -"'Which proves to you, my brother,' said the traveler, 'that your wish -was a foolish one; that one must always trust to the providence of God, -who knows what is good for man better than man can know it for himself. -Put your trust in him, and you will not have to endure the humiliation -of having to carry your tithes in a handkerchief.' - -"With these words, the stranger again disappeared around the hill. - -"Larouche took the hint, and thenceforth acknowledged God's providence, -without wishing to meddle with the weather." - -As José brought his tale to an end, Archie said: "I like exceedingly -the simplicity of this legend. It has a lofty moral, and at the same -time it displays the vivid faith of the _habitants_ of New France. -Shame on the heartless philosopher who would deprive them of that -whence they derive so many a consolation in the trials of life! - -"It must be confessed," continued Archie later, when they were at a -little distance from the sleigh, "that our friend José has always an -appropriate story ready; but do you believe that his father really told -him that marvelous dream that was dreamed on the hillsides of St. -Michel?" - -"I perceive," said Jules, "that you do not yet know José's talents; he -is an inexhaustible _raconteur_. The neighbors gather in our kitchen on -the long winter evenings, and José spins them a story which often goes -on for weeks. When he feels his imagination beginning to flag he breaks -off, and says: 'I'm getting tired; I'll tell you the rest another day.' - -"José is also a much more highly esteemed poet than my learned uncle -the chevalier, who prides himself on his skill in verse. He never fails -to sacrifice to the Muses either on flesh days or on New Year's Day. If -you were at my father's house at such times, you would see messengers -arrive from all parts of the parish in quest of José's compositions." - -"But he does not know how to write," said Archie. - -"No more do his audience know how to read," replied Jules. "This is how -they work it. They send to the poet a good chanter (_chanteux_), as -they call him, who has a prodigious memory; and, presto! inside of half -an hour said chanter has the whole poem in his head. For any sorrowful -occasion José is asked to compose a lament; and if it be an occasion of -mirth he is certain to be in demand. That reminds me of what happened -to a poor devil of a lover who had taken his sweetheart to a ball -without being invited. Although unexpected, they were received with -politeness, but the young man was so awkward as to trip the daughter of -the house while dancing, which raised a shout of laughter from all the -company. The young girl's father, being a rough fellow and very angry -at the accident, took poor José Blais by the shoulders and put him out -of the house. Then he made all manner of excuses to the poor girl whose -lover had been so unceremoniously dismissed, and would not permit her -to leave. On hearing of this, our friend José yonder was seized with an -inspiration, and improvised the following naïve bit of verse: - - "A party after vespers at the house of old Boulé; - But the lads that couldn't dance were asked to stay away: - Mon ton ton de ritaine, mon ton ton de rité. - - "The lads that couldn't dance were asked to stay away, - But his heart was set on going, was the heart of José Blai: - Mon ton ton, etc. - - "His heart was set on going, was the heart of José Blai. - 'Get done your chores,' said his mistress, 'and I will not say you - nay': - Mon ton ton, etc. - - "'Get done your chores,' said his mistress, 'and I will not say you - nay': - So he hurried out to the barn to give the cows their hay: - Mon ton ton, etc. - - "He hurried out to the barn to give the cows their hay. - He rapped Rougett' on the nose, and on the ribs Barré: - Mon ton ton, etc. - - "He rapped Rougett' on the nose, and on the ribs Barré, - And then rubbed down the horses in the quickest kind of way: - Mon ton ton, etc. - - "He rubbed down the horses in the quickest kind of way; - Then dressed him in his vest of red and coat of blue and gray: - Mon ton ton, etc. - - "He dressed him in his vest of red and coat of blue and gray, - And black cravat, and shoes for which he had to pay: - Mon ton ton, etc. - - "His black cravat, and shoes for which he had to pay; - And he took his dear Lizett', so proud of his display: - Mon ton ton, etc. - - "He took his dear Lizett', so proud of his display; - But they kicked him out to learn to dance, and call another day: - Mon ton ton, etc. - - "They kicked him out to learn to dance, and call another day; - But they kept his dear Lizett', his pretty _fiancée_: - Mon ton ton de ritaine, mon ton ton de rité." - -"Why, it is a charming little idyl!" cried Archie, laughing. "What a -pity José had not an education! Canada would possess one poet the more." - -"But to return to the experiences of his late father," said Jules, -"I believe that the old drunkard, after having dared La Corriveau -(a thing which the _habitants_ consider very foolhardy, as the dead -are sure to avenge themselves, sooner or later)--I believe the old -drunkard fell asleep in the ditch just opposite Isle d'Orléans, where -the _habitants_ traveling by night always think they see witches; I -believe also that he suffered a terrible nightmare, during which he -thought himself attacked by the goblins of the island on the one hand -and by La Corriveau on the other. José's vivid imagination has supplied -the rest, for you see how he turns everything to account--the pictures -in your natural history, for instance, and the Cyclopes in my uncle's -illustrated Virgil, of which his dear late father had doubtless never -heard a word. Poor José! How sorry I am for the way I abused him the -other day. I knew nothing of it until the day following, for I had -entirely lost my senses on seeing you disappear in the flood. I begged -his pardon very humbly, and he answered: 'What! are you still thinking -about that trifle? Why, I look back upon it with pleasure now all the -racket is over. It made me even feel young again, reminding me of your -furies when you were a youngster--when you would scratch and bite like -a little wild cat, and when I would carry you off in my arms to save -you from the punishment of your parents. How you used to cry! And then, -when your anger was over, you would bring me your playthings to console -me." - -"Faithful José! what unswerving attachment to our family through every -trial! Men with hearts as dry as tinder often look with scorn on such -people as José, though possessed of none of their virtues. A noble -heart is the best gift of God to man." - -As our travelers drew near the manor house of St. Jean-Port-Joli, whose -roof they could see under the starlight, the conversation of Jules -D'Haberville, ordinarily so frivolous and mocking, grew more and more -thoughtful and sincere. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -D'HABERVILLE MANOR HOUSE. - -Je bénis le soleil, je bénis la lune et les astres qui étoilent le ciel. Je -bénis aussi les petits oiseaux qui gazouillent dans l'air. - -+Henri Heine.+ - - -+D'Haberville Manor House+ was situated at the foot of a bluff which -covered about nine acres of the seigniory, on the south side of the -highway. This bluff was about a hundred feet high and very picturesque. -Its summit was clothed with pines and firs, whose perpetual green -formed a cheerful contrast with the desolation of the winter landscape. -Jules D'Haberville used to compare these trees, triumphing on their -height and flaunting their fadeless green in the face of the harshest -seasons, to the mighty ones of the earth whose strength and happiness -are beyond the reach of vicissitude, however much the poor may shiver -at their feet. - -One might well believe that the brush of a Claude Lorraine had -exercised itself in adorning the flanks and base of this hill, so -endless was the variety of the trees which had gathered thither from -all the neighboring woodlands. Elm, maple, birch, and beech, red -thorn, cherry, ash, and cedar, sumach, and all the other native trees -which are the glory of our forests, combined to throw a cloak of all -imaginable greens over the rugged outlines of the bluff. - -A wood of ancient maples covered the space between the foot of the -bluff and the highway, which was bordered with hedges of hazel and -cinnamon rose. - -The first object to attract the eye on approaching the manor house was -a brook, which, falling through the trees in a succession of foamy -cascades down the southwest slope of the hill, mingled its clear -current with that of a fountain which burst forth some distance below. -After winding and loitering through a breadth of meadow country, the -wedded streams slipped reluctantly into the St. Lawrence. - -The spring, bubbling from the very heart of the hill into a basin cut -from the living rock, preserves its icy coolness, its crystal purity, -through the fiercest heats of summer. It was inclosed in those days -in a little white-washed pavilion, thick shaded by a group of ancient -trees. The seats arranged within and without this cool retreat, the -cone-shaped drinking-cups of birch bark hanging on the wall, served as -so many invitations from the nymph of the fount to wayfarers oppressed -by the dog-star. - -Fresh as of old, to this day the hill-top keeps its crown of emerald, -the slope preserves its varied verdure; but of the ancient grove there -remain but five gnarled maples. These trees, decaying little by little -beneath the touch of time, like the closing years of the master of the -domain, appear almost like a visible and ceaseless prophecy that his -life will fade out with that of the last veteran of the grove. When -the last log shall have been consumed in warming the old man's frozen -limbs, its ashes will mingle with his own--a grim admonition, like that -of the priest on Ash Wednesday: "Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, ut in -pulverem reverteris." - -The manor house, situated between the river St. Lawrence and the -bluff, was divided from the water only by the highway, the grove, and -a spacious yard. It was a one-storied structure with high gables, -about a hundred feet long, with two wings of fifty feet. A bake-house, -built into the northeast corner of the kitchen, served also the purpose -of a laundry. A small attachment, adjoining the great drawing-room on -the southwest, gave symmetry to the proportions of this piece of early -Canadian architecture. - -Two other small buildings at the southeast served, the one for a dairy, -the other for a second wash-house. This wash-house stood over a well, -which was connected by a long trough with the kitchen of the main -building. Coach-houses, barns, stables, five small sheds (three of them -standing in the grove), a kitchen garden to the southwest of the manor -house, two orchards on the north and northeast, respectively--all these -went to make up the establishment of one of the old French Canadian -seigneurs. The _habitants_ called the establishment "le village -D'Haberville." - -Sitting on the crest of the bluff, it mattered little in what direction -one allowed his gaze to wander. Immediately below the little village, -dazzlingly white, appeared to spring from the green bosom of the -meadows. On all sides a panorama of splendid magnificence unrolled -itself. There was the sovereign of streams, already seven leagues in -width, confined on the north by the ancient barrier of Laurentians, -whose feet it washes, and whose peopled slopes are in view from Cape -Tourmente to Malbaie; yonder, to the west, _Ile aux Oies_ and _Ile -aux Grues_; right in front, the Piliers Islands, one of which is as -arid as the Ægean rock of Circe, the other always green, like the -Ogygian paradise of Calypso; northward, the reefs and shoals of the -Loups-Marins, so dear to Canadian hunters; and, lastly, the hamlets of -l'Islet and St. Jean-Port-Joli, crowned with their gleaming spires. - -It was nearly nine in the evening when the young men arrived on the -slope overlooking the manor. At the first glimpse of the scene which -recalled the happiest days of his existence, Jules paused and exclaimed: - -"Never have I approached this home of my ancestors without being -deeply impressed. Let them boast as they will the scenes of beauty or -sublimity which abound in our fair Canada, among them all there is but -one for me, this spot where I was born, where I passed my childhood -under such tender cherishing! I used to think the days too short for my -childish sports. I rose at dawn, I dressed in haste, my thirst for my -enjoyments was feverish and unfailing. - -"I love everything about us. I love the moon which you see climbing -over the wooded crest of the bluff; nowhere else does she appear to me -so beautiful. I love yonder brook which used to turn my little water -mills. I love the fountain which refreshed me in the August heats. - -"Yonder my mother used to sit," continued Jules, pointing out a mossy -rock in the shadow of two great beeches. "Thither I used to bring her -in my little silver cup the ice-cool water from the spring. Ah! how -often this tender mother, watching by my pillow, or awakened suddenly -by my cries, brought me that same cup filled with sweet milk! And to -think that I must leave all this--perhaps forever! O mother, mother!" - -Jules burst into tears. - -Lochiel, much moved, grasped his friend's hand and answered: - -"You will come back again, my brother. You will come back, bringing -glory and good fortune to your family." - -"Thank you, dear old boy," said Jules, "but let us hurry on. The -greetings of my parents will soon scatter this little cloud." - -Archie, who had never before visited the country in spring-time, wished -to know the meaning of those white objects which he saw at the dusky -foot of every maple. - -"Those are the three-cornered spouts," said Jules, "which catch the sap -for making sugar. The sugar-maker cuts a notch in the tree and right -beneath it he drives in one of these affairs." - -"One might almost say," replied Archie, "that these trees were vast -water-pipes, with their funnels ready to supply a crowded city." - -He was interrupted by the barking of a great dog, which came running to -meet them. - -"Niger! Niger!" shouted Jules. At the sound of the well-loved voice the -dog paused, then ran up and snuffed at his master to assure himself of -his identity. He returned Jules's caresses with a howling half joyous, -half plaintive, which expressed his love as well as words could have -done. - -"Ah, poor Niger," said Jules, "I understand your language perfectly. It -is half a reproach to me for having stayed away from you so long, and -it is half delight at seeing me again, with forgiveness of my neglect. -Poor Niger, when I come again after my long, long journey, you will -not even have the happiness that was granted to the faithful hound of -Ulysses, of dying at your master's feet." - -The reader is doubtless ready by this time to make the acquaintance of -the D'Haberville family. Let me introduce them according to their rank -in the domestic hierarchy: - -The Seigneur D'Haberville was scarcely forty-five years old, but the -toils of war had so told on his constitution that he looked a good ten -years older. His duties as captain in the Colonial Marine kept him -constantly under arms. The ceaseless forest warfare, with no shelter, -according to the stern Canadian custom, except the vault of heaven, -the expeditions of reconnoissance or surprise against the Iroquois -or against the English settlements, carried on during the severest -weather, produced their speedy effect on the strongest frames. - -Captain D'Haberville might fairly have been called handsome. A little -below the medium height, his regular features, his vivid complexion, -his great black eyes which softened at will but whose intensity when -aroused few men could face, the simple elegance of his manners, all -combined to give him an air of extreme distinction. A severe critic -might perhaps have found fault with the great length and thickness of -his black eyebrows. - -As to character, the Seigneur D'Haberville was possessed of all those -qualities which distinguished the early Canadians of noble birth. It -is true, on the other hand, that he might fairly have been charged -with vindictiveness. An injury, real or supposed, he found it hard to -forgive. - -Madame D'Haberville, a devout and gentle woman of thirty-six, was -endowed with that mature beauty which men often prefer to the freshness -of youth. Blonde and of medium height, her countenance was of an -angelic sweetness. Her sole object seemed to be the happiness of those -about her. The _habitants_, in their simple way, used to call her "the -perfect lady." - -Mademoiselle Blanche D'Haberville, younger than her brother Jules, was -the image of her mother, but of a somewhat graver temperament. Wise -beyond her years, she had a great influence over her brother, whose -outbursts she often checked with one imploring glance. While apparently -absorbed in her own thoughts, the girl was capable, on occasion, of -acting with energy and effect. - -Madame Louise de Beaumont, younger sister of Madame D'Haberville, had -lived with her ever since her marriage. Though rich and independent, -she was altogether devoted to her sister's family. Sharing their -happiness, she was equally ready to share, should need arise, the -utmost that adversity could bring upon them. - -Lieutenant Raoul D'Haberville, or rather the Chevalier D'Haberville, -whom everybody called Uncle Raoul, was a younger brother of the captain -by two years. He looked fully ten years his senior. A little man was -Uncle Raoul, almost as broad as he was long, and walking with the -assistance of a stick; he would have been remarkably ugly even if the -small-pox could have been induced to spare his countenance. It is hard -to say how he came by his nickname. One may say of a man, he has a -paternal air, he is _un petit père_; but one accuses nobody of having -an avuncular appearance. For all that, Lieutenant D'Haberville was -everybody's uncle. Even his soldiers, unknown to him, used to call -him Uncle Raoul. In like manner, to compare great things with small, -Napoleon was to the grumblers merely "the little corporal." - -Uncle Raoul was the _littérateur_ of the D'Haberville family, and, -therefore, something of a pedant, like almost all men who live in daily -contact with people less learned than themselves. Uncle Raoul was the -best fellow in the world when he had his own way; but he had one little -defect. He held the profound conviction that he was always right, which -made him very bad tempered with any who might dare to differ with him. - -Uncle Raoul prided himself on his knowledge of Latin, fragments of -which language he was wont to launch freely at the heads of cultured -and ignorant alike. Endless were his discussions with the curé over -some line of Horace, Ovid, or Virgil, who were his favorite authors. -The curé, who was of a mild and peaceable humor, almost always grew -weary of the contest and gave way before his fiery opponent. But Uncle -Raoul also prided himself on being a profound theologian, which was the -cause of much embarrassment to the poor curé. The latter was deeply -concerned for the soul of his friend, who had been in his youth a -rather risky subject, and whom he had had great difficulty in leading -into better courses. He found it necessary, however, sometimes to give -way on points not absolutely essential to the safety of Uncle Raoul's -soul. When points were attacked which he durst not yield he was wont to -call in the aid of Blanche, whom her uncle idolized. - -"Dear uncle," she would say to him with a caress, "are you not already -learned enough without encroaching on the field of our good pastor? -You are victorious on all the other points under discussion," she -would add, with a sly glance at the curé; "be generous, then, and -suffer yourself to be convinced on those points which are the especial -province of God's ministers." - -Thereupon, as Uncle Raoul argued simply for the pleasure of argument, a -peace would be concluded between the disputants. - -Uncle Raoul was by no means the least important personage at -D'Haberville manor. Since his retirement from the army, the captain, -whom military service kept much away from home, left the management -of affairs entirely in his hands. His occupations were very numerous. -He kept account of the receipts and expenditures of the family; he -collected the rents of the seigniory; he managed the farm; he betook -himself every Sunday, rain or shine, to mass to receive the Easter -water in the seigneur's absence; and, among other minor duties which -devolved upon him, he presented for baptism all the first-born children -of the tenants of the estate--an honor which belonged to his elder -brother, but of which the latter had freed himself in favor of Raoul. - -A little incident may be cited to show Uncle Raoul's importance. Let us -imagine ourselves in the month of November, when the seigneurial rents -fall due. Uncle Raoul, with a long quill pen behind his ear, sits in -a great armchair as on a throne. Beside him is a table covered with -green cloth, and on this table rests his sword. As the tenant appears, -he assumes an expression of severity, which does not greatly alarm the -debtor, for the Seigneur D'Haberville is an indulgent landlord, and his -tenants pay when they please. - -But Uncle Raoul is more deeply concerned for the form than for the -substance; the appearance of power pleases him even as power itself. He -will have everything done with due ceremony. - -"How do you do, my--my--lieutenant?" says the _censitaire_, accustomed -to call him uncle behind his back. - -"Very well. And thyself? What wilt thou?" replies Uncle Raoul, with an -air of great importance. - -"I have come to pay the rent, my--my lieutenant; but the times are -so hard that I have no money," says Jean Baptiste, ducking his head -penitently. - -"_Nescio vos!_" exclaims Uncle Raoul in a sonorous voice; "_reddite quæ -sunt Cæsaris Cæsari_." - -"That's fine what you say, my--my captain, so fine that I can't -understand it at all," murmurs the _censitaire_. - -"It's Latin, blockhead!" exclaims Uncle Raoul, "and this Latin means, -pay your lawful rents to the Seigneur D'Haberville, on pain of being -taken before the King's courts and of being condemned in first and -second instance to pay all expense, damages, claims, and costs." - -"It would go hard with me," murmurs the _censitaire_. - -"Heavens, you may well say so!" exclaims Uncle Raoul, raising his eyes -to the ceiling. - -"I know very well my--my seigneur, that your Latin threatens me with -all these punishments; but I had the misfortune to lose my filly of -last spring." - -"What, you rascal! On account of having lost a wretched brute of six -months old you wish to evade the seigneurial claims, which have been -established by your sovereign on a foundation as enduring as yonder -mountains. _Quos ego ...!_" - -"I believe," murmurs the _habitant_ to himself, "that he is speaking -Indian to frighten me." - -Then he adds aloud: "You see, my filly, according to what all the best -judges declared, would have been in four years' time the best trotter -on all the south shore, and worth a hundred francs if a penny." - -"Oh, to the devil with you!" replied Uncle Raoul. "Go and tell Lisette -to give you a good drink of brandy, to console you for the loss of your -filly. These scoundrels," adds Uncle Raoul, "drink more of our brandy -than their rents will ever pay for." - -The _habitant_, going into the kitchen, remarks to Lisette with a -chuckle: "I've had a bad job with Uncle Raoul; he even threatened to -haul me up before the courts." - -As Uncle Raoul was very devout after his fashion, he failed not to -tell his beads and read his primer daily. In singular contrast with -this devotion, however, his leisure moments were occupied in cursing, -with an edifying fervor, his enemies the English, who had broken a leg -for him at the capture of Louisburg. It was this accident which had -compelled him to relinquish the life of a soldier. - -When the young men arrived before the manor-house, they were -astonished at the sight that met their eyes. Not only were all the -rooms lit up, but also some of the out-buildings. There was an -unaccustomed stir, a strange hurrying to and fro. As the whole yard -was illuminated by the blaze of lights, they could distinguish six men -armed with guns and axes and seated on a log. - -"I perceive," remarked Archie, "that the lord of the manor has called -out his guard to give us a fitting reception, just as I predicted." - -José, who did not understand this sort of chaffing, shifted his pipe -from one corner of his mouth to the other, muttered something between -his teeth, and began to smoke fiercely. - -"I can not tell why my father's guards, as you do them the honor to -call them, are under arms," answered Jules, laughing, "unless it is -that they are expecting an attack from our friends the Iroquois. But, -come on, we'll soon solve the problem." - -As they entered the yard the six men rose simultaneously and came -forward to welcome their young master and his friend. - -"What, you here!" exclaimed Jules, grasping their hands cordially; -"you, Father Chouinard! you, Julien! and Alexis Dubé, and Father -Tontaine, and François Maurice, the incorrigible! Why, I thought the -parish would have taken advantage of my absence to rise as one man -and chuck you into the St. Lawrence, as a proper punishment for the -infernal tricks you play on peaceable people." - -"Our young seigneur," said Maurice, "always has his joke ready; but, -if they were to drown all those who put other folk into a rage, I know -some one who would have got his deserts long ago." - -"You think so!" said Jules, laughing. "Perhaps that all comes from the -bad milk on which I was nursed. Remember that it was at the breast of -your own dear mother I was nourished. But, to change the subject, what -in the mischief are you all doing here at this hour? Are you gaping at -the stars and moon?" - -"There are twelve of us," said Father Chouinard. "We are taking turns -in guarding the May-pole which we are going to present to your honored -father to-morrow. Six are in the house, having a good time, while we -are taking the first watch." - -"I should have thought that the May-pole might safely have been left to -guard itself," said Jules. "I don't think there is anybody crazy enough -to get out of his warm bed for the pleasure of breaking his back in -dragging away this venerable timber, at least while there are May-poles -on all sides to be had for the cutting." - -"You are off there, young master," answered Chouinard. "You see there -are always some folks jealous because they have not been invited to the -May-feast. It was only last year some scoundrels who had been invited -to stay at home had the audacity to saw up, during the night, the -May-pole which the folks of Ste. Anne were going to present to Captain -Besse. Think of the poor peoples' feelings when they gathered in the -morning and saw that their fine tree was nothing more nor less than so -much firewood!" - -Jules burst out laughing at a trick which he could so well appreciate. - -"Laugh as much as you like," said Father Tontaine, "but t'ain't hardly -Christian to put up tricks like that. You understand," he added -seriously, "we don't think no such trick is going to be played on our -good master; but there be always some rascals everywhere, so we're -taking our precautions." - -"I am a poor man," interposed Alexis Dubé, "but not for all I own -would I see such an insult put on our captain." - -The others spoke to the same effect, but Jules was already in the arms -of his family, while the worthy _habitants_ went on muttering their -imprecations against the imaginary, though improbable, wretches who -would have the hardihood to cut up the good fir log which they were -going to present to their seigneur on the morrow. It may be suspected -that the liberal cups and ample supper of May-day eve, together with -the sure anticipation of a toothsome breakfast, were not without their -effect on the zeal of the honest _habitants_. - -"Come," said Jules to his friend after supper, "let us go and see -the preparations for the May-day feast. As neither of us has had the -advantage of being present at those famous nuptials of the opulent -Gamache, which so ravished the heart of Sancho Panza, the present -occasion may give us some faint idea of that entertainment." - -In the kitchen all was bustle and confusion. The laughing shrill voices -of the women were mixed with those of the six men off guard, who were -occupied in drinking, smoking, and chaffing. Three servants, armed -each with a frying-pan, were making, or, to use the common expression, -"turning" pancakes over the fire in an ample fireplace, whose flames -threw ruddy lights and shadows, _à la_ Rembrandt, over the merry faces -thronging the great kitchen. Some of the neighbor women, armed with -dish and spoon and seated at a long table, kept dropping into the -frying-pans, as fast as they were emptied, the liquid paste of which -the pancakes were made; while others sprinkled them with maple sugar as -they were piled upon the plates. A great kettle, half full of boiling -lard, received the doughnuts which two cooks kept incessantly dropping -in and ladling out. - -The faithful José, the right hand of the establishment, seemed to be -everywhere at once on these solemn occasions. - -Seated at the end of a table, coat thrown off, sleeves of his shirt -rolled up to the elbows, his inseparable knife in hand, he was hacking -fiercely at a great loaf of maple-sugar and at the same time urging -on two servants who were engaged at the same task. The next moment he -was running for fine flour and eggs, as the pancake paste got low in -the bowls; nor did he forget to visit the refreshment table from time -to time to assure himself that nothing was lacking, or to take a drink -with his friends. - -Jules and Archie passed from the kitchen to the bake-house, where -the cooks were taking out of the oven a batch of pies, shaped like -half-moons and about fourteen inches long; while quarters of veal and -mutton, spare-ribs, and cutlets of fresh pork, ranged around in pans, -waited to take their places in the oven. Their last visit was to the -wash-house where, in a ten-gallon caldron, bubbled a stew of pork and -mutton for the special delectation of the old folks whose jaws had -grown feeble. - -"Why!" exclaimed Archie, "it is a veritable feast of Sardanapalus--a -feast to last six months!" - -"But you have only seen a part of it," said Jules. "The dessert is yet -ahead of us. I had imagined, however, that you knew more about the -customs of our _habitants_. If at the end of the feast the table were -not as well supplied as at the beginning, the host would be accused of -stinginess. Whenever a dish even threatens to become empty, you will -see the servants hasten to replace it." - -"I am the more surprised at that," said Archie, "because your -_habitants_ are generally economical, even to the point of meanness. -How do you reconcile this with the great waste which must take place -after a feast?" - -"Our _habitants_, scattered wide apart over all New France, and -consequently deprived of markets during spring, summer, and autumn, -live then on nothing but salt meat, bread, and milk, and, except in -the infrequent case of a wedding, they rarely give a feast at either -of those seasons. In winter, on the other hand, there is a lavish -abundance of fresh meats of all kinds; there is a universal feasting, -and hospitality is carried to an extreme from Christmas time to Lent; -there is a perpetual interchange of visits. Four or five _carrioles_, -containing a dozen people, drive up; the horses are unhitched, the -visitors take off their wraps, the table is set, and in an hour or so -it is loaded down with smoking dishes." - -"Your _habitants_ must possess Aladdin's lamp!" exclaimed Archie. - -"You must understand," said Jules, "that if the _habitants'_ wives had -to make such preparations as are necessary in higher circles, their -hospitality would be much restricted or even put a stop to, for few -of them are able to keep a servant. As it is, however, their social -diversions are little more trouble to them than to their husbands. -Their method is very simple. From time to time, in their leisure -moments, they cook three or four batches of various kinds of meat, -which in our climate keeps without difficulty; when visitors come, -all they have to do is to warm up these dishes in their ovens, which -at this season of the year are kept hot enough to roast an ox. The -_habitants_ abhor cold meat. It is good to see our Canadian women, -so gay at all times, making ready these hasty banquets--to see them -tripping about, lilting a bit of a song, or mixing in the general -chatter, and dancing backward and forward between the table and the -stove. Josephte sits down among her guests, but jumps up to wait upon -them twenty times during the meal. She keeps up her singing and her -chaffing, and makes everybody as merry as herself. - -"You will, doubtless, imagine that these warmed-up dishes lose a good -deal of their flavor; but habit is second nature, and our _habitants_ -do not find fault. Moreover, as their taste is more wholesome and -natural than ours, I imagine that these dinners, washed down with a -few glasses of brandy, leave them little cause to envy us. But we -shall return to this subject later on; let us now rejoin my father and -mother, who are probably getting impatient at our absence. I merely -wanted to initiate you a little beforehand in the customs of our -_habitants_, whom you have never before observed in their winter life." - -Everybody sat up late that night at D'Haberville Manor. There was -so much to talk about. It was not till the small hours that the -good-nights were said; and soon the watchers of the May-pole were the -only ones left awake in the manor house of St. Jean-Port-Joli. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -THE MAY-FEAST. - - Le premier jour de Mai, - Labourez, - J'm'en fus planter un mai, - Labourez, - A la porte à ma mie. - -_Ancienne Chanson._ - - -It was scarcely five o'clock in the morning when Jules, who slept -like a cat, shouted to Lochiel in the next room that it was high time -they were up; but as the latter would make no response, Jules took -the surest way of arousing him by getting up himself. Arming himself -with a towel dipped in cold water, he entered his friend's bedroom -and squeezed the icy fluid in his face. In spite of his aquatic -inclinations, Archie found this attention very little to his taste; he -snatched the towel, rolled it into a ball, and hurled it at Jules's -head. Then he turned over and was preparing to go to sleep again, when -Jules snatched off all the bed-clothes. It looked as if the fortress, -in this extremity, had nothing to do but surrender at discretion; -but the garrison, in the person of Lochiel, was more numerous than -the besieging force in the person of Jules, and, shaking the latter -fiercely, he asked if sleeping was forbidden at D'Haberville Manor. -He was even proceeding to hurl the besieger from the ramparts when -Jules, struggling in his adversary's mighty arms, begged him to listen -a moment before inflicting such a disgrace upon a future soldier of -France. - -"What have you to say for yourself, you wretched boy?" exclaimed -Archie, now thoroughly awake. Is it not enough for you that all day -long you give me no peace, but even in the night you must come and -torment me?" - -"I am grieved, indeed," said Jules, "at having interrupted your -slumbers; but as our folk have to set up another May-pole at the -place of Bélanger of the Cross, a good mile and a half from here, -they intend to present my father with his at six o'clock; and if you -don't want to lose any of the ceremony it is time for you to dress. I -declare, I thought everybody was like myself, wrapped up in everything -that can bring us more in touch with our _habitants_. I do not know -anything that moves me more than this sympathy between my father and -his tenants, between our family and these brave lads; moreover, as my -adopted brother, you will have your part to play in the approaching -spectacle." - -As soon as the young men had finished dressing, they passed from their -room to one which looked out on the yard, where a lively scene met -their view. There were at least a hundred _habitants_ scattered about -in groups. With their long guns, their powder-horns suspended from the -neck, their tomahawks stuck in the girdle, their inseparable axes, -they looked less like peaceful tillers of the soil than a band of -desperadoes ready for a foray. - -Lochiel was much amused by the spectacle, and wished to go out and join -the groups, but Jules vetoed his proposal, saying that it would be -contrary to etiquette. He explained that the family were all supposed -to be unaware of what was going on outside, no matter how great the -noise and excitement. Some were decorating the May-pole, others were -digging the hole in which it was to be planted, while yet others were -sharpening long stakes to be used in bracing it firmly. As for the -May-pole itself, it was of the utmost simplicity. It consisted of a -tall fir tree, with its branches cut off and peeled to within two or -three feet of the top. Here a tuft of greenery, about three feet long, -was permitted to remain, and dignified with the title of "the bouquet." -This "bouquet" was ornamental enough so long as it kept green, but -when withered by the heat of summer its appearance became anything but -cheerful. A rod six feet long, painted red, surmounted with a green -weather cock and adorned with a large red ball, was thrust between the -branches of "the bouquet" and nailed to the tree, which completed the -decoration of the May-pole. It is necessary to add that strong wooden -pegs, driven into the trunk at regular intervals, facilitated the -climbing of the May-pole, and served also as points of support for the -props by aid of which it was raised into position. - -The firing of a gun before the main entrance announced that every -thing was ready. Immediately on this signal the seigneur and his -family gathered in the drawing-room to receive the deputation which -would follow immediately after the report. The seigneur occupied a -great arm-chair, with Lady D'Haberville seated at his right and his -son Jules at his left. Uncle Raoul, erect and leaning upon his sword, -stood immediately behind this first group, between Blanche and Madame -de Beaumont who were seated. Archie stood at Blanche's left. They -were scarcely in position when two old men, introduced by José, the -major-domo, approached Seigneur D'Haberville, saluted him with that -courteous air which was natural to the early Canadians and begged his -permission to plant a May-pole before his threshold. This permission -granted, the deputation withdrew and acquainted the crowd with their -success. Everybody then knelt down and prayed for protection throughout -the day. In about fifteen minutes the May-pole rose over the crowd with -a slow, majestic motion, and its green top looked down upon all the -buildings surrounding it. A few minutes more and it was firmly planted. - -A second gunshot announced a new deputation, and the same two old men, -carrying their guns, escorted in two of the leading _habitants_. One of -the _habitants_ carried a little greenish goblet, two inches high, on a -plate of faïence, while the other bore a bottle of brandy. Introduced -by the indispensable José, they begged the seigneur to come and receive -the May-pole which he had so graciously consented to accept. Upon the -seigneur's response, one of the old men added: - -"Would our seigneur be pleased to 'wet' the Maypole before he blackens -it?" With these words he handed the seigneur a gun and a glass of -brandy. - -"We will 'wet' it together, my friends," said M. D'Haberville, making -a sign to José, who at once hastened forward with a tray containing -four glasses of the same cordial fluid. Then the seigneur rose, touched -glasses with the four delegates, swallowed at a draught their brandy, -which he pronounced excellent, took up the gun and started for the -door, followed by all that were in the room. - -As soon as he appeared on the threshold a young man clambered up the -May-pole with the nimbleness of a squirrel, gave three twirls to the -weather-cock, and shouted: "Long live the King! Long live the Seigneur -D'Haberville!" And the crowd yelled after him with all the vigor of -their lungs: "Long live the King! Long live the Seigneur D'Haberville!" -Meanwhile the young man had clambered down again, cutting off with his -tomahawk as he descended all the pegs of the May-pole. - -Thereupon the seigneur proceeded to blacken the May-pole by firing at -it a blank charge from his musket. The other members of the family -followed his example in the order of their rank, the ladies firing as -well as the men. - -Then followed a rattling _feu-de-joie_, which lasted a good half-hour. -One might have fancied the manor house was besieged by a hostile army. -The May-pole, so white before, seemed suddenly to have been painted -black, so zealous were all to do it honor. Indeed, the more powder one -could burn on this occasion, the greater the compliment to him for whom -the May-pole was erected. - -As every pleasure comes to an end, M. D'Haberville seized a moment -when the firing appeared to slacken a little to invite the crowd in to -breakfast. There was another rattling discharge by way of temporary -farewell to the May-pole, some splinters of which were now scattered -about the ground beneath, and every one moved silently into the house. - -The seigneur, the ladies, and a dozen of the oldest among the leading -_habitants_, were seated at a table in the seigneurial dining-room. -This table was set with the plain dishes, wines, and coffee which -constituted a Canadian breakfast among the upper classes; there was -added also to gratify the guests some excellent brandy, and some -sugar-cakes in lieu of bread. - -It was no offense to the other guests to be excluded from this table; -they were proud, on the contrary, of the compliment paid to their more -venerable relations and friends. - -The second table in the adjoining room, where Uncle Raoul presided, -was supplied as would have been that of a rich _habitant_ on a similar -occasion. Besides the superfluity of viands already enumerated, each -guest found beside his plate the inevitable sugar-cake, a cruller, -a tart about five inches in diameter and more rich in paste than in -jam, and an unlimited supply of brandy. There were also some bottles -of wine on the table, to which nobody paid the least attention; to use -their own energetic expression, it did not "scratch the throat enough." -The wine was placed there chiefly for the women, who were occupied in -serving the breakfast, and who would take their places at the table -after the men's departure. Josephte would take a glass or two of wine -without much pressing after she had had her accustomed appetizer. - -Over the third table, spread in the mighty kitchen, presided Jules, -with Archie to assist him. This was the table for the young men, and it -was supplied like that of Uncle Raoul. While there was gayety enough -at the first two tables, there was at the same time a certain decorum -observed; but at the third, especially toward the end of the repast, -which lasted far on into the morning, there was such a perpetual -applause that one could hardly hear himself speak. - -The reader is much deceived if he imagines that the May-pole was all -this time enjoying repose. Almost every moment one or other of the -guests would get up, run out and fire his gun at the May-pole, and -return to his place at the table after this act of courtesy. - -At the beginning of dessert the seigneur, accompanied by the ladies, -visited the second and third tables, where they were rapturously -received. A friendly word was on his lips for every one. He drank the -health of his tenants, and his tenants drank to himself and his family, -to the accompaniment of the reports of twenty muskets, which were -blazing away outside. - -This ceremony at an end, the seigneur returned to his own table, where -he was induced to sing a little song, in the chorus of which all joined. - - "Oh, here's to the hero, - The hero, the hero; - Oh, here's to the hero - That taught men to dine! - When joy is at zero, - At zero, at zero; - When joy is at zero, - What solace like wine! - - _Chorus._ Till he's drunk, or quite near it, - No soldier will shrink, - But cry shame on the spirit - Too craven to drink. - - "When we taste the rare liquor, - Rare liquor, rare liquor; - When we taste the rare liquor - That tickles our throats, - Our hearts they beat quicker, - Beat quicker, beat quicker; - Our hearts they beat quicker, - Which clearly denotes - - _Chorus._ That till drunk, or quite near it, - No soldier should shrink, - But cry shame on the spirit - Too craven to drink." - -Scarcely was this song ended when the sonorous voice of Uncle Raoul -arose: - - "Oh, I am a drinker, I, - For I'm built that way; - Let every man stick to his taste, - Each dog have his day! - The drinker he frights dull care - To flight with a song-- - He serves the jolliest god, - And he serves him long! - - _Chorus._ Oh, I am a drinker, I, etc. - - "Let José go fighting and put - The Dutchman to rout, - But I'll win my laurels at home - In the drinking-bout! - - _Chorus._ Oh, I am a drinker, I, etc." - -"Your turn now, young master!" cried the third table. "Our elders have -set us the proper example to follow." - -"With all my heart," replied Jules; and he sang the following verses: - - "God Bacchus, throned upon a cask, - Hath bid me love the bell-mouthed flask; - Hath bid me vow these lips of mine - Shall own no drink but wine! - - _Chorus._ But wine, boys, but wine! - We'll drain, we'll drain the bottles dry, - And swear the drink divine! - - "Nor emperor nor king may know - The joys that from our bumpers flow-- - The mirth that makes the dullest shine-- - Who owns no drink but wine! - - _Chorus._ But wine, boys, but wine! etc. - - "Let wives go knit and sweethearts spin, - We've wine to drown our troubles in. - We'll sing the praises of the vine, - And own no drink but wine! - - _Chorus._ But wine, boys, but wine! etc." - -The example once set by the hosts, everybody made haste to follow -it, and song succeeded song with ever-increasing fervor. Then Father -Chouinard, a retired veteran of the French army after two songs which -won great applause, suggested that it was time to withdraw. He thanked -the seigneur for his hospitality, and proposed to drink his health -once again--a proposition which was received with loud enthusiasm. - -After this the joyous throng took its departure singing, with the -accompaniment of musket-shots, whose echoes, thrown back by the bluff, -appeared to linger reluctantly behind them. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -THE FEAST OF ST. JEAN-BAPTISTE. - - -Every parish used to keep holiday on the feast of its patron saint. -The feast of St. John the Baptist, the patron of the parish of St. -Jean-Port-Joli, falling in the most delightful season of the year, -never failed to attract a host of pilgrims, even from the remotest -parishes. The _habitant_, kept very busy with his farm-work, was ready -by this time for a little rest, and the fine weather was an invitation -to the road. In every family grand preparations were made for this -important occasion. Within doors there was great cleaning up; the -whitewash brush went everywhere; the floors were scrubbed and strewed -with pine-needles; the fatted calf was killed, and the shopkeepers -drove a thriving trade in drinks. Thus by the twenty-third day of June, -the eve of the feast, every house was thronged with pilgrims from the -manor and the presbytery down. - -The seigneur used to present the consecrated bread; while the -collection at the high mass was taken up by two young gentlemen and -two young ladies, friends of the seigneur, invited down from Quebec -long beforehand. For the consecrated bread and for the little cakes -(_cousins_) which accompanied it there was no small need in that -multitude which thronged not only the church, but the surrounding yard. -All the doors of the church stood wide open, that everybody might have -his share in the service. - -It was an understood thing that the seigneur and his friends should -dine that day at the presbytery, and that the curé and his friends -should take supper at the manor house. Very many of the _habitants_, -too far away from home to go and come between mass and vespers, took -lunch in the little wood of cedars, pines, and firs which covered the -valley between the church and the St. Lawrence. Nothing can be imagined -more picturesque and bright than the groups scattered over the mossy -green, and gathered merrily around their snowy tablecloths. The curé -and his guests never failed to visit the picnickers and exchange a few -words with the men. - -On all sides rose rude booths, after the fashion of wigwams, covered -with branches of maple and spruce, wherein refreshments were sold. In a -monotonous voice, with strong emphasis on the first and last words, the -proprietors kept crying incessantly, "Good beer for sale here!" And all -the papas and the amorous gallants, coaxed up for the occasion, would -fumble dubiously in the depths of their wallets for the wherewith to -treat youngster or sweetheart. - -The _habitants_ had preserved an impressive ceremony handed down from -their Norman ancestors. This ceremony consisted of a huge bonfire at -sunset of the eve of St. Jean-Baptiste. An octagonal pyramid, about -ten feet high, was constructed before the main entrance of the church. -Covered with branches of fir interwoven amid the strips of cedar which -formed its surface, this structure was eminently ornamental. The curé, -accompanied by his assistants, marched out and recited certain prayers -belonging to the occasion; then, after having blessed the structure, -he set a torch to the little piles of straw arranged at the eight -corners of the pyramid. Straightway the whole pile burst crackling into -flame, amid the shouts and gun-firing of the crowd which remained in -attendance till the pyramid was burned to ashes. - -At this joyous ceremony, Blanche D'Haberville did not fail to assist, -in company with Jules, Lochiel, and Uncle Raoul. A malicious critic, -observing Uncle Raoul as he stood leaning on his sword a little in -advance of the throng, might have been reminded of the late lamented -Vulcan of game-legged memory, so lurid and grotesque an effect was -cast upon his figure; which by no means prevented Uncle Raoul from -considering himself the most important personage present. - -Uncle Raoul had a very good and sufficient reason for taking part -in the bonfire. It was the day of the salmon sale. Every _habitant_ -who stretched a net came to sell his first salmon at the church door -for the benefit of the souls in purgatory; in other words, with the -money obtained for the fish he would pay for a mass to be said for the -souls about which he was most concerned. The auctioneer announcing the -object of the sale, all strove to outbid each other. Nothing could be -more touching than this closeness of communion between friends and -relations beyond the grave, this anxious concern extending even to the -invisible world. Our brethren of other creeds shed, indeed, as we do, -the bitterest of tears over the tomb which covers away their dearest, -but there they cease their solicitude and their devotion. - -When I was a child my mother taught me to conclude all my prayers with -this appeal: "Receive, O Lord, soon into thy blessed paradise the souls -of my grandfather and grandmother." My prayers were then for kinsfolk -few in number and unknown to me. Now, alas, in my old age, how many -names would have to pass my lips were I to enumerate in my prayers all -the loved ones who have left me! - -It was some time after dark when Uncle Raoul, Blanche, Jules, and -Archie quitted the presbytery where they had taken supper. Uncle Raoul, -who had a smattering of astronomy, explained to his niece, as they -drove along, the mysteries of the starry vault, marvels of which, for -all the efforts of their professor in astronomy, our young men knew but -little. - -The young men were in high spirits, and, excited by the splendor of the -night in mid-forest, they laid aside their decorum and began a host of -antics, in spite of the frowns of Blanche, who dreaded lest they should -displease her uncle. - -The road followed the banks of the St. Lawrence. It was bordered by -thick woods, with here and there a clearing through which was commanded -a perfect view of the giant stream. Coming to one of these clearings, -where they could sweep the whole river from Cape Tourmente to Malbaie, -Archie was unable to repress a cry of surprise, and, turning to Uncle -Raoul, he said: - -"You, sir who explain so well the marvels of the heaven, might I beg -you to lower your gaze to earth a moment and tell me the meaning of all -those lights which are flashing along the north shore as far as eye can -see? Verily, I begin to believe José's story. Canada appears to be that -land of goblins, imps, and witches of which my nurse used to tell me -amid my Scottish hills." - -"Ah," said Uncle Raoul, "let us stop here a moment. That is the people -of the north shore sending messages to their friends and relations on -this side, according to their custom on the eve of St. Jean-Baptiste. -They need neither pen nor ink for their communications. Let us begin -at Eboulements: Eleven adults have died in that parish since autumn, -three of them in one house, that of my friend Dufour. The family must -have been visited by small-pox or some malignant fever, for those -Dufours are vigorous and all in the prime of life. The Tremblays are -well, which I am glad to perceive; they are worthy people. At Bonneau's -somebody is sick, probably the grandmother, who is getting well on in -years. There is a child dead at Bélair's house. I fear it is their only -child, as theirs is a young household." - -Thus Uncle Raoul ran on for some time gathering news of his friends at -Eboulements, at Isle aux Coudres, and at Petite-Rivière. - -"I understand without having the key," said Lochiel. "Those are certain -prearranged signals which are exchanged between the dwellers on the -opposite shores in order to communicate matters of personal interest." - -"Yes," answered Uncle Raoul; "and if we were on the north shore we -should observe similar signals on this side. If a fire burns long and -steadily, that is good news; if it sinks gradually, that is a sign of -sickness; if it is extinguished suddenly, that means death; if it is -so extinguished more than once, that signifies so many deaths. For a -grown person, a strong blaze; for a child, a feeble one. The means -of intercourse being scanty enough even in summer, and entirely cut -off during winter, the _habitants_, made ingenious by necessity, have -invented this simple expedient. - -"The same signals," continued Uncle Raoul, "are understood by all the -sailors, who use them in time of wreck to convey information of their -distress. Only last year five of our best huntsmen would have starved -to death but for this on the shoals of the Loups-Marins. Toward the -middle of March there was a sudden change in the weather. The ice went -out all at once and the ducks, geese, and brant made their appearance -in astonishing numbers. Five of our hunters, well supplied with -provisions--for the weather is treacherous in Canada--set out at once -for the Loups-Marins; but the birds were so numerous that they left -their provisions in the canoe (which they tied carelessly in front of -their hut), and ran to take their places in the ditch which they had -to get scooped out before the return of the tide. This ditch, you must -know, is a trough dug in the mud to a depth of three or four feet, -wherein the hunter lies in wait for his game, which are very wary, the -geese and brant particularly. It is a wretchedly uncomfortable kind of -hunting, for you have to crouch in these holes, with your dog, often -for seven or eight hours at a stretch. You have no lack of occupation -to kill time, however, for you have to keep bailing out the muddy water -which threatens to drown you. - -"All was in proper shape, and our hunters were expecting with the -rising tide an ample reward for their pains, when suddenly there came -up a frightful storm. The sleet was driven by the wind in such dense -clouds that the birds could not be seen six feet away. Our hunters, -having waited patiently until flood tide, which drove them from their -posts, returned to their hut, where a dreadful surprise awaited them; -their canoe had been carried away by the storm, and there remained, to -feed five men, only one loaf of bread and one bottle of brandy, which -they had taken into the hut on their arrival, that they might indulge -in a snack before getting to work. They went to bed without supper, for -the snow-storm might last three days, and, being about three leagues -from either shore, it would be impossible, in such weather, for their -signals of distress to be seen. But their calculations fell far short -of the fact. A second winter had set in. The cold became very severe, -the snow continued falling for eight days, and the river was once more -filled with ice as in January. - -Then they began to make their signals, which could be seen from both -shores; but it was impossible to go to their aid. The signals of -distress were followed by those of death. The fire was lighted every -evening and immediately extinguished. When three of the party were -reported dead, some _habitants_, at the imminent risk of their lives, -did all that could be expected of the bravest men; but in vain, for -the river was so thick with ice cakes that the canoes were carried up -and down with the ebb and flow of the tide, and could not get near -the scene of the disaster. It was not until the seventeenth day that -they were rescued by a canoe from Isle aux Coudres. When the rescuing -party arrived they heard no sound in the hut, and feared they were too -late. The sufferers were still alive, however, and after a few weeks of -care were quite themselves again; but they had learned a lesson they -were not likely to forget, and the next time they go hunting on the -Loups-Marins they will haul their canoe up out of reach of high tide." - -At last Uncle Raoul came to an end, just as anybody else would. - -"Dear uncle," said Blanche, "do you not know a song appropriate to so -delicious a night as this, and so enchanting a scene?" - -"Hear! hear!" exclaimed the young men, "a song from Uncle Raoul!" - -This was assailing the chevalier on his weak point. He was a singer, -and very proud of it. Without further pressing he began, in a splendid -tenor voice, the following song, which he sang with peculiar feeling -as a brave hunter adorned with his scars. While acknowledging that his -verses took many a liberty with the rules of rhyme, he declared that -these defects were redeemed by the vividness and originality of the -composition. - - -UNCLE RAOUL'S SONG. - - As I was walking, somewhat late, - A-through a lonely wood and great, - Hunting partridge, snipe, and cock, - And careless of the clock, - I raised my gun to drop a bird, - When in the bushes something stirred; - I heard a cry--and saw the game - That love alone can tame. - - I saw a fair one all alone, - Lamenting on a mossy stone, - Her hair about so fair a face - As lightened that dark place. - I called my dog to heel, and there - I fired my gun into the air. - So loud with fear the lady cried, - I hastened to her side. - - I said to her, I said, "Sweet heart, - Be comforted, whoe'er thou art. - I am a valiant cavalier, - Have thou of me no fear. - Beholding thee, my lovely one, - Thus left lamenting and alone, - I fain would be thy knight-at-arms, - And shield thee from alarms." - - "Oh, succor me, fair sir," she saith, - "My heart with fear was nigh to death. - I am benighted and astray, - Oh, show me, sir, my way! - Oh, show me, gentle sir, the road, - For Mary's sake, to mine abode. - My heart, fair sir, but for your grace, - Had died in this dark place." - - "Now, lady, give thy hand to me. - Not far the way--not far with thee. - Right glad am I to do thee pleasure, - And I have the leisure. - But might I crave before we part, - Oh, lady dear, oh, fair sweet heart-- - Might I dare to beg the bliss - Of one small kiss?" - - Saith she, "I can not say thee nay; - Thy service can I ne'er repay. - Take one, or even two, or three, - If so it pleaseth thee. - More gallant sir was never seen; - Much honored have my kisses been." - (This was the last I heard of her) - "And now farewell, kind sir." - -"The devil," said Jules, "I perceive, dear sir, that you did not waste -any time. I will wager, now, that you have been a terrible gallant in -your younger days, and can count your victims by the score. It is so, -eh, uncle mine? Do tell us some of your conquests." - -"Ugly, my dear boy," replied Uncle Raoul, with a gratified air, "ugly I -certainly am, but very agreeable to the ladies." - -Jules was going on in the same vein, but seeing the way his sister was -frowning at him, he bit his lips to keep from laughing, and repeated -the last four lines: - - "'More gallant sir was never seen; - Much honored have my kisses been' - (This was the last I heard of her) - 'And now farewell, kind sir.'" - -The young men continued the singing till they reached a clearing, where -they saw a fire in the woods a little way from the road. - -"That is the witch of the manor," said Uncle Raoul. - -"I have always forgotten to ask why she was called the witch of the -manor," said Archie. - -"Because she has established herself in this wood, which formerly -belonged to the D'Haberville estate," said Uncle Raoul. "My brother -exchanged it for a part of his present domain, in order to get nearer -his mill at Trois Saumons." - -"Let us go and see poor old Marie," said Blanche. "When I was a -child she used to bring me the first spring flowers and the first -strawberries of the season." - -Uncle Raoul made some objections on account of the lateness of the -hour, but he could refuse Blanche nothing, and presently the horses -were hitched on the edge of the wood and our party were on their way to -the witch's abode. - -The dwelling of old Marie by no means resembled that of the Cumæan -sybil, or of any other sorceress, ancient or modern. It was a sort of -patchwork hut, built of logs and unquarried stones, and carpeted within -with many colored mosses. The roof was cone-shaped and covered with -birch-bark and spruce branches. - -Old Marie was seated on a log at the door of her hut, cooking something -in a frying-pan over a fire which was surrounded with stones to keep it -from spreading. She paid no attention to her visitors, but maintained -a conversation with some invisible being behind her. She kept waving -first one hand and then the other behind her back, as if attempting to -drive away this being, and the burden of her utterance was: "Avaunt, -avaunt! it is you that bring the English here to eat up the French!" - -"Oh, ho, my prophetess of evil," exclaimed Uncle Raoul, "when you get -done talking to the devil, would you be kind enough to tell me what you -mean by that threat?" - -"Come, Marie," interposed Jules, "tell us if you really think you are -talking to the devil? You can fool the _habitants_, but you must know -that we put no faith in such delusions." - -"Avaunt! Avaunt!" continued the witch with the same gestures, "you that -are bringing the English to eat up the French." - -"I am going to speak to her," said Blanche; "she loves me, and I am -sure she will answer me." - -Approaching the old woman, she laid her hand on her shoulder and said -gently: - -"Do you not know me, my good Marie? Do you not recognize _la petite -seigneuresse_, as you used to call me?" - -The old woman interrupted her monologue and looked tenderly at the -girl. A tear even gathered in her eyes, but could not overflow, so few -such were there in her burning brain. - -"Why, dear Marie, do you lead this wild and vagabond life?" exclaimed -Blanche. "Why do you live in the woods, you who are the wife of a -rich _habitant_, the mother of a numerous family? Your poor children, -brought up by strangers, are crying for their dear mother. Mamma and I -were looking for you at your house after the feast. We were talking to -your husband who loves you. How unhappy you must be!" - -The poor woman sprang upon her seat and her eyes shot flames, as she -cried, pale with anger: - -"Who is it dare speak of my misfortunes? Is it the fair young girl, the -darling of her parents, who will never be wife and mother? Is it the -rich and noble lady, brought up in silk and fine linen, who will soon, -like me, have but a hut to shelter her? Woe! Woe! Woe!" - -She was about to retire into the forest, but seeing Jules much moved, -she cried again: - -"Is it Jules D'Haberville who is so concerned at my wretchedness? Is -it, indeed, Jules D'Haberville, bravest of the brave, whose bleeding -body I see them dragging over the Plains of Abraham? Is it, indeed, his -blood that crimsons the last glorious field of my country? Woe! Woe! -Woe!" - -"This poor woman moves my heart strangely," said Lochiel, as she was -disappearing in the thicket. - -The creature heard him. She returned once more, folded her arms, turned -upon him a gaze of calm bitterness, and said: - -"Keep your pity for yourself, Archibald de Lochiel. The family fool has -no need of your pity! Keep your pity for yourself and for your friends! -Keep it for yourself on that day when, forced to execute a cruel order, -you shall tear with your nails that breast that hides a noble and -generous heart! Keep it for your friends, Archibald de Lochiel, on that -day when you shall set the torch to their peaceful dwellings, that day -when the old and feeble, the women and the children, shall flee before -you as sheep before the wolf! Keep your pity! You will need it all when -you carry in your arms the bleeding body of him you call your brother! -I have but one grief at this hour, Archibald de Lochiel, it is that I -have no curse to utter against you. Woe! Woe! Woe!" And she disappeared -into the forest. - -"May I be choked by an Englishman," said Uncle Raoul, "if poor silly -Marie has not shown herself tonight a sorceress of the approved type, -the type which has been celebrated by poets ancient and modern. I -wonder what mad weed she has been rubbing against, she who is always so -polite and gentle with us." - -All agreed that they had never heard anything like it before. The rest -of the drive was passed in silence; for, though attaching no credence -to the witch's words, they could not at once throw off their ominous -influence. - -On their arrival at the manor house, however, where they found a number -of friends awaiting them, this little cloud was soon scattered. - -The joyous laughter of the party could be heard even to the highway, -and the echoes of the bluff were kept busy repeating the refrain: - - "Ramenez vos moutons, bergère, - Belle bergère, vos moutons." - -The dancers had broken one of the chains of their dance, and were -running everywhere, one behind the other, around the vast court-yard. -They surrounded the chevalier's carriage, the chain reunited, and they -began dancing round and round, crying to Mademoiselle D'Haberville, -"Descend, fair shepherdess." - -Blanche sprang lightly out of the carriage. The leader of the dance at -once whisked her off, and began to sing: - - "Hail to the fairest in the land! - (Hail to the fairest in the land!) - "Now I take you by the hand. - (Now I take you by the hand.) - I lead you here, I lead you there; - Bring back your sheep, O shepherdess fair. - Bring back your sheep and with care them keep, - Shepherdess fair, bring back your sheep. - Bring back, bring back, bring back with care, - Bring back your sheep, O shepherdess fair!" - -After making several more rounds, with the chevalier's carriage in the -middle, and all the time singing: - - "Ramenez, ramenez, ramenez donc, - Belle bergère, vos moutons." - -They at length broke up the chain, and all danced merrily into the -house. - -Uncle Raoul, at last set at liberty by the inexorable dancers, -descended as he could from the carriage and hastened to join the party -at the supper-table. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -"THE GOOD GENTLEMAN." - -Tout homme qui, à quarante ans, n'est pas misanthrope, n'a jamais -aimé les hommes.--+Champfort.+ - -J'ai été prodigieusement fier jusqu'à quarente-cinq ans: mais le malheur -m'a bien courbé et m'a rendu aussi humble que j'étais fier. Ah! -c'est une grande école que le malheur! j'ai appris à me courber et à -m'humilier sous la main de Dieu.--+Chenedollé.+ - - -The two months which Jules had to spend with his family before his -departure for Europe had come to an end, and the vessel in which he had -taken passage was to sail in two or three days. Lochiel was at Quebec, -making preparations for a voyage which could hardly take less than two -months. Abundant provisions were necessary, and Seigneur D'Haberville -had intrusted this point to the young Scotchman's care, while Jules's -mother and sister were loading down the young men's valises with all -the comforts and dainties they could think of. As the time drew near -for a separation which might be forever, Jules was drawn closer and -closer to his family, whom he could hardly bear to leave even for a -moment. One day, however, he remarked: - -"As you know, I promised 'the good gentleman' that I would go and stay -a night with him before my departure. I will be back to-morrow morning -in time to breakfast with you." - -With these words, he picked up his gun and started for the woods, in -order to take a short cut and have a little hunting by the way. - -M. d'Egmont, whom everybody called "the good gentleman," dwelt in a -cottage on the Trois Saumons River, about three quarters of a league -from the manor house. With him there lived a faithful follower who had -shared alike his good and his evil fortunes. André Franc[oe]ur was of -the same age as his master, and was also his foster-brother. Having -been the playfellow of his childhood, and the trusted friend rather -than the valet of his riper years, André Franc[oe]ur had found it as -natural to follow D'Egmont's fortunes in adversity as in prosperity. - -D'Egmont and his servant were living on the interest of a small capital -which they had in common. One might even say that the savings of the -valet were even greater than those of the master. Was it consistent -with D'Egmont's honor to be thus, in a way, dependent on his own -servant? Many will answer no; but "the good gentleman" argued otherwise. - -"When I was rich I spent my wealth for my friends, and how have my -friends rewarded me? André, alone, has shown himself grateful and -noble-hearted. In no way, therefore, do I lower myself by associating -my fortune with his, as I would have done with one of my own station -had one been found as noble as my valet." - -When Jules arrived, the good gentleman was busy weeding a bed of -lettuce in his garden. Entirely absorbed, he did not see his young -friend, who overheard the following soliloquy: - -"Poor little insect! I have wounded you, and lo! all the other ants, -just now your friends, are falling upon you to devour you. These tiny -creatures are as cruel as men. I am going to rescue you; and as for -you, my good ants, thanks for the lesson; I have now a better opinion -of my kind." - -"Poor fellow!" thought Jules, "with a heart so tender, how he must have -suffered!" - -Withdrawing noiselessly, he entered by the garden gate. - -M. d'Egmont uttered an exclamation of delight on seeing his young -friend, whom he loved as a son. Although, during the thirty years -that he had lived on Captain D'Haberville's estate, he had constantly -refused to take up his abode at the manor house, he yet was a frequent -visitor there, often remaining a week at a time when there were no -strangers present. Without actually shunning society, he had suffered -too much in his relations with men of his own class to be able to -mingle cordially in their enjoyments. - -Although poor, M. d'Egmont was able to do a great deal of good. He -comforted the afflicted; he visited the sick, whom he healed with herbs -whose virtues were revealed to him by his knowledge of botany; and if -his alms-giving was not lavish, it was accompanied by such sympathy and -tact that it was none the less appreciated by the poor, who had come to -know him by no other title than that of _le bon gentilhomme_. - -When D'Egmont and his young friend entered the house, André set before -them a dish of fine trout and a plate of broiled pigeons, garnished -with chives. - -"It is a frugal supper, indeed," said D'Egmont, "I caught the trout -myself in yonder brook, about an hour ago, and André bagged the doves -this morning at sunrise, in yonder dead tree, half a gunshot from the -cottage. You see that, without being a seigneur, I have a fish-pond -and dove-cote on my estate. Now for a salad of lettuce with cream, a -bowl of raspberries, a bottle of wine--and there is your supper, friend -Jules." - -"And never fish-pond and dove-cote supplied better meal to a hungry -hunter," exclaimed Jules. - -The meal was a cheerful one, for M. d'Egmont seemed to have recovered -something of the gayety of his youth. His conversation was no less -instructive than amusing; for, although he had mingled much with men in -his early days, he had found in study a refuge from his unhappiness. - -"How do you like this wine?" said he to Jules, who was eating like a -hungry wolf, and had already quaffed several bumpers. - -"It is capital, upon my word." - -"You are a connoisseur, my friend," went on M. d'Egmont. "If it is true -that wine and men improve with age, that wine must indeed be excellent; -and as for me, I must be approaching perfection, for I am very nearly -ninety." - -"Thus it is," said Jules, "that they call you 'the good gentleman.'" - -"The Athenians, my son, sent Aristides into exile, and at the same time -called him the Just. But let us drop men and speak of wine. For my own -part, I drink it rarely. As with many other useless luxuries, I have -learned to do without it, and yet I enjoy perfect health. This wine -is older than you are; its age, for a man, would not be much, but for -wine it is something. Your father sent me a basket of it the day you -were born. In his happiness he made gifts to all his friends. I have -kept it with great care, and I only bring it out on such rare occasions -as this. Here is a health to you, my dear boy. Success to all your -undertakings; and when you come back to New France, promise that you -will come and sup here with me, and drink a last bottle of this wine, -which I will keep for you. You look astonished. You think it likely -that when you return I shall have long since paid that debt which is -paid even by the most recalcitrant debtor. You are mistaken, my son; -a man like me does not die. But come, we have finished supper, let us -go and sit _sub tegmine fagi_, which may be interpreted to mean, under -that splendid walnut-tree whose branches are reflected in the river." - -The night was magnificent. The ripple of running water was the only -sound that broke the moonlit stillness. M. d'Egmont was silent for some -moments, and Jules, not caring to disturb his reverie, began tracing -hieroglyphics with his finger in the sand. - -"I have greatly desired," said "the good gentleman," "to have a talk -with you before your departure, before you go out into the world. I -know that we can profit little by the experience of others, but that -each must purchase his own. No matter, I shall at least have the -consolation of having opened my heart to you, a heart which should have -been dried up long since, but which yet beats as warmly as when I led -the joyous troops of my companions more than half a century ago. Just -now you looked at me with surprise when I said that a man like me does -not die; you thought I spoke in metaphor, but I was sincere at the -moment. So often on my knees have I begged for death that I have ended -by almost doubting Death's existence. The heathen have made of him a -divinity, doubtless that they might call him to their aid in time of -heavy sorrow. If it is as physiology teaches us, and our sufferings -depend upon the sensitiveness of our nerves, then have I suffered what -would have killed fifty strong men." M. d'Egmont was silent once more, -and Jules flung some pebbles into the river. - -"See," resumed the old man, "this stream which flows so quietly at our -feet. Within an hour it mingles with the troubled waters of the St. -Lawrence, and in a few days it will be writhing under the scourge of -the Atlantic storms. Behold therein an image of our life! Thy days -hitherto have been like the current of this stream; but soon you will -be tossed on the great river of life, and will be carried into the -ocean of men, whose waves rage ceaselessly. I have watched you from -child-hood up; I have studied your character minutely, and that is -what has caused me to seek this conversation. Between your character -and mine I have found the closest resemblance. Like you, I was born -kind-hearted, sympathetic, generous to a fault. How has it come that -these virtues, which should have secured me happiness, have rather been -the cause of all my ills? How comes it, my son, that these qualities, -so applauded among men, have risen against me as my most implacable -enemies and beaten me to the dust? I can not but think that I deserved -a kindlier fate. Born, like you, of rich and loving parents, I was -free to follow my every inclination. Like you, I sought nothing so -much as the love of those about me. Like you, in my childhood I would -not willingly injure the most insignificant of God's creatures, and to -the beggar child I gave the very clothes I wore. Needless to add that, -again like you, my hand was ever open to all my comrades, so that I was -said to have 'nothing of my own.' It is curious to consider that, at -the hands of my playfellows, I never tasted ingratitude. Is ingratitude -the attribute only of the full-grown man? Or is it a snare which this -human nature casts about the feet of generous childhood, the better -to despoil the prey when grown to be a richer prize! But, no; it is -impossible that youth could be so depraved. - -"And you, Jules," continued the old man after this semi-soliloquy, -"have you yet experienced the ingratitude of those you have befriended, -the ingratitude which pierces the heart like a blade of steel?" - -"Never," said the young man. - -"It is self-interest, then, bitter fruit of civilization, which causes -ingratitude; the more a man needs, the more ungrateful he becomes. This -reminds me of a little story. About twenty years ago a poor savage -of the Huron tribe came to me in a pitiable state. It was spring. He -had made a long and painful march, he had swum the icy streams when -overheated, and as a result he was seized with a violent attack of -pleurisy, accompanied by inflammation of the lungs. I judged that only -a copious bleeding could save him, and I made shift to bleed him with -my penknife. In a word, with care and simple remedies, I effected a -cure; but his convalescence was slow, and he stayed with me more than -two months. In a little while André and I could talk to him in his own -tongue. He told me that he was a great warrior and hunter, but that -fire-water had been his ruin. His thanks were as brief as his farewells: - -"'My heart is too full for many words,' said he; 'the Huron warrior -knows not how to weep like a woman. I thank you, my brothers,' And he -vanished in the forest. - -"I had entirely forgotten my Indian, when about four years later he -arrived at my door, accompanied by another savage. I could scarcely -recognize him. He was splendidly clad, and everything about him -bespoke the great hunter and the mighty warrior. In one corner of my -room he and his companion laid down two bundles of merchandise of -great value--the richest furs, moccasins splendidly embroidered with -porcupine quills, and exquisite pieces of work in birch bark, such as -the Indians alone know how to make. I congratulated him upon the happy -turn his affairs had taken. - -"'Listen to me, my brother,' said he. 'I owe you much, and I am come -to pay my debt. You saved my life, for you know good medicine. You -have done more, for you know the words which reach the heart; dog of -a drunkard as I was, I am become once more a man as I was created by -the Great Spirit. You were rich when you lived beyond the great water. -This wigwam is too small for you; build one large enough to hold your -great heart. All these goods belong to you,' The gratitude of this -child of the forest brought tears to my eyes; for in all my long life -I had found but two men who could be grateful--the faithful André, my -foster-brother, and this poor Indian, who, seeing that I was going to -accept nothing but a pair of deer-hide moccasins, struck three fingers -rapidly across his mouth with a shrill cry of 'houa,' and took himself -off at top speed with his companion. Never after could I find a trace -of him. Our good curé undertook the sale of the goods, the product of -which, with interest, was lately distributed among his tribe." - -The good gentleman sighed, reflected a moment, then resumed his speech: - -"I am now going to tell you, my dear Jules, of the most happy and most -wretched periods of my life. Five years of happiness! Five years of -misery! O God! for one single day of the joy of my youth, the joy as -keen as pain, which could make me forget all that I have suffered! Oh, -for one of those happy days when I believed in human friendship, when I -knew not the ingratitude of men! - -"When I had completed my studies, all careers were open to me. That -of arms seemed most suitable, but I hated to shed blood. I obtained a -place of trust under the government. For me such a place was ruin. I -had a great fortune of my own, my office was a lucrative one, and I -scattered by handfuls the gold which I despised. - -"I do not accuse others in order to palliate my own follies. But one -thing is sure, I had more than enough for all my own expenses, though -not for those of my friends and my friends' friends, who rushed upon -me like hungry wolves. I bear them no grudge; they but acted according -to their nature. As for me, my hand was never shut. Not only my purse, -but my signature was at everybody's disposal. There was my greatest -mistake; for I may say in all sincerity that ninety-nine times out -of a hundred, in my times of greatest embarrassment, I had to meet -their liabilities with my own cash in order to save my credit. A great -English poet has said: - - "Neither a borrower nor a lender be, - For borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry, - And loan oft loses both itself and friend. - -"Give, my dear boy, with both hands; but be chary of your signature. - -"My private affairs were so mingled with those of my office that it -was long before I discovered how deeply I was involved. The revelation -came upon me like a thunderbolt. Not only was I ruined, but I was on -the verge of a serious defalcation. At last I said to myself, 'what -matters the loss of the gold, so long as I pay my debts? I am young, -and not afraid to work, and I shall always have enough. Moreover, my -friends owe me considerable sums. When they see my difficulties, not -only will they hasten to give back what they owe, but they will do for -me as I have so often done for them.' What a fool I was to judge others -by myself! For me, I would have moved heaven and earth to save a friend -from ruin. How innocent and credulous I was! They had good reason, the -wretches, to laugh at me. - -"I took account of what was owed me and of the value of my property, -and then perceived that with these affairs settled up there would -remain but a small balance, which I could cover with the help of -my relations. The load rolled off my heart. How little I knew of -men! I told my debtors, in confidence, how I was situated. I found -them strangely cold. Several to whom I had lent without written -acknowledgment had even forgotten that they owed me anything. Those -whose notes I held, declared it was ungenerous of me to take them -unawares. The greater number, who had had business at my office, -claimed boldly that I was in debt to them. I did, indeed, owe them -a trifle, while they owed me considerable sums. I asked them for a -settlement, but they put me off with promises; and meanwhile undermined -my credit by whispering it about that I was on the verge of ruin. -They even turned me into ridicule as a spendthrift fool. One wag of a -fellow, whom but eighteen months before I had saved not only from ruin -but from disgrace (his secret shall die with me), was hugely witty at -my expense. His pleasantries had a great success among my old friends. -Such measureless ingratitude as this completely crushed me. One only, -and he a mere acquaintance, hearing that I was in difficulties, -hastened to me with these words: - -"'We have had some little transactions together; I think you will find -here the correct balance in your favor. Please look up the matter in -your books and see if I am right.' - -"He is dead long since. Honor to his memory, and may the blessings of -an old man descend upon his children! - -"The inevitable day was close at hand, and even had I had the heart to -make further struggle nothing could save me. My friends and enemies -alike were intriguing for the spoils. I lowered my head before the -storm and resigned. - -"I will not sadden you with the story of all I suffered; suffice to -say that, fallen into the claws of pitiless creditors, I drank the cup -of bitterness to the dregs. Apart from the ingratitude of my friends, -I was not the sort of man to grieve greatly over my mere personal -misfortunes. Even within the walls of the Bastille my gayety would not -have deserted me; I might have danced to the grim music of the grating -of my bolts. But my family! my family! Oh, the gnawing remorse which -harasses the day, which haunts the long sleepless night, which suffers -you neither forgetfulness nor rest, which wrenches the nerves of one's -heart as with pincers of steel! - -"I believe, my boy, that with a few exceptions every man who can do so -pays his debts; the torments he endures at the sight of his creditor -would constrain him to this, even without the terrors of the law. -Glance through the ancient and modern codes, and you will be struck -with the barbarous egotism which has dictated them all alike. Can one -imagine, indeed, any punishment more humiliating than that of a debtor -kept face to face with his creditor, who is often a skinflint to whom -he must cringe with fearful deference? Can anything be more degrading -than to be obliged to keep dodging a creditor? - -"It has always struck me that civilization warps men's judgment, and -makes them inferior to primitive races in mere common sense and simple -equity. Let me give you an amusing instance. Some years ago, in New -York, an Iroquois was gazing intently at a great, forbidding structure. -Its lofty walls and iron-bound windows interested him profoundly. It -was a prison. A magistrate came up. - -"'Will the pale face tell his brother what this great wigwam is for?' -asked the Indian. The citizen swelled out his chest and answered with -an air of importance: - -"'It is there we shut up the red-skins who refuse to pay the furs which -they owe our merchants.' - -"The Iroquois examined the structure with ever-increasing interest, -walked around it, and asked to see the inside of this marvelous -wigwam. The magistrate, who was himself a merchant, was glad to grant -his request, in the hope of inspiring with wholesome dread the other -savages, to whom this one would not fail to recount the effective and -ingenious methods employed by the pale faces to make the red-skins pay -their debts. - -"The Iroquois went over the whole building with the minutest care, -descended into the dungeons, tried the depth of the wells, listened -attentively to the smallest sounds, and at last burst out laughing. - -"'Why,' exclaimed he, 'no Indian could catch any beaver here.' - -"In five minutes the Indian had found the solution of a problem which -civilized man has not had the common sense to solve in centuries of -study. This simple and unlearned man, unable to comprehend such folly -on the part of a civilized race, had naturally concluded that the -prison had subterranean canals communicating with streams and lakes -where beaver were abundant, and that the savages were shut up therein -in order to facilitate their hunting of the precious animals, and the -more prompt satisfaction of their creditors' claims. These walls and -iron gratings seemed to him intended for the guarding of the treasure -within. - -"You understand, Jules, that I am speaking to you now on behalf of the -creditor, who gets all the sympathy and pity, and not on behalf of the -debtor who, with his dread and suspicion ever before his eyes, gnaws -his pillow in despair after watering it with his tears. - -"I was young, only thirty-three years of age. I had ability, energy, -and a sturdy faith in myself. I said to my creditors, take all I have -but leave me free, and I will devote every energy to meeting your -claims. If you imprison me you wrong yourselves. Simple as was this -reasoning, it was incomprehensible to civilized man. My Iroquois would -have understood it well enough. He would have said: 'My brother can -take no beaver if the pale face ties his hands.' My creditors, however, -took no account of such simple logic as this, and have held the sword -of Damocles over my head for thirty years, the limit allowed them by -the laws of France." - -"What adorable stupidity!" cried Jules. - -"One of them, however," continued M. d'Egmont, "with a delightful -ingenuity of torture, obtained a warrant for my arrest, and with a -refinement of cruelty worthy of Caligula himself, did not put it in -execution till eighteen months later. Picture me for those eighteen -months, surrounded by my family, who had to see me trembling at every -noise, shuddering at the sight of every stranger who might prove to be -the bearer of the order for my imprisonment. - -"So unbearable was my suspense that twice I sought out my creditor and -besought him to execute his warrant without delay. At last he did so, -at his leisure. I could have thanked him on my knees. From behind my -bars I could defy the malice of men. - -"During the first month of his captivity the prisoner experiences a -feverish restlessness, a need of continual movement. He is like a caged -lion. After this time of trial, this feverish disquiet, I attained in -my cell the calm of one who after being tossed violently by a storm -at sea, feels no longer anything more than the throb of the subsiding -waves; for apart from the innumerable humiliations of imprisonment, -apart from my grief for my family, I was certainly less wretched. I -believed that I had drunk the last drop of gall from the cup which -man holds to his brother's fevered lips. I was reckoning without the -hand of God, which was being made heavy for the insensate fool who -had wrought his own misfortune. Two of my children, at two different -periods, fell so dangerously ill that the doctors gave them up and -daily announced to me that the end was near. It was then I felt the -weight of my chains. It was then I learned to cry, like the mother of -Christ, 'Approach and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow.' -I was separated from my children only by the breadth of a street. -During the long night watches I could perceive the stir about their -couch, the lights moving from one room to another; and I trembled -every moment lest the stillness should fall which would proclaim them -no longer in need of a mother's care. I blush to confess that I was -sometimes tempted to dash my life out against the bars. - -"Meanwhile my persecutor knew as well as I what was passing in my -family. But pity is fled from the breast of man to take refuge in brute -beasts that have no understanding. The lamb bleats sadly when one of -his companions is slaughtered, the ox bellows with rage and pain when -he smells the blood of his kind, the horse snorts sharply and utters -his doleful and piercing cry at the sight of his fellow struggling in -the final agony, the dog howls with grief when his master is sick; but -with whisperings and gossip and furtive pleasantry man follows his -brother to the grave. - -"Lift up your head in your pride, lord of creation! You have the right -to do so. Lift your haughty head to heaven, O man whose heart is as -cold as the gold you grasp at day and night! Heap your slanders with -both hands on the man of eager heart, of ardent passions, of blood -burning like fire, who has fallen in his youth! Hold high your head, -proud Pharisee, and say, 'As for me, I have never fallen!'" "The -good gentleman" pressed his hands to his heart, kept silent for some -minutes, and at length resumed: - -"Pardon me, my son, that, carried away by the memory of my sufferings, -I have spoken the whole bitterness of my heart. It was but seven days -after the coming of his friends when the great Arabian poet Job, the -singer of so many sorrows, broke out with this heart-rending cry, -'_Pereat dies in quâ natus sum!_' As for me, these fifty years have I -buried my lamentations in my heart, and you will pardon me if I have -spoken now with bitterness, if I have calumniated mankind. - -"As I had long ago given up to my creditors all that I possessed, and -had sold my real estate and personal property for their benefit, after -four years' imprisonment I petitioned the King for my release. The -Government was of the opinion that I had suffered enough, but there -remained one great difficulty--when a debtor has given up everything, -does anything yet remain? The question was a knotty one. Nevertheless, -after long debate, it was decided in the negative, and very politely -they showed me the door. - -"My future was broken, like my heart, and I had nothing to do but -vegetate without profit to myself or others. But observe the fatality -that pursued me. When making my surrender to my creditors I begged them -to leave me a certain property of very small immediate value, which I -foresaw that I might turn to good account. I promised that whatever I -could make out of it should go to wiping out the debt. They laughed me -in the face; and very naturally, for there was a beaver to catch. Well, -Jules, this same property, which brought hardly enough to cover costs -of sale, sold ten years later for a sum which would have covered all my -debts and more. - -"Europe was now too populous for me, and I embarked with my faithful -André for New France. I chose out this peaceful dwelling place, where -I might have lived happily could I have drunk the waters of Lethe. The -ancients, our superiors in point of imagination, knew the needs of the -human heart when they created that stream. Long tainted with the errors -of the sixteenth century, I used once to cry in my pride, 'O men, if I -have shared your vices, I have found few among you endowed with even -one of my virtues.' But religion has taught me to know myself better, -and I have humbled myself beneath God's hand, convinced at length that -I could claim but little credit for merely following the inclinations -of my nature. - -"You are the only one, Jules, to whom I have hinted the story of my -life, suppressing the cruelest episodes because I know the tenderness -of your heart. My end is attained; let us now go and finish the evening -with my faithful André, who will keenly appreciate this attention on -the eve of your departure." - -When they re-entered the house André was making up a bed on a sofa, a -piece of furniture which was the result of the combined skill of master -and man. This sofa, of which they were both very proud, had one leg -shorter than the others, but this little inconvenience was remedied -with the aid of a chip. - -"This sofa," said "the good gentleman," with an air of pride, "has cost -André and me more elaborate calculations than Perrault required for -the construction of the Louvre; but we accomplished it at last to our -satisfaction. One leg, to be sure, presents arms to all comers. But -what work is perfect? You must have remembered, my André, that this -camp-bed was to be a soldiers' couch." - -André, though not quite relishing this pleasantry, which jarred a -little on his vanity, nevertheless could not help laughing. - -Late in the evening M. d'Egmont handed Jules a little silver -candlestick exquisitely wrought. - -"There, my dear boy, is all that my creditors have left me of my -ancient fortune. They intended it, I suppose, to solace my sleepless -nights. Good-night, dear boy; one sleeps well at your age; and when, -after my prayers beneath the vault of that great temple which is -forever declaring the glory of God, I once more come under my roof, you -will be deep in your slumbers." - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -MADAME D'HABERVILLE'S STORY. - - Saepè malum hoc nobis, si mens non læva fuisset, - De c[oe]lo tactas memini praedicere quercus. - -+Virgil.+ - - -All was silence and gloom at D'Haberville Manor; the very servants went -about their work with a spiritless air, far unlike their usual gayety. -Madame D'Haberville choked back her tears that she might not add to her -husband's grief, and Blanche, for her mother's sake, did her weeping -in secret; for in three days the vessel was to set sail. Captain -D'Haberville had bidden his two friends, the priest and M. d'Egmont, -to meet Jules and Archie at a farewell dinner. At this meal every one -strove to be cheerful, but the attempt was a conspicuous failure. The -priest, wisely concluding that a sober conversation would be better -than the sorrowful silence into which the party was continually -dropping, introduced a subject which was beginning to press on all -thoughtful minds. - -"Do you know, gentlemen," said he, "that a storm is gathering dark -on the horizon of New France. The English are making tremendous -preparations, and everything seems to indicate an early attack." - -"And then?" exclaimed Uncle Raoul. - -"Then, whatever you like, my dear chevalier," answered the curé; "but -it must be acknowledged that we have hardly forces enough at our -command to long resist our powerful neighbors." - -"My dear abbé," exclaimed Uncle Raoul, "I think that in your reading -this morning you must have stumbled on a chapter of the lamentations of -Jeremiah." - -"I might turn your weapon against yourself," retorted the priest, "by -reminding you that those prophecies were fulfilled." - -"No matter," almost shouted Uncle Raoul, clinching his teeth. "The -English, indeed! The English take Canada! By heaven, I would undertake -to defend Quebec with my crutch. You forget, it seems, that we have -always beaten the English; that we have beaten them against all -odds--five to one--ten to one--sometimes twenty to one! The English, -indeed!" - -"_Concedo_," said the curé; "I am ready to grant all you claim, and -more too if you like. But mark this. We grow weaker and weaker with -every victory, while the enemy, thanks to the foresight of England, -rises with new strength from each defeat; meanwhile, France leaves us -to our own resources." - -"Which shows," exclaimed Captain D'Haberville, "the faith our King -reposes in our courage." - -"Meanwhile," interposed M. d'Egmont, "he sends us so few soldiers that -the colony grows weaker day by day." - -"Give us but plenty of powder and lead," answered the captain, -"and a hundred of my militia will do more in such a war as that -which is coming upon us--a war of reconnoitrings, ambuscades, and -surprises--than would five hundred of the best soldiers of France. I -speak from experience. For all that, however, we stand in great need -of help from the mother country. Would that a few of those battalions -which our beloved monarch pours into the north of Europe to fight the -battles of Austria, might be devoted to the defense of the colony." - -"You might rather wish," said "the good gentleman," "that Louis XV had -left Maria Theresa to fight it out with Prussia, and had paid a little -more attention to New France." - -"It is perhaps hardly becoming in a young man like me," said Lochiel, -"to mix myself up in your arguments; but, to make up for my lack of -experience, I will call history to my aid. Beware of the English, -beware of a government ever alive to the interests of its colonies, -which it identifies with the interests of the empire; beware of a -nation which has the tenacity of the bull-dog. If the conquest of -Canada is necessary to her she will never swerve from her purpose or -count the sacrifice. Witness my unhappy country." - -"Bah!" cried Uncle Raoul, "the Scotch, indeed!" - -Lochiel began to laugh. - -"Gently, my dear Uncle Raoul," said "the good gentleman"; "and, to make -use of your favorite maxim when you are collecting the rents, let us -render unto Cæsar that which is Cæsar's. I have studied the history of -Scotland, and I can assure you that neither in valor nor in patriotism -need the Scotch yield place to any other nation, ancient or modern." - -"Oh, you see, I only wanted to tease this other nephew of mine," -exclaimed Uncle Raoul, swelling his chest; "for we know a little -history ourselves, thank God. No one knows better than Archie my esteem -for his fellow-countrymen, and my admiration for their dashing courage." - -"Yes, dear uncle, and I thank you for it," said Archie, grasping him -by the hand; "but distrust the English profoundly. Beware of their -perseverance, and remember the _Delenda est Carthago_ of the Romans." - -"So much the better," said Jules. "I will be grateful to their -perseverance if it brings me back to Canada with my regiment. May I do -my first fighting against them here, on this soil of Canada, which I -love and which holds all that is dearest to me! You shall come with me, -my brother, and shall take revenge in this new world for all that you -have suffered in your own country." - -"With all my heart," cried Archie, grasping the handle of his knife as -if it were the terrible claymore of the Camerons. "I will serve as a -volunteer in your company, if I can not get a commission as an officer; -and the simple soldier will be as proud of your exploits as if he had a -hand in them himself." - -The young men warmed into excitement at the thought of heroic deeds; -the great black eyes of Jules shot fire, and the old warlike ardor of -the race suddenly flamed out in him. This spirit was infectious, and -from all lips came the cry of _Vive le Roi_! From the eyes of mother, -sister, and aunt, in spite of all their efforts to restrain them, there -escaped a few tears silently. - -The conversation became eager. Campaigns were planned, the English were -beaten by sea and land, and Canada was set upon a pinnacle of splendor -and prosperity. - -"Fill up your glasses," cried Captain D'Haberville, pouring himself out -a bumper. "I am going to propose a health which everybody will drink -with applause: 'Success to our arms; and may the glorious flag of the -_fleur-de-lys_ float forever over every fortress of New France!'" - -Just as they were raising the glasses to their lips a terrific report -was heard. It was like a stupendous clap of thunder, or as if some -huge body had fallen upon the manor house, which shook to its very -foundations. Every one rushed out of doors. The sun was shining with -all the brilliance of a perfect day in July. They scaled the roof, but -there was no sign anywhere that the house had been struck. Every one -was stupefied with awe, the seigneur himself appearing particularly -impressed. "Can it be," he exclaimed, "that this phenomenon presages -the fall of my house!" - -In vain did M. d'Egmont, the priest, and Uncle Raoul endeavor to -refer the phenomenon to ordinary causes; they could not remove the -painful impression it had left. The glasses were left unemptied in the -dining-room, and the little company passed into the drawing-room to -take their coffee. - -What took place afterward only confirmed the D'Haberville family in -their superstitious fears. Who knows, after all, whether such omens, -to which the ancient world lent implicit belief, may not indeed be -warnings from heaven when some great evil threatens us? If, indeed, -we must reject all that our feeble reason comprehends not, we should -speedily become Pyrrhonists, utter skeptics, like Molière's Marphorius. -Who knows? But one might write a whole chapter on this "who knows." - -The weather, which had been so fine all day, began to cloud up toward -six o'clock in the evening. By seven the rain fell in torrents; the -thunder seemed to shatter the vault of heaven, and a great mass of -rock, struck by a thunder-bolt, fell from the bluff with terrific noise -and obliterated the highway. - -Captain D'Haberville, who had carried on an immense deal of forest -warfare along with his Indian allies, had become tinctured with many of -their superstitions; and when the disasters of 1759 fell upon him, he -was convinced that they had been foretold to him two years before. - -Jules, seated at supper between his mother and sister and holding -their hands in his, shared in their depression. In order to turn their -thoughts into another channel, he asked his mother to tell one of those -stories with which she used to amuse his childhood. - -"It would give me," said he, "yet another memory of the tenderest of -mothers to take with me to Europe." - -"I can refuse my boy nothing," said Madame D'Haberville; and she began -the following story: - -"A mother had an only child, a little girl, fair as a lily, whose great -blue eyes wandered from her mother to heaven and back from heaven to -her mother, only to fix themselves on heaven at last. How proud and -happy was this loving mother when every one praised the beauty of her -child! Her cheeks like the rose just blown, her tresses fair and soft -as the beaten flax and falling over her shoulders in gracious waves! -Immeasurably happy was this good mother. - -"At last she lost the child she idolized; and, like Rachel, she would -not be comforted. She passed her days in the cemetery embracing the -little grave. Mad with grief, she kept calling to the child with -ceaseless pleadings: - -"'My darling! my darling! listen to your mother, who is come to carry -you to your own bed, where you shall sleep so warmly! Oh, how cold you -must be under the wet sod!' - -"She kept her ear close to the earth, as if she expected a response. -She trembled at every slightest noise, and sobbed to discover that -it was but the murmur of the weeping willow moved by the breeze. The -passers-by used to say: 'This grass, so incessantly watered by her -weeping, should be always green; but her tears are so bitter that they -wither it, even like the fierce sun of midday after a heavy shower.' - -"She wept beside a brook where the little one had been accustomed to -play with pebbles, and in whose pure stream she had so often washed the -little feet. The passers-by used to say: - -"'This mother sheds so many tears that she swells the current of the -stream!' - -"She nursed her grief in every room wherein the little one had played. -She opened the trunk in which she kept religiously all the child's -belongings--its clothes, its playthings, the little gold-lined cup of -silver from which she had last given it to drink. Passionately she -kissed the little shoes, and her sobs would have melted a heart of -steel. - -"She went continually to the village church to pray, to implore God to -work one miracle in her behalf, and give her back her child. And the -voice of God seemed to answer her: - -"'Like David you shall go to her, but she shall not return to you.' - -"Then she would cry: - -"'When, Lord, when shall such joy be mine?' - -"She threw herself down before the image of the blessed Virgin, our -Lady of Sorrows; and it seemed to her that the eyes of the Madonna -rested upon her sadly, and that she read in them these words: - -"'Endure with patience, even as I have done, O daughter of Eve, till -the day when your mourning shall be turned into gladness.' - -"And the unhappy mother cried anew: - -"'But when, when will that blessed day come, O Mother of God?' - -"One day the wretched mother, having prayed with more than her usual -fervor, having shed, if possible, more tears than was her wont, fell -asleep in the church, exhausted with her grief. The sexton shut the -doors without noticing her. It must have been about midnight when -she awoke. A ray of moonlight illuminating the altar revealed to her -that she was yet in the church. Far from being terrified, she rather -rejoiced at her situation, if such a thing as joy could be said to find -any place in her sad heart. - -"'Now,' said she, 'I can pray alone with God, alone with the Blessed -Virgin, alone with myself!' - -"Just as she was going to kneel down a low sound made her raise her -head. - -"She saw an old man, who, entering by one of the side doors of the -sacristy, made his way to the altar with a lighted taper in his hand. -She saw with astonishment that it was the former sexton, dead twenty -years before. She felt no fear at the sight, for every sentiment of her -breast had been swallowed up in grief. The specter climbed the altar -steps, lighted the candles, and made the customary preparations for the -celebration of a _requiem_ mass. When he turned she saw that his eyes -were fixed and expressionless, like those of a statue. He re-entered -the sacristy, but reappeared almost at once, followed this time by a -venerable priest bearing a chalice and clothed in full vestments. His -great eyes, wide open, were filled with sadness; his movements were -like those of an automaton. She recognized the old priest, twenty years -dead, who had baptized her and given her her first communion. Far from -being terrified by this marvel, the poor mother, wrapped up in her -sorrow, concluded that her old friend had been touched by her despair, -and had broken the bonds of the sepulchre for her sake. - -"All was somber, grim, and silent in this mass thus celebrated and -ministered by the dead. The candles cast a feeble light like that of -a dying lamp. At the moment when the bell of the '_Sanctus_,' striking -with a dull sound, as when a bone is broken by the grave-digger in -some old cemetery, announced the descent of Christ upon the altar, the -door of the sacristy opened anew and admitted a procession of little -children, marching two and two, who traversed the choir and filed into -the space to the right of the altar. These children, the oldest of whom -had had scarce six years of life upon earth, wore crowns of immortelles -and carried in their hands, some of them baskets of flowers, some of -them little vases of perfume, others cups of gold and silver filled -with a transparent liquid. They stepped lightly, and a celestial -rapture shone upon their faces. One only, a little girl at the end of -the procession, appeared to follow the others painfully, loaded down -as she was with two great jars which she could hardly drag. Her little -feet, reddening under the pressure, were lifted heavily, and her crown -of immortelles seemed withered. The poor mother strove to reach out -her arms, to utter a cry of joy on recognizing her own little one, but -she found that she could neither move nor speak. She watched all the -children file past her into the place to the left of the altar, and she -recognized several who had but lately died. When her own child, bending -under her burden, passed before her, she noticed that at every step -the two jars besprinkled the floor with the water that filled them to -the brim. When the little one's eyes met those of her mother, she saw -in their depths a mingling of sadness, tenderness, and reproach. The -poor woman strove to clasp her in her arms, but sight and consciousness -alike fled from her. When she recovered from her swoon the church was -empty. - -"In a monastery about a league from the village, dwelt a monk who was -renowned for his sanctity. - -"This old man never left his cell, save to listen with sympathy to the -bitter confessions of sinners, or to succor the afflicted. To the first -he said: - -"'I know the corruptness of man's nature, so be not cast down; come to -me with confidence and courage every time you fall, and my arms shall -ever be open to lift you up again.' - -"To the second he said: 'Since God, who is so good, lays this burden -upon you now, he is reserving you for infinite joys hereafter.' - -"To all he said: 'If I should confess to you the story of my life, you -would be astonished to behold in me a man who has been the sport of -unbridled passion, and my misfortunes would melt you to tears.' - -"The poor mother threw herself sobbing at his feet, and told him -the marvelous thing she had seen. The compassionate old man, who -had sounded the depths of the human heart, beheld here a favorable -opportunity to set bounds to this excessive anguish. - -"'My dear child,' said he, 'our overwrought imagination often cheats -us with illusions which must be relegated to the realms of dream. -Nevertheless, the Church teaches us that such marvels can really take -place. It is not for us in our ignorance to set limit to the power -of God. It is not for us to question the decrees of Him who took the -worlds into his hand and launched them into space. I accept, then, the -vision, and I will explain it to you. This priest, coming from the tomb -to say a mass, doubtless obtained God's permission to fulfill part -of his sacred ministry which he had left undone; and the sexton, by -forgetfulness or negligence, was probably the cause of his omission. -The children crowned with immortelles are those who died with their -baptismal grace unimpaired. They who carried baskets of flowers or -vases of perfume are those whose mothers gave them up to God with -holy resignation, comforted by the thought that they were exchanging -this world of pain for the celestial country and the ineffable light -about the throne. In the little cups of gold and silver were the tears -of mothers who, though torn by the anguish of their loss yet taught -themselves to cry: "The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away; blessed -be the name of the Lord."' - -"On her knees the poor mother drank in the old man's words. As Martha -exclaimed at the feet of Christ, 'Lord, if thou hadst been here, my -brother had not died. But I know that even now, whatever thou wilt ask -of God, God will give it thee,' even so the poor mother cried in her -ardent faith, 'If thou hadst been with me, my father, my little one -would not have died; but I know that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask -of God, God will give it thee.' - -"The good monk reflected a moment and prayed God for wisdom. It was a -sentence of life or of death that he was about to pronounce upon this -mother who appeared inconsolable. He was about to strike a blow which -should either restore her to reason or break her heart forever. He took -her hands in his withered and trembling clasp, and said gently: - -"'You loved, then, this child whom you have lost?' - -"'Loved her? My God, what a question!' And she threw herself moaning at -his feet. Then, raising herself suddenly, she grasped the skirt of his -cassock and besought him through her sobs: 'You are a saint, my father; -oh, give me back my child--my darling!' - -"'Yes,' said the monk, 'you loved your little one. Doubtless you would -have done much to spare her even the lightest grief?' - -"'Anything, everything, my father!' exclaimed the poor woman; 'I would -have been rolled on the hot coals to spare her a little burn.' - -"'I believe you,' said the monk; 'and doubtless you love her yet?' - -"'Do I love her? Merciful Heaven!' cried the wretched mother, springing -to her feet as if bitten by a serpent; 'I see, priest, that you know -little of a mother's love if you imagine death can efface it.' And -trembling from head to foot, she burst again into a torrent of tears. - -"'Begone, woman,' said the old man, forcing himself to speak with -sternness; 'begone, woman, who hast come to impose upon me; begone, -woman, who liest to God and to his priest. Thou hast seen thy little -one staggering under the burden of thy tears, which she gathers drop -by drop, and thou tellest me that thou lovest her! She is near thee -now, toiling at her task; and thou sayest that thou lovest her! Begone, -woman, for thou liest to God and to his minister!' - -"The eyes of the poor woman were opened as if she were awaking from a -frightful dream. She confessed that her grief had been insensate, and -she besought the pardon of God. - -"'Go in peace,' said the old man; 'resign yourself to God's will, and -the peace of God will be shed upon your soul.' - -"Some days after, she told the good monk that her little one, radiant -with joy and carrying a basket of flowers, had appeared to her in a -dream and thanked her for having ceased from her tears. The good woman, -who was rich in this world's goods, devoted the rest of days and her -substance to charity. To the children of the poor she gave most loving -attention, and adopted several of them. When she died they wrote upon -her tomb, 'Here lies the mother of the orphans.'" - -All were deeply moved by Madame D'Haberville's story, and some were -even in tears. Jules embraced his mother, and left the room to hide his -emotion. - -"O God," he cried, "guard this life of mine! for if evil should befall -me, my loving mother would be as inconsolable as the mother in the -story she has just told us." - -A day or two later Jules and Archie were tossing upon the Atlantic; and -at the end of two months, after a prosperous voyage, they reached the -shores of France. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -THE BURNING OF THE SOUTH SHORE. - - They came upon us in the night, - And brake my bower and slew my knight: - My servant a' for life did flee - And left us in the extremitie. - - They slew my knight, to me so dear; - They slew my knight, and drove his gear; - The moon may set, the sun may rise, - But a deadly sleep has closed his eyes. - -_Waverley._ - - -The trees were once more clothed in their wonted green after the -passing of a northern winter. The woods and fields were enameled in a -thousand colors, and the birds were raising their cheerful voices to -greet the spring of the year 1759. All Nature smiled; only man seemed -sorrowful and cast down; and the laborer no more lifted his gay song, -and the greater portion of the lands lay fallow for lack of hands to -till them. A cloud hung over all New France, for the mother country, a -veritable step-mother, had abandoned her Canadian children. Left to its -own resources, the Government had called to arms every able-bodied man -to defend the colony against the invasion that menaced it. The English -had made vast preparations. Their fleet, consisting of twenty ships of -the line, ten frigates, and eighteen smaller vessels, accompanied by a -number of transports, and carrying eighteen thousand men, was ascending -the St. Lawrence under the command of General Wolfe; while two land -armies, yet more numerous, were moving to effect a junction under the -very walls of Quebec. - -The whole adult population of Canada capable of bearing arms had -responded with ardor to their country's appeal; and there remained -at home none but the old and feeble, the women and the children. To -resist an army more numerous than the entire population of New France -the Canadians had little but the memory of past exploits, and of their -glorious victory at Carillon in the preceding year. Of what avail their -proved courage against an enemy so overpowering and sworn to their -defeat? - -You have long been misunderstood, my brethren of old Canada! Most -cruelly have you been slandered. Honor to them who have lifted -your memory from the dust! Honor, a hundred times honor, to our -fellow-countryman, M. Garneau, who has rent the veil that covered -your exploits! Shame to us who, instead of searching the ancient and -glorious annals of our race, were content to bow before the reproach -that we were a conquered people! Shame to us who were almost ashamed -to call ourselves Canadians! Dreading to confess ourselves ignorant of -the history of Assyrians, Medes, and Persians, that of our own country -remained a sealed book to us. - -Within the last few years there has come a glorious reaction. Every one -sets his hand to the work and the Canadian can now say with Francis I, -"All is lost save honor." I am far from believing, however, that all -is lost. The cession of Canada was, perhaps, a blessing in disguise; -for the horrors of '93 failed to touch this fortunate colony which -was protected by the flag of Britain. We have gathered new laurels, -fighting beneath the banner of England and twice has the colony been -saved to England by the courage of her new subjects. In Parliament, at -the bar, upon the field of battle, everywhere in his small sphere, the -French Canadian has proved himself inferior to none. For a century have -you struggled, O my countrymen, to preserve your nationality, and you -behold it yet intact. The future perhaps holds for you another century -of effort and struggle to guard it. Take heart and stand together, -fellow-countrymen. - -Two detachments of the English army were disembarked at Rivière Ouelle, -at the beginning of June, '79. Some of the _habitants_ of the parish, -concealed in the skirts of the wood, received them with a sharp fire -and killed several men. The commander, exasperated at this loss, -resolved to take signal vengeance. The two detachments ascended the -river and encamped toward evening beside a brook which empties in Bay -Ste. Anne, southwest of where the college now stands. On the following -morning the commander ordered one of the companies to get ready to -march, and summoning the lieutenant gave him the following orders: - -"Every house you come across belonging to these dogs of Frenchmen, set -fire to it. I will follow you a little later." - -"But," said the young officer, who was a Scotchman, "must I burn the -dwellings of those who offer no resistance? They say there is no one -left in these houses except old men, women, and children." - -"I think, sir," replied Major Montgomery, "that my orders are quite -clear. You will set fire to every house belonging to these dogs of -Frenchmen. I had forgotten your weakness for our enemies." - -The young man bit his lips till they bled, and marched his men away. -The reader has, doubtless, recognized in this young man none other -than Archie de Lochiel, who, having made his peace with the British -Government, had recovered possession of his estates and had obtained -a lieutenancy in a regiment which he had himself recruited among the -Highlanders of his own clan. Archie marched off groaning and muttering -all the curses he could think of in English, Gaelic, and French. At the -first house where he stopped a young woman flung herself weeping at his -feet, crying piteously: - -"Good sir, do not kill my poor old father. Do not shorten his days. He -has but a little while to live." - -A little boy eleven or twelve years old grasped him about the knees and -exclaimed: - -"Mister Englishman, do not kill grandpapa! If you only knew how good he -is!" - -"Do not fear," said Archie, entering the house, "I have no orders to -kill old men, women, and children. They doubtless supposed," he added -bitterly, "that I should meet none such on my route." - -Stretched on a bed of pain lay a decrepit old man. - -"I have been a soldier all my life, monsieur," said he. "I do not fear -death, with whom I have been often face to face, but, in the name of -God, spare my daughter and her child!" - -"They shall not be injured," replied Archie, with tears in his eyes; -"but if you are a soldier, you know that a soldier has to obey -orders. I am ordered to burn all the buildings on my line of march, -and I have to obey. Whither shall we move you, father? Listen," he -added, speaking close in the old man's ear. "Your grandson appears -active and intelligent. Let him get a horse and hasten to warn your -fellow-countrymen that I have to burn down all the houses on my road. -They will, perhaps, have time to save the most valuable of their -belongings." - -"You are a good and brave young man!" cried the old man. "If you were -a Catholic I would give you my blessing; but thank you a thousand -times, thank you!" - -"I am a Catholic," said Lochiel. - -The old man raised himself with difficulty, lifted his eyes toward -heaven, spread his hands over Archie's bended head, and cried: "May God -bless you for this act of humanity! In the day of heavy affliction, -when you implore the pity of Heaven, may God take count of your -compassion toward your enemies and give ear to your prayers! Say to him -then with confidence in the sorest trials, 'I have the blessing of a -dying old man, my enemy.'" - -The old man in his bed was hastily carried by the soldiers to an -adjoining wood, and when he resumed his march Lochiel had the -satisfaction of seeing the little boy mounted on a swift horse and -devouring the miles beneath him. Archie breathed more freely at the -sight. - -The work of destruction went on; but from time to time, whenever he -reached the top of a hill, Archie had the satisfaction of seeing old -men, women, and children, loaded down with their possessions, taking -refuge in the neighboring woods. If he wept for their misfortunes, -he rejoiced in his heart that he had done everything in his power to -mitigate them. - -All the houses of a portion of Rivière Ouelle, and of the parishes of -Ste. Anne and St. Roch, along the edge of the St. Lawrence, were by -this time in ashes, yet there came no order to cease from the work -of destruction. From time to time, on the contrary, Lochiel saw the -division of his superior officer, following in his rear, come to a halt -on a piece of rising ground, doubtless for the purpose of permitting -Major Montgomery to gloat over the results of his barbarous order. - -The first house of St. Jean-Port-Joli was that of a rich _habitant_, -a sergeant in Captain D'Haberville's company. Frequently during his -vacations had Archie lunched at this house with Jules and his sister. -With what a pang he recalled the eager hospitality of these people. -On their arrival, Mother Dupont and her daughters used to run to the -dairy, the barn, the garden, for eggs, butter, cream, parsley, and -chervil, to make them pancakes and herb omelettes. Father Dupont and -his sons would hasten to put up the horses and give them a generous -measure of oats. While Mother Dupont was preparing the meal, the young -people would make a hasty toilet. Then they would get up a dance, and -skip merrily to the notes of the violin which screeched beneath the -old sergeant's bow. In spite of the remonstrances of Blanche, Jules -would turn everything upside down and tease everybody to death. He -would snatch the frying-pan from the hands of Mother Dupont, throw -his arm around her waist, and compel her, in spite of her struggles, -to dance with him; and these good people would shout with laughter -till one would think they could never get too much of the racket. All -these things Lochiel went over in the bitterness of his soul, and a -cold sweat broke out on his brow as he ordered the burning of this -hospitable home. - -Almost all the houses in the first concession of St. Jean-Port-Joli -were by this time in ruins, yet there came no order to desist. About -sunset, however, coming to the little river Port Joli, a few arpents -from the D'Haberville place, Lochiel took it upon himself to halt his -company. He climbed the hillside, and there, in sight of the manor, he -waited; he waited like a criminal upon the scaffold, hoping against -hope that a reprieve may come at the last moment. His heart was big -with tender memories as he gazed upon the dwelling where for ten -years the exiled orphan had been received as a child of the house. -Sorrowfully he looked down on the silent village which had been so -full of life when last he saw it. Some pigeons fluttering over the -buildings and from time to time alighting on the roofs appeared to be -the only living creatures about the manor. Sighing, he repeated the -words of Ossian: - -"'Selma, thy halls are silent. There is no sound in the woods of -Morven. The wave tumbles alone in the coast. The silent beam of the sun -is on the field.' - -"_Oh! Oui! Mes amis!_" cried Lochiel, in the language that he loved, -"_vos salons sont maintenant, hélas! deserts et silencieux!_ There is -no sound upon this hill which so lately was echoing your bright voices. -I hear only the ripples lapping upon the sand. One pale ray from the -setting sun is all that lights your meadows. - -"What shall I do, kind Heaven, if the rage of the brute who commands me -is not yet sated? Should I refuse to obey him? Then am I dishonored. A -soldier can not in time of war refuse to carry out the orders of his -commander. This brute could have me shot upon the spot, and the shield -of the Camerons would be forever tarnished. Who would trouble himself -to see that justice was done to the memory of the soldier who chose -death rather than the stain of ingratitude? On the contrary, that which -was with me but an emotion of grateful remembrance, would certainly -be imputed to me for treason by this creature who hounds me with his -devilish malice." - -The harsh voice of Major Montgomery put an end to these reflections. - -"What are you doing here?" he growled. - -"I have left my men by the edge of the river, and was proposing to -encamp there after our long march." - -"It is not late," answered the major, "and you know the country better -than I. You will easily find for your encampment another place than -that which I have just chosen for myself." - -"I will march at once," said Archie. "There is another river about a -mile from here where we can camp for the night." - -"Very well," said Montgomery, in an insolent voice; "and as you have -but a few more houses to burn in this district, your men will soon be -able to rest." - -"It is true," said Lochiel, "for there remain but five more dwellings. -Two of these, however, the group of buildings which you see yonder and -a mill on the stream where I am going to camp, belong to the Seigneur -D'Haberville, the man who during my exile took me in and treated me as -a son. For God's sake, Major Montgomery, give the order yourself for -their destruction!" - -"I never should have believed," replied the major, "that a British -officer would have dared to utter treason." - -"You forget, sir," said Archie, restraining himself with difficulty, -"that I was then a mere child. But once more I implore you, in the name -of all you hold most dear, give the order yourself, and do not force -upon me the dishonor of setting the torch to the home of them who in my -days of adversity heaped me with benefits." - -"I understand," replied the major, with a sneer, "you wish to keep a -way open to return to the favor of your friends when occasion shall -arise." - -At this insulting sarcasm Archie was tempted for an instant to draw his -claymore and cry: - -"If you are not as cowardly as you are insolent, defend yourself, Major -Montgomery!" - -Happily, reason came to his aid. Instead of grasping his sword, his -hand directed itself mechanically toward his breast, which he tore -fiercely. Then he remembered the words of the witch: - -"Keep your pity for yourself, Archibald de Lochiel, when, forced to -execute a barbarous order, your nails shall tear that breast which -covers, nevertheless, a noble heart." - -"She was indeed taught of hell, that woman," thought he, "when she -uttered that prophecy to a Cameron of Lochiel." - -With malicious pleasure Montgomery watched for a moment the strife of -passions which tortured the young man's heart. He gloated over his -despair. Then, persuaded that Archie would refuse to obey, he turned -his back upon him. Lochiel, perceiving his treacherous design, hastened -to rejoin his men, and a half-hour later the buildings were in flames. -Archie paused beside the fountain where in happier days he had so often -refreshed himself with his friends; and from that spot his lynx-like -eyes discerned Montgomery, who had returned to the hill-top, and there -with folded arms stood feasting on the cruel scene. - -Foaming with rage at the sight of his enemy, Archie cried: - -"You have a good memory, Montgomery. You have not forgotten the time -when my ancestor beat your grandfather with the flat of his saber in an -Edinburgh tavern. But I, also, have a good memory. I shall not always -wear this uniform that now ties my hands, and sooner or later I will -redouble the dose upon your own shoulders, for you would be too much -of a coward to meet me in fair fight. A beast like you can not possess -even the one virtue of courage. Curse be you and all your race! When -you come to die may you be less fortunate than those whose dwellings -you have desolated to-day, and may you have no place to lay your head! -May all the pangs of hell--" - -Then, ashamed of the impotence of his rage, he moved away with a groan. - -The mill upon the Trois-Saumons River was soon but a heap of cinders, -and the burning of Captain D'Haberville's property in Quebec, which -took place during the siege, was all that was needed to complete his -ruin. - -After taking the necessary precautions for the safety of his company, -Archie directed his steps to the desolated manor. There, seated on the -summit of the bluff, he gazed in the silence of anguish on the smoking -ruins at his feet. It must have been about nine o'clock. The night -was dark, and few stars revealed themselves in the sky. Presently, -however, he made out a living creature wandering among the ruins. It -was old Niger, who lifted his head toward the bluff and began howling -piteously. Archie thought the faithful animal was reproaching him with -his ingratitude, and bitter tears scalded his cheeks. - -"Behold," said he, "the fruits of what we call the code of honor of -civilized nations! Are these the fruits of Christianity, that religion -of compassion which teaches us to love even our enemies? If my -commander were one of these savage chiefs, whom we treat as barbarians, -and I had said to him: 'Spare this house, for it belongs to my friends. -I was a wanderer and a fugitive, and they took me in and gave me a -father and a brother,' the Indian chief would have answered: 'It is -well; spare your friends; it is only the viper that stings the bosom -that has warmed it.' - -"I have always lived in the hope," went on Lochiel, "of one day -rejoining my Canadian friends, whom I love to-day more than ever, if -that were possible. No reconciliation would have been required. It was -natural I should seek to regain my patrimony, so nearly dissipated -by the confiscations of the British Government. There remained to -me no career but the army, the only one worthy of a Cameron. I had -recovered my father's sword, which one of my friends had bought back -from among the spoils of Culloden. Bearing this blade, which had never -known a stain, I dreamed of a glorious career. I was grieved, indeed, -when I learned that my regiment was to be sent against New France; -but a soldier could not resign in time of war without disgrace. My -friends would have understood that. But what hope now for the ingrate -who has ravaged the hearth of his benefactors! Jules D'Haberville, -whom I once called my brother, his gentle and saintly mother, who -took me to her heart, the fair girl whom I called my sister to hide a -deeper feeling--these will, perhaps, hear my justification and end by -forgiving me. But Captain D'Haberville, who loves with all his heart, -but who never forgives an injury, can it be imagined that he will -permit his family to utter my name, unless to curse it? - -"But I am a coward and a fool," continued Archie, grinding his teeth, -"I should have declared before my men my reasons for refusing to obey, -and, though Montgomery had had me shot upon the spot, there would -have been found loyal spirits to approve my refusal and to right my -memory. I have been a coward and a fool, for in case the major, instead -of having me shot, had tried me before a court-martial, even while -pronouncing my death sentence they would have appreciated my motives. -I would have been eloquent in the defense of my honor, and of that -noblest of human sentiments, gratitude. Oh, my friends, would that you -could see my remorse! Coward, ten thousand times coward!--" - -A voice near him repeated the words "Coward, ten thousand times -coward!" He thought at first it was the echo from the bluff. He -raised his head and perceived the witch of the manor standing erect -on a projecting rock. She stretched out her hands over the ruins, and -cried: "Woe! woe! woe!" Then she descended like lightning, by a steep -and dangerous path, and wandered to and fro among the ruins, crying: -"Desolation! desolation! desolation!" At length she raised her arm with -a gesture of menace, pointed to the summit of the bluff, and cried in a -loud voice: "Woe to you, Archibald de Lochiel!" - -The old dog howled long and plaintively, then silence fell upon the -scene. - -Archie's head sank upon his breast. The next moment four savages sprang -upon him, hurled him to the ground, and bound his hands. These were -four warriors of the Abénaquis, who had been spying upon the movements -of the English ever since their landing at Rivière Ouelle. Relying upon -his tremendous strength, Archie made desperate efforts to break his -bonds. The tough moose-hide which enwound his wrists in triple coils -stretched mightily, but resisted all his efforts. Seeing this, Archie -resigned himself to his fate, and followed his captors quietly into the -forest. His vigorous Scottish legs spared him further ill treatment. -Bitter were the reflections of the captive during the rapid southward -march through the forest, wherein he had so often hunted with his -brother D'Haberville. Heedless of the fierce delight of the Indians, -whose eyes flashed at the sight of his despair, he exclaimed: - -"You have conquered, Montgomery; my curses recoil upon my own head. You -will proclaim that I have deserted to the enemy, that I am a traitor as -you long suspected. You will rejoice indeed, for I have lost all, even -honor." And like Job, he cursed the day that he was born. - -After two hours' rapid marching they arrived at the foot of the -mountain which overlooks Trois Saumons Lake, on which water Archie -concluded that they would find an encampment of the Abénaquis. Coming -to the edge of the lake, one of his captors uttered three times the -cry of the osprey; and the seven echoes of the mountain repeated, each -three times, the piercing and strident call of the great swan of Lower -Canada. At any other time Lochiel would have thrilled with admiration -at the sight of this beautiful water outspread beneath the starlight, -enringed with mountains and seeded with green-crowned islets. It was -the same lake to which, for ten happy years, he had made hunting and -fishing excursions with his friends. It was the same lake which he had -swum at its widest part to prove his prowess. But to-night all Nature -appeared as dead as the heart within him. From one of the islets came -a birch canoe, paddled by a man in Indian garb, but wearing a cap of -fox-skin. The new comer held a long conversation with the four savages, -but Archie was ignorant of the Abénaquis tongue, and could make out -nothing of what they said. Two of the Indians thereupon started off to -the southwest; but Archie was put into the canoe and taken to the islet. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -A NIGHT AMONG THE SAVAGES. - - What tragic tears bedew the eye! - What deaths we suffer ere we die! - Our broken friendships we deplore, - And loves of youth that are no more. - -+Logan.+ - - All, all on earth is shadow, all beyond - Is substance; the reverse is folly's creed. - How solid all where change shall be no more! - -+Young's+ _Night Thoughts._ - - -Having cursed his enemy and the day of his birth, Lochiel had gradually -come to a more Christian frame of mind, as he lay bound to a tree and -all hope banished from his heart. He knew that the savages scarcely -ever spared their captives, and that a slow and hideous death was in -store for him. Recovering his natural force of mind, he hardly took -care to pray for his deliverance; but he implored of Heaven forgiveness -for his sins and strength to bear the tortures that were before him. Of -what account, thought he, the judgment of men when the dream of life is -over? And he bowed himself beneath the hand of God. - -The three warriors were seated around within a dozen feet of Lochiel, -smoking in silence. The Indians are naturally reserved, regarding light -conversation as only suitable to women and children. One of them, -however, by name Talamousse, speaking to the man of the island, made -inquiry: - -"Will my brother wait long here for the warriors from the Portage?" - -"Three days," answered the latter, lifting up three fingers. -"Grand-Loutre and Talamousse will depart to-morrow with the prisoner. -The Frenchman will rejoin them at the encampment of Captain Launière." - -"It is well," said Grand-Loutre, extending his hand toward the south. -"We are going to take the prisoner to the camp at Petit-Marigotte, -where we will wait three days for my brother and the warriors from the -Portage, and then go to the camp of Captain Launière." - -For the first time Lochiel perceived that the voice of the man with -the fox-skin cap was not like that of the other two men, although he -spoke their language fluently. Hitherto he had suffered in silence the -torments of a burning thirst. It was a veritable torture of Tantalus, -with the crystal lake waters lapping at his feet, but, under the -impression that the man might be a Frenchman, he made bold to say: - -"If there is a Christian among you, for God's sake let him give me a -drink." - -"What does the dog want?" said Grand-Loutre to his companion. - -The man addressed made no answer for some moments. His whole body -trembled, his face became pale as death, a cold sweat bathed his -forehead; then, controlling himself sternly, he answered in his natural -voice: - -"The prisoner asks for a drink." - -"Tell the dog of an Englishman," said Talamousse, "that he shall be -burned to-morrow; and that if he is very thirsty he shall have boiling -water to drink." - -"I am going to tell him," replied the Canadian presently, "that my -brothers permit me to give their captive a little water." - -"Let my brother do as he will," said Talamousse; "the pale faces have -hearts like young girls." - -The Canadian curled a piece of birch bark into the form of a cup, -filled it with fresh water, and handed it to the prisoner, saying: - -"Who are you, sir? In the name of God who are you? Your voice is like -that of a man who is very dear to me." - -"I am Archibald Cameron, of Lochiel," came the answer, "once the friend -of your countrymen; now their enemy, and well deserving the fate which -is in store for him." - -"Mr. Archie," replied Dumais, for he it was, "although you had slain my -brother, although it should be necessary for me to cut down these two -red rascals with my tomahawk, in an hour you shall be free. I shall try -persuasion before resorting to violent measures. Now silence." - -Dumais resumed his place with the Indians, and after a time he remarked: - -"The prisoner thanks the red-skins for promising him the death of a -man; he says that the song of the pale face will be that of a warrior." - -"Houa!" said Grand-Loutre, "the Englishman will screech like an owl -when he sees the fires of our wigwams." And he went on smoking and -casting glances of contempt upon Lochiel. - -"The Englishman," said Talamousse, "speaks like a man while the stake -is yet far off. The Englishman is a coward who could not suffer thirst. -He has begged his enemies for a drink like a baby crying for its -mother." And the Indian spit upon the ground contemptuously. - -Dumais opened a wallet, took out some provisions, and offered a portion -to the savages, who refused to eat. Then he stepped into the woods, -and after a short search brought out a bottle of brandy. He took a -drink and began to eat. The eyes of one of the Indians dwelt longingly -on the bottle. - -"Talamousse is not hungry, my brother," said he, "but he is very -thirsty. He has made a long march to-day and he is very tired. The -fire-water is good to rest one's legs." - -Dumais passed him the bottle. The Indian seized it with a trembling -hand and gulped down a good half of the contents. - -"Ah, but that's good," said he, handing back the bottle; and presently -his piercing eyes grew glazed, and a vacant look began to creep into -his face. - -"Dumais does not offer any to his brother Grand-Loutre," said the -Canadian; "he knows that he does not drink fire-water." - -"The Great Spirit loves Grand-Loutre," said the latter, "and made him -throw up the only mouthful of fire-water he ever drank. The Great -Spirit made him so sick that he thought he was going to visit the -country of souls. Grand-Loutre is very thankful, for the fire-water -takes away man's wisdom." - -"It is good fire-water," said Talamousse after a moment's silence, -stretching out his hand toward the bottle, which Dumais removed from -his reach. "Give me one more drink, my brother, I beg you." - -"No," said Dumais, "not now; by and by, perhaps." And he put the bottle -back into his knapsack. - -"The Great Spirit also loves the Canadian," resumed Dumais after a -pause; "he appeared to him last night in a dream." - -"What did he say to my brother?" asked the Indians. - -"The Great Spirit told him to buy back the prisoner," answered Dumais. - -"My brother lies like a Frenchman," replied Grand-Loutre. "He lies like -all the pale faces. The red-skins do not lie to them." - -"The French never lie when they speak of the Great Spirit," said the -Canadian; and, opening his knapsack, he took a small sip of brandy. - -"Give me, my brother, give me one little drink," said Talamousse, -stretching out his hand. - -"If Talamousse will sell me his share of the prisoner," said Dumais, -"he shall have another drink." - -"Give me all the fire-water," said Talamousse, "and take my share of -the English dog." - -"No," said Dumais, "one more drink and that will be all;" and he made a -movement to put away the bottle. - -"Give it to me, then, and take my share of him." - -He seized the bottle in both hands, took a long pull at the precious -fluid, and then fell asleep on the grass. - -"There's one of them fixed," thought Dumais. - -Grand-Loutre had been watching all this with an air of defiance, but -had kept on smoking indifferently. - -"Now will my brother sell me his share of the prisoner?" asked Dumais. - -"What do you want of him?" replied the savage. - -"To sell him to Captain D'Haberville, who will have him hung for -burning his house. The prisoner will endure like a warrior the tortures -of the stake, but at sight of the rope he will weep like a girl." - -"My brother lies again," replied Grand-Loutre. "All the English that -we have burned cried out like cowards, and not one of them sang his -death-song like a man. They would have thanked us to hang them. It is -only the red warrior who prefers the stake to the disgrace of being -hung like a dog." - -"Let my brother heed my words," said Dumais. "The prisoner is not an -Englishman, but a Scotchman, and the Scotch are the savages of the -English. Let my brother observe the prisoner's clothing, and see how -like it is to that of a savage warrior." - -"That is true," said Grand-Loutre. "He does not smother himself in -clothes like the other soldiers whom the Great Ononthio sends across -the water. But what has that to do with it?" - -"Why," replied the Canadian, "a Scotch warrior would rather be burned -than be hung. Like the red-skins of Canada, he considers that one hangs -only dogs, and that if he were to go to the country of souls with the -rope about his neck the savage warriors would refuse to hunt with him." - -"My brother lies again," said the Indian, shaking his head -incredulously. "The Scotch savages are nevertheless pale faces, and -they can not have the courage to endure pain like a red-skin." And he -went on smoking thoughtfully. - -"Let my brother hearken, and he will see that I speak the truth," said -Dumais. - -"Speak, thy brother gives ear." - -"The English and the Scotch," continued the Canadian, "dwell in a great -island beyond the great water. The English dwell on the plains, while -the Scotch inhabit the mountains. The English are as many as the grains -of sand about the shores of this lake, while the Scotch are but as the -sands of this little island. Yet the Scotch have withstood the English -in war for as many moons as there are leaves on this great maple. The -English are rich, the Scotch poor. When the Scotch beat the English, -they return to their mountains laden with booty; when the English beat -the Scotch, they get nothing. The profit is all on one side." - -"If the English are so numerous," said Grand-Loutre, "why do they not -pursue their enemies into the mountains and kill every man of them? -They could not escape, since, as my brother says, they live on the same -island." - -"Houa!" cried Dumais, after the fashion of the savages, "I will show my -brother why. The Scotch mountains are so high that if an army of young -Englishmen were to ascend them but half way, they would be an army of -graybeards before they got down again." - -"The French are always tomfools," said the Indian. "They can't do -anything but talk nonsense. Soon they will put on petticoats and go -and sit with our squaws, and amuse them with their funny stories. They -never talk seriously like men." - -"My brother ought to understand," said Dumais, "that what I said was -merely to impress upon him the remarkable height of the Scottish -mountains." - -"Let my brother continue. Grand-Loutre hears and understands," said the -Indian, accustomed to this figurative style of speech. - -"The Scotch legs are as strong as those of a moose and active as those -of a roebuck," continued Dumais. - -"True," said the Indian, "if they are all like the prisoner here, who, -in spite of his bonds, kept right on my heels all the way. He has the -legs of an Indian." - -"The English," said Dumais, "are large and strong, but they have soft -legs and huge bellies. When they pursue their more active enemies into -the mountains the Scotchmen lie in ambush and kill them by the score. -The war seemed as if it would last forever. When the English took -prisoners they used to burn many of them; but these would sing their -death-song at the stake and heap insult on their torturers by telling -them that they had drunk out of the skulls of their ancestors." - -"Houa!" cried Grand-Loutre, "they are men these Scotch." - -"The Scotch had a great chief named Wallace, a mighty warrior. When he -set out for war the earth trembled under his feet. He was as tall as -yonder fir-tree and as strong as an army. An accursed wretch betrayed -him for money, he was taken prisoner and sentenced to be hung. At -this news a cry of rage and grief went up from all the mountains of -Scotland. All the warriors painted their faces black, a great council -was held, and ten chiefs bearing the pipe of peace set out for England. -They were conducted into a great wigwam, the council fire was lighted, -and for a long time every one spoke in silence. At length an old chief -took up the word, and said: 'My brother, the earth has drunk enough of -the blood of these two great nations, and we wish to bury the hatchet. -Give us back Wallace and we will remain hostages in his place. You -shall put us to death if ever again he lifts the tomahawk against you.' -With these words he handed the pipe of peace to the Great Ononthio of -the English, who waved it aside, saying sternly, 'Within three days -Wallace shall be hung.' 'Listen my brother,' said the great Scotch -chief, 'if Wallace must die let him die the death of a warrior. Hanging -is a death for dogs.' And again he presented the pipe of peace, and -Ononthio refused it. The deputies withdrew and consulted together. On -their return the great chief said: 'Let my brother hearken favorably -to my last words. Let him fix eleven stakes to burn Wallace and these -ten warriors, who will be proud to share his fate and will thank their -brother for his clemency.' Once more he offered the pipe of peace, and -once more Ononthio rejected it." - -"Houa!" cried Grand-Loutre, "those were noble and generous words. But -my brother has not told me how the Scotch are now friends with the -English and fighting against the French." - -"With rage in their hearts, the deputies returned to their mountains. -At their death-cries, which they uttered at the gate of every town and -village to announce the fate of Wallace, every one rushed to arms; and -the war between the two nations continued for as many moons as there -are grains of sand here in my hand," said Dumais, picking up a handful. -"The Scotch were generally beaten by their swarming enemies, and their -rivers ran with blood, but they knew not how to yield. The war would -have been going on still but for a traitor who warned the English that -nine Scotch chiefs, having gathered in a cavern to drink fire-water, -had fallen to sleep there like our brother Talamousse." - -"The red-skins," said Grand-Loutre, "are never traitors to their own -people. They deceive their enemies, but never their friends. Will my -brother tell me how it comes that there are traitors among the pale -faces?" - -Dumais, a little puzzled to answer this question, went on as if he had -not heard it. - -"The nine chiefs were taken to a great city and condemned to be hung -within a month. On this sad news fires were lighted on all the hills -of Scotland to summon a grand council of all the warriors. The wise -men spoke fine words for three days and three nights, but came to no -conclusion. Then they consulted the spirits, and a great medicine-man -declared that the Manitou was angry with his children, and that they -must bury the hatchet forever. Twenty warriors with blackened faces -betook themselves to the chief town of the English, and before the -gates they uttered a death-cry for every captive chief. A great council -was held, and Ononthio granted peace on condition that they should -give hostages, that they should deliver up their strongholds, that -the two nations should henceforth be as one, and that the English and -Scotch warriors should fight shoulder to shoulder against the enemies -of the great Ononthio. A feast was made which lasted three days and -three nights, and at which so much brandy was drunk that the women took -away all the tomahawks. Had they not done so the war would have broken -out anew. The English were so rejoiced that they promised to send the -Scotch all the heads, feet, and tails of the sheep which they should -kill in the future." - -"The English must be generous, indeed," said the Indian. - -"My brother must see by this," continued Dumais, "that a Scotch warrior -would rather be burned than hung, and he will sell me his share of the -prisoner. Let my brother fix his price, and Dumais will not count the -cost." - -"Grand-Loutre will not sell his share of the prisoner," said the -Indian. "He has promised Taoutsi and Katakoui to hand him over -to-morrow at Petit-Marigotte, and he will keep his word. The council -will be assembled, and Grand-Loutre will speak to the young men. If the -young men consent not to burn him, it will then be time to hand him -over to D'Haberville." - -"My brother knows Dumais," said the Canadian. "He knows that he is rich -and a man of his word. Dumais will pay for the prisoner six times as -much as Ononthio pays the Indians for every one of his enemies' scalps." - -"Grand-Loutre knows," said the Indian, "that his brother speaks the -truth, but he will not sell his share of the prisoner." - -The eyes of the Canadian shot flame, and instinctively he grasped his -hatchet; but, suddenly changing his mind, he assumed an indifferent -air, and knocked the ashes out of the bowl of his tomahawk, which -served the Canadians as well as the savages for tobacco-pipe when on -the march. Although the first hostile movement of the Canadian had -not escaped the keen eye of his companion, the latter went on smoking -tranquilly. - -The words of Dumais had revived the spark of hope in Archie's heart. In -spite of his bitter remorse, he was too young to bid farewell without -regret to all that made life dear. Could he, the last of his race, -willingly suffer the shield of the Camerons to go to the tomb with a -stain? Could he endure to die, leaving the D'Habervilles to think that -they had cherished a viper in their bosom? He thought of the despair -of Jules, the curses of the implacable captain, the silent grief of -the good woman who used to call him her son, the sorrow of the fair -girl whom he had hoped one day to call by a tenderer name than that of -sister. Archie was, indeed, young to die; and with the renewal of hope -in his heart, he again clung desperately to life. - -He had followed with ever-increasing anxiety the scene that was passing -before him. He endeavored to comprehend it by watching the faces of -the speakers. Dark as was the night, he had lost nothing of the hate -and scorn which were flashed upon him from the cruel eyes of the -savages. Knowing the ferocity of the Indians when under the influence -of alcohol, it was not without surprise he saw Dumais passing them the -bottle; but when he saw one refuse to drink and the other stretched -in drunken stupor on the sand, he understood the Canadian's tactics. -When he heard the name of Wallace, he remembered that during Dumais's -illness he had often entertained him with fabulous stories about his -favorite hero, but he was puzzled to guess the Canadian's purpose in -talking about the deeds of a Scottish warrior. If he had understood the -latter part of Dumais's story, he would have recalled the chaffing of -Jules in regard to the pretended delicacies of his countrymen. When he -saw the angry gleam in the Canadian's eyes, when he saw him grasp his -tomahawk, he was on the point of crying not to strike. His generous -soul foresaw the dangers to which his friend would be exposed if he -should kill an Indian belonging to a tribe allied with the French. - -The Canadian was silent for some time. He refilled his pipe, began to -smoke, and at length said quietly: - -"When Grand-Loutre, with his father, his wife, and his two sons, fell -sick of the small-pox over by South River, Dumais sought them out. At -the risk of bringing the disease upon himself and family, he carried -them to his own wigwam, where he nursed them for three moons. It was -not the fault of Dumais if the old man and the two boys died; Dumais -had them buried like Christians, and the Black Robe has prayed to the -Great Spirit for their souls." - -"If Dumais," replied the Indian, "if Dumais and his wife and his -children had fallen sick in the forest, Grand-Loutre would have -carried them to his wigwam, would have fished for them and would have -hunted for them, would have bought them the fire-water which is the -Frenchman's medicine, and would have said, 'Eat and drink my brothers, -and recover your strength.' Grand-Loutre and his squaw would have -watched day and night by the couch of their French friends; and never -would Grand-Loutre have said, 'Remember that I fed you and took care -of you and bought fire-water for you with my furs.' Let my brother take -the prisoner," continued the Indian, drawing himself up proudly; "the -red-skin is no longer in debt to the pale face!" And he calmly resumed -his smoking. - -"Listen, my brother," said the Canadian, "and pardon Dumais that he has -hidden the truth. He knew not thy great heart. Now he is going to speak -in the presence of the Great Spirit himself, in whose presence he dare -not lie." - -"That is true," said the Indian, "let my brother speak." - -"When Grand-Loutre was sick two years ago," continued the Canadian, -"Dumais told him about his adventure when the ice went out that spring -at the Falls of St. Thomas, and how he was saved by a young Scotchman -who had arrived that very evening at the house of the Seigneur de -Beaumont." - -"My brother has told me," said the Indian, "and he has shown me the -little island suspended over the abyss, whereon he awaited death. -Grand-Loutre knew the place and the old cedar to which my brother -clung." - -"Very well!" replied Dumais, rising and taking off his cap, "thy -brother swears in the presence of the Great Spirit that the prisoner is -none other than the young Scotchman who saved his life!" - -The Indian gave a great cry which went echoing wildly round the lake. -He sprang to his feet, drew his knife, and rushed upon the captive. -Lochiel thought his hour had come and commended his soul to God. What -was his surprise when the savage cut his bonds, grasped his hands with -every mark of delight, and pushed him into the arms of his friend. -Dumais pressed Archie to his breast, then sank upon his knees and -cried: - -"I have prayed to thee, O God, to extend the right arm of your -protection over this noble and generous man. My wife and my children -have never ceased to make the same prayer. I thank thee, O God, that -thou hast granted me even more than I had dared to ask. I thank thee, O -God, for I should have committed a crime to save his life, and should -have gone to my grave a murderer." - -"Now," said Lochiel, after endeavoring to thank his rescuer, "let us -get off as quickly as possible, my dear Dumais; for if my absence from -camp is perceived I am ruined utterly. I will explain as we go." - -Just as they were setting foot in the canoe the cry of the osprey was -heard three times from the lake shore opposite the island. "It is the -young men from Marigotte coming to look for you, my brother," said -Grand-Loutre, turning to Lochiel. "Taoutsi and Katakoui must have met -some of them, and told them they had an English prisoner on the island; -but they will shout a long time without awakening Talamousse, and as -to Grand-Loutre, he is going to sleep till the Canadian gets back. -_Bon voyage_, my brothers." As Archie and his companion directed their -course toward the north they heard for a long time the cries of the -osprey, which were uttered at short intervals by the Indians on the -south shore. - -"I fear," said Archie, "that the young Abénaquis warriors, foiled -in their amiable intent, will make a bad quarter of an hour for our -friends on the island." - -"It is true," replied his companion, "that we are depriving them -of a very great pleasure. They find the time long at Marigotte, -and to-morrow might have been passed very pleasantly in roasting a -prisoner." - -Lochiel shuddered in spite of himself. - -"As for the two _canaouas_ (red rascals) we have left, do not trouble -yourself for them, they will know how to get out of the scrape. The -Indian is the most independent being imaginable, and renders account to -nobody for his actions unless it suits him. Moreover, the worst that -could happen to them in the present instance would be, using their own -expression, to cover the half of the prisoner with beaver skins or -their equivalent--in other words, to pay their share in him to Taoutsi -and Katakoui. It is more probable, however, that Grand-Loutre, who is -a kind of a wag among them, would choose rather to raise a laugh at -the expense of his two disappointed comrades, for he is never without -resource. He will say, perhaps, that Talamousse and he had a perfect -right to dispose of their half of the prisoner; that the half which -they had set free had run away with the other half; that they had -better hurry after him, for the prisoner was loaded with their share of -himself and therefore could not travel very fast; with other waggery -that would be hugely relished by the Indians. It is more probable, -however, that he will speak to them of my adventure at the falls of St. -Thomas, which the Abénaquis know about, and will tell them that it was -to your devotion I owed my life. Then, as the Indians never forget a -good turn, they will cry, 'Our brothers have done well to set free the -savior of our friend the pale face!'" - -Lochiel wished to enter into full details in order to excuse himself in -the eyes of Dumais for his cruel conduct on the day preceding; but the -latter stopped him. - -"A man like you, sir," said the Canadian, "need make me no explanation. -I could hardly suspect a heart so noble and so self-forgetful of -failing at all in the sentiments of humanity and gratitude. I am -a soldier, and I know all the duties imposed upon one by military -discipline. I have assisted at hideous performances on the part of -our barbarous allies, which in my position as sergeant I might have -been able to prevent had not my hands been tied by the orders of my -superiors. It is a hard calling for sympathetic hearts, this profession -of ours. - -"I have been witness of a spectacle," continued Dumais, "which makes -me shudder now when I think of it. I have seen these barbarians burn -an English woman. She was a young woman of great beauty. I still -see her tied to the stake, where they tortured her for eight mortal -hours. I still see her in the midst of her butchers, clothed, like -our first mother, in nothing but her long, fair hair. I shall hear -forever her heart-rending cry of 'My God! my God!' We did all we could -to buy her back, but in vain; for her father, her husband, and her -brothers, in defending her with the courage of despair, had killed -many of the savages, and among them two of their chiefs. We were but -fifteen Canadians, against at least two hundred Indians. I was young -then, and I wept like a child. Ducros, who was nicknamed the Terror, -foamed with rage and cried to Franc[oe]ur: 'What! sergeant, shall we, -who are men and Frenchmen, let them burn a poor woman before our eyes? -Give the order, sergeant, and I will split the skulls of ten of these -red hounds before they have time to defend themselves.' And he would -have done it, for he was a mighty man--was the Terror--and quick as a -fish. Black Bear, one of their greatest warriors, approached us with -a sneer. Ducros sprang toward him with his tomahawk uplifted, crying: -'Take your hatchet, coward, and you shall see that you have no woman -to deal with!' The Indian shrugged his shoulders with an air of pity, -and said slowly; 'The pale face is childish; he would kill his friend -to defend the squaw of a dog of an Englishman, his enemy.' The sergeant -put an end to the argument by ordering Ducros back into the ranks. He -was a brave and generous heart, this sergeant, as his name attested. -With tears in his eyes, he said to us: 'It would be useless for me to -disobey my orders; we would all be massacred without doing the poor -woman any good. What would be the consequence? The great tribe of the -Abénaquis would forsake its alliance with the French, would join our -enemies, and our own women and children would share the fate of this -unhappy English woman. Their blood would be upon my head.' Well, Mr. -Archie, for six months after this hideous scene I used to start from my -sleep bathed in sweat, with those heart-rending cries of 'My God! My -God!' shrieking in my ears. They wondered at my coolness when the ice -was bearing me down to the falls of St. Thomas. Here is the explanation -of it. Through the tumult and uproar I was hearing the screams of the -unhappy English woman, and I believed that Heaven was punishing me, as -I deserved, for not having succored her. For, you see, Mr. Archie, that -man often makes laws which God is very far from sanctioning." - -"True, indeed," said Archie, sighing. - -During the rest of their journey the two friends talked about the -D'Habervilles. Archie learned that the ladies and Uncle Raoul, on the -appearance of the English fleet in the St. Lawrence, had taken refuge -within the walls of Quebec. Captain D'Haberville and Jules were in camp -at Beaupré, with their respective regiments. - -Fearing lest Archie should fall in with some of the Abénaquis spies who -were hanging on the skirts of the English, he escorted Archie all the -way to his encampment. Archie's parting words were as follows: - -"You have paid me life for life, my friend; but, for my part, I -shall never forget what I owe you. How strangely our lives have come -together, Dumais! Two years ago I came all the way from Quebec to -South River just in time to snatch you from the abyss. Yesterday, -having but just landed from a voyage across the ocean, I am made -prisoner; and you find yourself waiting on a little island in -Trois-Saumons Lake to save my honor and my life. The hand of God is in -it. Farewell, dear friend. However adventurous the soldier's career, I -cling to the hope that Fate will bring us again together, and that I -may give your children further cause to bless my memory." - -When the sun arose, the Highlanders remarked the strange pallor of -their young chief. They concluded that, dreading a surprise, he had -passed the night in wandering about the camp. After a light meal, -Archie gave the order to burn the house beside the mill. He had -scarcely resumed the march when a messenger came from Montgomery, -ordering him to cease from the work of destruction. - -"It is time!" cried Archie, gnawing his sword-hilt. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -THE PLAINS OF ABRAHAM. - -Il est des occasions dans la guerre où le plus brave doit fuir. - -+Cervantes.+ - - -_Vae victis!_ says the wisdom of the nations. Woe to the -conquered!--not only because of the ruin which follows defeat, but -because the vanquished are always in the wrong. They suffer materially, -they suffer in their wounded self-love, they suffer in their reputation -as soldiers. Let them have fought one against twenty, let them have -performed prodigies of heroism, they are nevertheless and always the -vanquished. Even their fellow-countrymen forgive them hardly. History -records but their defeat. Here and there they get a word of approval -from some writer of their race; but the praise is almost always mixed -with reproach. Pen and compass in hand, we fight the battle over again. -We teach the generals, whose bodies rest on the well-fought field, how -they might have managed affairs much better. Seated in a well-stuffed -arm-chair, we proudly demonstrate the skillful man[oe]uvres by which -they might have snatched the victory; and bitterly we reproach them -with their defeat. They have deserved a more generous treatment. A -great general, who has equaled in our own day the exploits of Alexander -and of Cæsar, has said: "Who is he that has never made a mistake in -battle?" _Vae victis!_ - -It was the 13th day of September, 1759, a day accursed in the annals -of France. The English army, under General Wolfe, after having eluded -the vigilance of the French sentinels and surprised the pickets under -cover of the darkness, were discovered at daybreak on the Plains of -Abraham, where they were beginning to entrench themselves. Montcalm was -either carried away by his chivalrous courage, or he concluded that the -work of entrenchment had to be at once interrupted; for he attacked -the English with only a portion of his troops, and was defeated, as -he might have foreseen, by the overwhelming numbers of the enemy. On -this memorable battle field both generals laid down their lives--Wolfe -bestowing upon his country a colony half as large as Europe, Montcalm -losing to France a vast territory which the King and his improvident -ministers knew not how to appreciate. - -Woe to the vanquished! Had Montcalm been victorious he would have been -lauded to the skies, instead of being heaped with reproaches for not -awaiting the re-enforcements which would have come from De Vaudreuil -and De Bougainville. We would have praised his tactics in hurling -himself upon the enemy before the latter had had time to establish -himself. We would have said that a hundred men behind cover were equal -to a thousand in the open. We would never have imputed to General -Montcalm any jealous and unworthy motives. His shining laurels, gained -on so many glorious fields, would have shielded him from any such -suspicions. - -_Vae victis!_ After the fatal battle of the 13th the city of Quebec was -little more than a heap of ruins. Not even the fortifications furnished -shelter, for a portion of the ramparts had been shattered to fragments. -The magazines were empty of ammunition, and the gunners, rather to -conceal their distress than with any hope of injuring the enemy, -answered the English batteries only with an occasional cannon-shot. -There were no provisions left. Yet they bring the charge of cowardice -against the brave garrison which endured so much and defended itself -so valiantly. If the governor, a new Nostradamus, had known that the -Chevalier de Lévis was bringing succor to the city, and, instead of -capitulating, had awaited the arrival of the French troops, it is -certain that the garrison would have been lavishly applauded for its -courage. To be sure the garrison showed itself most pusillanimous in -giving up a city which it was no longer able to defend! To be sure it -should rather have put its trust in the humanity of an enemy who had -already carried fire and sword through all the peaceful villages, and -should have refused to consider the lives of the citizens, the honor of -their wives and daughters, exposed to all the horrors of a capture by -assault! Assuredly this unhappy garrison was very pusillanimous! Woe to -the vanquished! - -After the capitulation the English left nothing undone to secure -themselves in the possession of a place so important. The walls -were rebuilt, new fortifications added, and the batteries immensely -strengthened. It was conceivable that the besiegers might become the -besieged. This foresight was justified, for in the following spring -General Lévis took the offensive with an army of eight thousand men, -made up of regulars and militia in about equal numbers. - -At eight o'clock in the morning, April 28, 1760, the English army was -drawn up in order of battle on the same field where it had moved to -victory seven months before. General Murray, with this army of six -thousand men and twenty guns, held a very strong position, while the -French army, a little more numerous, but supported by only two guns, -occupied the heights of St. Foy. The French were wearied with their -painful march over the marshes of La Suède, but they burned to wipe out -the memory of their defeat. The hate of centuries stirred the bosoms -of both armies. The courage of both was beyond question, and fifteen -thousand of the best troops in the world only awaited the word of their -commanders to spring at each other's throats. - -Jules D'Haberville, who had distinguished himself in the first battle -on the Plains of Abraham, was with a detachment commanded by Captain -d'Aiguebelle. By order of General de Lévis, this detachment had at -first abandoned Dumont's mill under the attack of a much superior -force. Jules was severely wounded by the explosion of a shell, -which had shattered his left arm, but he refused to go to the rear. -Presently the general concluded that the mill was a position of supreme -importance, and, when he gave the order to recapture it, Jules led his -company to the charge, carrying his arm in a sling. - -Almost all Murray's artillery was directed to the maintenance of -this position. The French grenadiers charged on the run. The bullets -and grape decimated their ranks, but they closed up as accurately -as if they were on parade. The mill was taken and retaken several -times during this memorable struggle. Jules D'Haberville, "the little -grenadier," as the soldiers called him, had hurled himself, sword -in hand, into the very midst of the enemy, who yielded ground for a -moment; but scarcely had the French established themselves, when the -English returned to the attack in overwhelming numbers, and took the -position after a most bloody struggle. - -The French grenadiers, thrown for a moment into disorder, reformed at -a little distance under a scathing fire; then, charging for the third -time, they carried the position at the point of the bayonet, and held -it. - -One would have thought, during this last charge, that the love of -life was extinct in the soul of Jules, who, his heart torn by what he -thought the treason of his friend, and by the total ruin of his family, -appeared to seek death as a blessing. As soon as the order for that -third charge was given he sprang forward like a tiger with the cry -of, "_À moi grenadiers!_" and hurled himself single handed upon the -English. When the French found themselves masters of the position they -drew Jules from under a heap of dead and wounded. Seeing that he was -yet alive, two grenadiers carried him to a little brook near the mill, -where he soon returned to consciousness. It was rather loss of blood -than the severity of his hurt that had caused the swoon. A blow from a -saber had split his helmet and gashed his head without fracturing the -skull. Jules wished to return to the fight, but one of the grenadiers -said to him: - -"Not for a little while, my officer. You have had enough for the -present, and the sun beats like the devil out there, which is very -dangerous for a wound on the head. We are going to leave you in the -shade of these trees." D'Haberville, too weak to oppose them further, -soon found himself lying among a number of the wounded, who had had -strength enough to drag themselves into the grove. Every one knows -its result, this second battle of the Plains of Abraham. The victory -was dear bought by the French and the Canadians, who suffered no less -severely than their enemies. It was a useless bloodshed. New France, -abandoned by the mother country, was ceded to England by the careless -Louis three years after the battle. - -Lochiel had cleared himself nobly of the suspicions which his foe, -Montgomery, had sought to fix upon him. His wide knowledge, his zeal -in the study of his profession, his skill in all military exercises, -his sobriety, his vigilance when in guard of a post, all these had put -him high in esteem. His dashing courage tempered with prudence in the -attack on the French lines at Montmorency and on the field of the first -Battle of the Plains had been noticed by General Murray, who commended -him publicly. - -On the defeat of the English army at this second battle, Lochiel, -after tremendous fighting at the head of his Highlanders, was the -last to yield a position which he had defended inch by inch. Instead -of following the throng of fugitives toward Quebec, he noticed that -Dumont's Mill was now evacuated by the French, who were pursuing their -enemies with great slaughter. To conceal his route from the enemy, -Archie led his men between the mill and the adjoining wood. Just then -he heard some one calling his name; and turning, he saw an officer, his -arm in a sling, his uniform in tatters, his head wrapped in a bloody -cloth, staggering to meet him sword in hand. - -"What are you doing, brave Cameron of Lochiel?" cried the unknown. -"The mill has been evacuated by our brave soldiers, and is no longer -defended by women and children and feeble old men. Return, valorous -Cameron, and crown your exploits by burning it down." - -It was impossible to mistake the mocking voice of Jules D'Haberville, -although his face was unrecognizable for blood and powder. - -On hearing these insulting words, Archie felt nothing but tenderest -loving pity for the friend of his youth. His heart beat as if to break; -a sob labored from his bosom, and again he seemed to hear the witch of -the manor crying ominously: "Keep your pity for yourself, Archibald de -Lochiel. You will have need of it all on that day when you shall carry -in your arms the bleeding body of him you now call your brother!" - -Forgetting the critical position in which he was keeping his men, -Archie halted his company and went forward to meet Jules. For one -moment all the young Frenchman's love for his adopted brother seemed to -revive, but, restraining himself sternly, he cried in a bitter voice: - -"Defend yourself, M. de Lochiel; you, who love easy triumphs, defend -yourself, traitor!" - -At this new insult, Archie folded his arms and answered, in a tone of -tender reproach: - -"Thou, too, my brother Jules, even thou, too, hast thou condemned me -unheard?" - -At these words a nervous shock seemed to paralyze the little remaining -strength of poor Jules. The sword dropped from his hand and he fell -forward on his face. Archie sent one of his men to the brook for water, -and, without thinking of the danger to which he exposed himself, took -his friend in his arms and carried him to the edge of the woods, where -some of the wounded Canadians, touched at the sight of an Englishman -bestowing so much care on their young officer, made no move to injure -him, although they had reloaded their guns at the approach of his men. -Archie examined his friend's wounds, and saw that he had fainted from -loss of blood. A little cold water in his face soon brought him back -to consciousness. He opened his eyes and looked at Archie, but made no -attempt to speak. The latter clasped his hand, which seemed to return a -gentle pressure. - -"Farewell, Jules," said Archie. "Farewell, my brother. Harsh duty -forces me to leave you; but we shall meet again, in better days." And -he turned back sorrowfully to his troop. - -"Now, my boys," said Lochiel, after throwing a rapid glance over the -plain and listening to the confused noises of the distant flight, "now, -my boys, no false delicacy, for the battle is hopelessly lost. We must -now display the agility of our Highland legs, if we want to take a hand -in future battles. Forward now, and do not lose sight of me." - -Taking advantage of every inequality of the ground, lending heedful ear -to the shouts of the French, who were endeavoring to crowd the English -into the St. Charles, Lochiel led his men into Quebec without further -loss. This valiant company had already suffered enough. Half its men -had been left on the field of battle, and of its officers Lochiel was -the sole survivor. - -All honor to vanquished heroism! Honor to the English dead, whose -bodies were buried in confusion with those of their enemies on the -twenty-eighth day of April, 1760! Honor to the soldiers of France, over -whose bodies grows green, with every succeeding spring, the turf of -the Plains of Abraham! When the last trump shall sound, and these foes -shall rise from their last sleep side by side, will they have forgotten -their ancient hate, or will they spring once more at each other's -throats? - -Honor to the vanquished brave! Among the soldiers whose names are -bright on the pages of history there is but one who, on the morrow of -a glorious triumph, uncovered his head before his captives and cried, -"All honor to the vanquished brave!" He knew that his words would last -forever, graven on the heart of France. Great soldiers there are many; -but niggard Nature takes centuries to frame a hero. - -The field of battle after the victory presented a ghastly sight. -Men and horses, the wounded and the dead, were frozen into the mire -of blood and water, and could be extricated only with pain and -difficulty. The wounded of both nations were treated by the Chevalier -de Lévis with the same tender care. Most of them were carried to the -Convent of the Hospital Nuns. The convent and all its outbuildings were -crowded. All the linen, all the clothing of the inmates was torn up for -bandages, and the good nuns had nothing left for themselves but the -clothes they were wearing upon the day of battle. - -Taking refuge after his defeat behind the ramparts of Quebec, General -Murray made a vigorous resistance. As they had but twenty guns with -which to arm their siege-batteries, the French could do little more -than blockade the city and wait for the re-enforcements which never -came. The English general requested permission to send an officer -three times a week to visit his wounded in the hospital. This request -was readily granted by the humane De Lévis. Lochiel knew that his -friend must be lying in the hospital, but he could get no news of him. -Although consumed with anxiety, he dreaded to put himself in a false -position by inquiries too minute. It might have been considered natural -that he would wish to visit his wounded countrymen, but with true -Scotch caution he let none of his anxiety appear. It was not till the -tenth day after the battle, when his regular turn came, that he found -himself approaching the hospital under the escort of a French officer. - -"I wonder," said Lochiel, "if you would consider it an indiscretion on -my part were I to ask for a private interview with the lady superior?" - -"I see no indiscretion in it," answered the Frenchman," but I fear I -would be exceeding my orders were I to permit it. I am ordered to lead -you to your countrymen and nothing more." - -"I am sorry," said the Scotchman indifferently. "It is a little -disappointing to me; but let us speak no more of it." - -The French officer was silent some minutes; he thought to himself that -the Scotchman, speaking French like a Parisian, had probably made the -acquaintance of some Canadian families shut up in Quebec; that he was -perhaps charged with some message from the relations or friends of the -superior, and that it would be cruel to refuse his request. Presently -he said: - -"As I am persuaded that neither you nor the lady superior can be -forming any designs against our batteries, I think that perhaps, after -all, I might grant your request without exceeding my duty." - -Lochiel, who had been staking all his hopes of a reconciliation with -the D'Habervilles upon this interview, could scarcely conceal his joy; -but he answered quietly: - -"Thank you, monsieur, for your courtesy to myself and the good lady. -Your batteries, protected by French valor, might feel reasonably secure -even if we were conspiring against them." - -The corridors of the hospital which he had to traverse before reaching -the parlor of the superior were literally thronged with the wounded; -but Archie, seeing none of his own men, hastened on. After ringing the -bell, he walked restlessly up and down the room. It was the same room -in which he and Jules had had so many a dainty lunch in their happy -school days; for the good superior was Jules's aunt. - -The superior received him with cold politeness, and said: - -"I am very sorry to have kept you waiting, sir; please take a seat." - -"I fear," said Archie, "that madam does not recognize me." - -"A thousand pardons," replied the superior. "You are Mr. Archibald -Cameron of Lochiel." - -"Once you called me Archie," said the young man. - -"The times are changed, sir," replied the nun, "and many things have -happened since those days." - -Sighing deeply, Lochiel echoed her words: - -"The times are indeed changed, and many things have happened since -those days. But at least, madam, tell me how is my brother, Jules -D'Haberville?" - -"He whom you once called your brother, sir, is now, I hope, out of -danger." - -"Thank God!" answered Lochiel, "now all hope is not utterly dead in my -heart! If I were speaking to an ordinary person there would be nothing -more for me to do but thank you for your condescension and retire; -but I have the honor to address the sister of a brave soldier, the -inheritor of a name made illustrious by many heroic deeds; and if madam -will permit, if she will forget for a moment the ties which bind me to -her family, if she will judge impartially between me and that family, -then I might dare attempt, with some hope of success, to justify myself -before her." - -"Speak, M. de Lochiel," replied the superior, "and I will listen, not -as a D'Haberville but as a stranger. It is my duty as a Christian -to hear impartially anything that might palliate your barbarous and -heartless conduct toward a family that loved you so well." - -The sudden flush which covered the young man's face was followed by a -pallor so ghastly that the superior thought he was about to faint. He -grasped the grating between them with both hands, and leaned his head -against it for some moments; then, mastering his emotion, he told his -story as the reader already knows it. - -Archie went into the most minute details, down to his misgivings when -his regiment was ordered to leave for Canada, down to the hereditary -hatred of the Montgomerys for the Camerons; and he accused himself of -cowardice in not having sacrificed even his honor to the gratitude he -owed the D'Habervilles. From the utterance of Montgomery's barbarous -order he omitted not the smallest incident. He described the anguish of -his despair, his curses, and his vows of vengeance against Montgomery. -In painting the emotions which had tortured his soul, Lochiel had small -need to add anything in the way of justification. What argument could -be more eloquent than the plain story of his despair! Lochiel's judge -was one well fitted to understand him, for she it was who in her youth -had one day said to her brother Captain D'Haberville: "My brother, -you have not the means to worthily sustain the dignity of our house, -except with the help of my share of the patrimony. To-morrow I enter a -convent. Here is the deed wherein I renounce all claim in your favor." - -The good woman had heard Archie's story with ever-increasing emotion. -She stretched out her clasped hands to him as he described his -anguished imprecations against Montgomery. The tears flowed down her -cheeks as he described his remorse and his resignation while, bound to -the tree, he awaited a hideous death. - -"My dear Archie," exclaimed the holy woman. - -"Oh! thank you, thank you a thousand times for those words," cried -Lochiel, clasping his hands. - -"My dear Archie," exclaimed the superior, "I absolve you with all my -heart. You have but done your painful duty in obeying your orders. -By any other course you would have destroyed yourself irretrievably -without preventing the ruin of our family. Yes, I forgive you freely, -but I hope that you will now pardon your enemy." - -"He who was my enemy, madam, has gone to solicit pardon from him who -will judge us all. He was one of the first to fly from the field of -battle which proved so disastrous to our arms. A bullet stretched him -upon the ice, wounded to the death. He had not even a stone on which to -rest his head. A tomahawk ended his sufferings, and his scalp hangs now -at the belt of an Abénaquis warrior. May God pardon him, as I do, with -all my heart!" - -A divine light beamed softly in the eyes of the nun. Born as revengeful -as her brother the seigneur, her religion of love and charity had made -her as all charitable as itself. After a moment of rapt meditation, she -said: - -"With Jules, I doubt not, you will find reconciliation easy. He has -been at death's door. During his delirium your name was forever on his -lips, sometimes with the fiercest reproaches, but more often with words -of love and tenderest endearment. One must know my nephew well, must -know the sublime self-abnegation of which his soul is capable, in order -to comprehend his love for you. Many a time has he said to me: 'If it -were necessary for me to-morrow to sacrifice my life for Archie, I -would die with a smile on my lips, for I should be giving him the only -worthy proof of my love.' Such love, in a heart so noble as his, is not -soon or easily extinguished. He will rejoice to hear your justification -from my lips, and you may be sure that I will spare no effort to -reunite you. Since recovering from his delirium he has never mentioned -your name; and as he is yet too weak to discuss a subject that would -excite so much emotion, I must wait till he gets stronger. I shall hope -to have good news for you at our next interview. Meanwhile, farewell -till I see you again!" - -"Pray for me, madam, for I have great need of it," exclaimed Archie. - -"That is what I do daily," answered the nun. "They say, perhaps -wrongly, that people of the world, and young officers particularly, -have more need of prayer than we; but as for you, Archie, you must have -greatly changed if you are not one of those who have least need of it," -she added, smiling affectionately. "Farewell once more, and God bless -you, my son!" - -The superior succeeded in satisfying Jules with Archie's explanation. -About a fortnight after Archie's first visit, Jules was awaiting him, -filled with a nervous anxiety to prove to him that all the old love -was yet warm in his heart. It was understood that there should be no -allusion to certain events, too painful for either to dwell upon. - -Archie was ushered into a little chamber which Jules, as nephew of -the lady superior, was occupying in preference to certain officers of -higher rank. Jules stretched out his arms and made a vain effort to -rise from his armchair. Archie threw himself upon his neck, and for a -time neither spoke. D'Haberville, after controlling his emotion with an -effort, was the first to break silence: - -"The moments are precious, my dear Archie, and we must endeavor, if -possible, to lift the veil which hangs over our future. We are no -longer children; we are soldiers fighting under glorious banners, -brothers in love but enemies upon the field of battle. I have grown -ten years older during my sickness. I am no longer the broken-hearted -young fool who rushed upon the enemy's battalions seeking death. No, my -dear brother, let us live rather to see better days. Those were your -last words when you handed over my bleeding body to the care of my -grenadiers. - -"You know as well as I the precarious condition of this colony; all -depends upon a mere throw of the dice. If France leaves us to our own -resources, as it seems but too probable she will do, and if your -Government, attaching so grand an importance to the conquest of Canada, -send you re-enforcments in the spring, we must raise the siege of -Quebec and leave the country to you. In the opposite contingency we -recapture Quebec and keep the colony. Now, my dear Archie, I want to -know what you will do in the one case or the other." - -"In either case," said Lochiel, "as long as the war lasts I can not -honorably resign my commission. But when peace comes, I propose to sell -the poor remnant of my Highland estate and come and establish myself on -this side of the water. My deepest affections are here. I love Canada, -I love the simple and upright manners of your good _habitants_; and -after a quiet but busy life, I would rest my head beneath the same sod -with you, my brother." - -"My position is very different from yours," answered Jules. "You are -the master of your actions; I am the slave of circumstance. If we lose -Canada, it is probable that most of the Canadian nobility will move to -France, where they will find protection and friends. If my family is -of this number I can not leave the army. In the contrary case I shall -return after some years of service, to live and die with my own people; -and, like you, to sleep at last in the land I love so well. Everything -leads me to hope, my brother, that after a storm-tossed youth we shall -come to see happier days." - -The two friends parted after a long and loving talk, the last they were -to have while the colony remained New France. When the reader meets -them again after some years, the country will have changed both name -and masters. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -THE SHIPWRECK OF THE AUGUSTE. - - -The predictions of the witch of the manor were accomplished. After the -surrender of Quebec, the rich D'Habervilles had been but too glad to -accept the hospitality of M. d'Egmont's cabin, whose remoteness had -saved it from the flames. "The good gentleman" and Uncle Raoul, with -the faithful André, had gone at once to work and raised the narrow -attic, so as to leave the ground floor to the use of the ladies. To -cheer the latter, the men affected a gayety which they were far from -feeling; and their songs were often heard, mingled with the rapid -strokes of the axe, the grating of the saw, the sharp whistling of the -plane. By dint of toil and perseverance, they succeeded in sheltering -themselves tolerably from the severity of the season; and had it -not been for the anxiety which they suffered in regard to Captain -D'Haberville and Jules, the winter would have passed pleasantly enough -in their solitude. - -Their most difficult problem was that of provisions, for a veritable -famine held sway in all the country-side. The little grain which -the _habitants_ had harvested was for the most part eaten boiled, -in default of mill to grind it. The sole remaining resource lay in -fishing and hunting, but M. d'Egmont and his servant were rather old -to indulge in such exercises during the severe weather. Uncle Raoul, -lame as he was, took charge of the commissariat. He set snares to -catch rabbits and partridges, and his fair niece helped him. Blanche -made herself a sort of hunting costume; and simply ravishing she looked -in her half-savage garb, her petticoat of blue cloth falling half-way -below the knee, her scarlet gaiters, her deer-hide moccasins worked -with beads and porcupine quills in vivid colors. Lovely, indeed, she -looked as she returned to the house on her little snow-shoes, her -face delicately flushed, her hands laden with her spoils. During the -famine the _habitants_ frequented Trois Saumons Lake in great numbers; -they had beaten a hard road over the snow, which enabled Uncle Raoul -to visit the lake on a sledge drawn by a huge dog. He always returned -with an ample provision of trout and partridge. On such fare they -got through the long winter. In the spring a veritable manna of wild -pigeons came to the salvation of the colony; they were so innumerable -that they could be knocked down with a stick. - -When Captain D'Haberville returned to his _seigneurie_ he was utterly -ruined, having saved nothing but the family plate. He did not care to -come down on his impoverished tenants for their arrearages of rent, -but rather hastened to their aid by rebuilding his mill on the Trois -Saumons River. In this mill he lived several years with his family, -till able to build a new manor house. - -A poor lodging, truly--three narrow chambers in a mill--for a family -once so wealthy as the D'Habervilles! But they bore their misfortunes -cheerfully. Only Captain D'Haberville, toiling with tireless energy, -seemed unable to reconcile himself to his losses. His grief gnawed at -his heart, and for six years there was never a smile upon his lips. -It was not till the manor was rebuilt and the household restored to a -certain degree of comfort and prosperity that he regained his native -cheerfulness. - -It was the 22d of February, 1762, and about nine o'clock in the -evening, when an ill-clad stranger entered the mill and begged shelter -for the night. As was his custom when not occupied in work, Captain -D'Haberville was seated in a corner of the room, his head hanging -dejectedly on his breast. The voice of the stranger made him tremble -without knowing why. It was some moments before he could answer, but at -last he said: - -"You are welcome, my friend; you shall have supper and breakfast here, -and my miller will give you a bed for the night." - -"Thank you," said the stranger, "but I am very tired; give me a glass -of brandy." - -M. D'Haberville was not disposed to bestow upon a vagabond stranger -even one drink of the meager supply of brandy, which he was keeping in -case of absolute necessity. He answered that he had none. - -"If thou didst know me, D'Haberville," replied the stranger, "thou -wouldst certainly not refuse me a drink of brandy, though it were the -last drop in thy house." - -The first feeling of the captain was one of wrath on hearing himself -addressed so familiarly by one who appeared to be a tramp; but there -was something in the hoarse voice of the unknown which made him tremble -anew, and he checked himself. At this moment Blanche appeared with a -light, and every one was stupefied at the appearance of this man, a -veritable living specter, who stood with folded arms and gazed upon -them sadly. So deathlike was his pallor that one would have thought a -vampire had sucked all the blood from his veins. His bones threatened -to pierce his skin, which was yellow like that of a mummy; and his dim -and sunken eyes were vacant--without speculation, like those of the -ghost of Banquo. Everybody was astonished that such a corpse could -walk. - -After one moment of hesitation, Captain D'Haberville threw himself into -the stranger's arms, crying: - -"You here, my dear Saint-Luc! The sight of my bitterest enemy could not -cause me such dismay. Speak; and tell us that all our relations and -friends who took passage in the Auguste are buried in the sea, and that -you, the one survivor, are come to bring us the sad tidings!" - -The silence of M. Saint-Luc de Lacorne, the grief stamped upon his -countenance, confirmed Captain D'Haberville's worst fears. - -"Accursed be the tyrant," cried the captain, "who in the bitterness of -his hate against the French sent so many good men to their death in an -old ship utterly unseaworthy!" - -"Instead of cursing your enemies," said M. de Saint-Luc in a hoarse -voice, "thank God that you and your family got leave to remain in the -colony two years longer. And now, a glass of brandy and a little soup. -I have been so nearly starved that my stomach refuses solid food. Let -me also take a little rest before telling you a story which will call -forth many tears." - -In the neighborhood of half an hour, for this man of iron needed but -little rest to recover his strength, M. de Saint-Luc began as follows: - -"In spite of the English governor's impatience to banish from New -France those who had so valiantly defended her, the authorities had -placed at our disposal only two ships, which were found utterly -insufficient for the great number of French and Canadians who were -waiting to sail. I pointed this out to General Murray, and proposed to -buy one at my own expense. This he would not hear, but two days later -he placed at our disposal the ship Auguste, hastily commissioned for -the purpose. By a payment of five hundred Spanish piasters, I obtained -from the English captain the exclusive use of his cabin for myself and -family. - -"I then pointed out to General Murray the danger to which we should be -exposed at this stormy season with a captain not familiar with the St. -Lawrence. I offered to hire and pay for a pilot myself. His answer was, -that we would have the same chance as the rest; but he ended by sending -a little vessel to pilot us clear of the river. - -"We were all in deep dejection, a prey to the gloomiest forebodings, -when we raised anchor on the 15th of October last. Many of us, forced -to sell our properties at a ruinous sacrifice, had but a future of -poverty to look forward to in the mother country. Speeding at first -before a favorable wind, with swelling hearts we saw the cherished and -familiar scenes fade out behind us and fall below the horizon. - -"I will not detail the many perils we underwent before the great -calamity out of which but myself and six others escaped alive. On the -16th we came within an ace of shipwreck on the Isle aux Coudres, after -the loss of our main anchor. - -"On the 4th of November we were struck by a terrific gale, which lasted -two days, and which we weathered with difficulty. On the 7th a fire -broke out three times in the cook's galley, and was extinguished only -after a desperate struggle. I shall not endeavor to paint the scenes on -shipboard while it seemed likely we should be burned in the open sea. - -"On the 11th we escaped as by a miracle from being dashed to pieces on -a rock off Isle Royale. - -"From the 13th to the 15th we were driven blindly before a hurricane, -not knowing where we were. As many of us as could do so were obliged -to fill the places of the crew, who were so exhausted with their -incessant labors that they had taken refuge in their hammocks, from -which neither bribes, threats, nor blows could drive them. Our foremast -was gone, our tattered sails could no longer be either hoisted or -furled, and, as a last resort, the mate proposed that we should run the -ship ashore. It was a desperate expedient. The fatal moment arrived. -The captain and mate looked at me despairingly, clasping their hands. I -understood but too well the silent speech of these men inured to peril. -We made for land to starboard, where we saw the mouth of a little river -which might perhaps prove navigable. I explained our situation to all -the passengers, concealing nothing. Then what entreaties and what vows -to the Almighty! But, alas! in vain the vows, and of no avail the -prayers! - -"Who can paint the madness of the waves? Our masts seemed to touch -the sky and then vanish in the deep. A frightful shock announced that -the ship had grounded. We cut away the masts and cordage to lighten -her, but the waves rolled her on her side. We were stranded about -five hundred feet from shore, in a little sandy bay at the mouth of -the river in which we had hoped to find refuge. As the ship was now -leaking at every joint, the passengers rushed upon deck; and some even, -thinking themselves within reach of safety, threw themselves into the -sea and perished miserably. - -"At this moment Madame de Tillac appeared on deck, holding her little -one in her arms, her long hair and her garments streaming about her in -confusion. She was the picture of hopeless anguish. She fell on her -knees. Then, perceiving me, she cried in a piercing voice: 'My dear -friend, must we die like this?' - -"I was running to her aid, when a giant wave thundered down upon the -deck and swept her into the sea." - -"My poor friend," sobbed Madame D'Haberville; "companion of my -childhood, my foster-sister, nourished at the same breast with me? They -tried to persuade me that it was merely my overwrought imagination that -made me see you in my sleep, that 17th of November! I saw you weeping -on the deck of the Auguste, your baby in your arms; and I saw you swept -into the waves. I was not deceived, my sister! You came to bid me -farewell before vanishing to heaven with the angel that nestled in your -bosom!" - -After a pause, M. de Lacorne went on: - -"Crew and passengers were lashed to the shrouds, to escape the waves -which dashed ceaselessly over the doomed ship, every moment carrying -away new victims. The ship carried but two small boats, one of -which was already crushed into splinters. The remaining one, a mere -cockle-shell, was launched, and a servant named Étienne threw himself -into it, followed by the captain and two or three others. I did not -perceive this till one of my children, whom I held in my arms, while -the other was tied to my belt, cried eagerly: 'Save us now, father; -the boat is going away!' I seized the rope fiercely. At this moment a -terrific wave struck us, and hurled me headlong into the boat. The same -wave which saved my life swept away my children." - -At this point the narrator's voice failed him, and his listeners sobbed -aloud. Regaining his self-control, he continued: - -"Although under the lee of the ship, the boat was almost swamped by -another wave; and the next hurled us landward. In what seemed but a few -seconds, in that awful and stupefying tumult, we found ourselves dashed -upon the sand. Above the uproar we heard the heart-rending shrieks of -those who remained upon the ship. - -"Of the seven men thus miraculously thrown upon the unknown shore, -I was the only one capable of action. I had just seen my brother and -my little ones snatched away, and I strove to keep down my agony of -soul by striving for the safety of my fellow-sufferers. I succeeded, -after a time, in bringing the captain back to consciousness. The others -were numbed with cold, for an icy rain was falling in torrents. Not -wishing to lose sight of the ship, I handed them my flint and steel -and powder-horn, telling them to light a fire at the edge of the wood. -In this they failed signally; scarcely had they strength enough to -come and tell me of their failure, so weak were they and numbed with -cold. After many attempts, I succeeded in making a fire just in time -to save their lives. Then I returned to the beach, hoping to save some -poor creatures who might be washed ashore. I remained there from three -in the afternoon till six o'clock in the evening, when the ship went -to pieces. Never, never shall I forget the sight of the dead bodies -stretched upon the sand, more than a hundred in number, many of them -with legs or arms broken, their faces battered out of all recognition. - -"Half stupefied by the calamity, we passed a sleepless and silent -night, and on the morning of the 16th we betook ourselves again to the -fatal shore. We passed the day in bestowing upon the dead such sad last -rites as were possible to such poor wretches as we. - -"On the morrow we left this desert and inhospitable coast, and -directed our course into the interior. The winter had set in in all -its severity. We marched through snow up to our knees. Sometimes we -came to deep and rapid rivers, which forced us to make long _détours_. -My companions were so enfeebled by fatigue and famine that sometimes -I had to retrace my steps more than once to get their bundles, which -they had been compelled to drop. Their courage was utterly broken; and -sometimes I had to stop and make them rude moccasins to cover their -bleeding feet. - -"Thus we dragged ourselves on, or rather I dragged them in tow, for -neither courage nor strength once failed me till at length, on the 4th -of December, we met two Indians. Imagine if you can the delirious joy -of my companions, who for the last few days had been looking forward to -death itself as a welcome release from their sufferings! These Indians -did not recognize me at first, so much was I changed by what I had -gone through, and by the long beard which had covered my face. Once I -did their tribe a great service; and you know that these natives never -forget a benefit. They welcomed me with delight. We were saved. Then I -learned that we were on the island of Cape Breton, about thirty leagues -from Louisbourg. - -"I made haste to leave my companions at the first Acadian settlement, -where I knew they would be nursed back to health. I was eager to return -to Quebec, that I might be the first to inform General Murray of our -shipwreck. I need not detail to you the incidents of the journey. -Suffice to say that with the greatest peril I crossed from Cape Breton -to the main-land in a birch canoe, through the sweeping ice cakes; and -that I have covered now about five hundred leagues on my snow-shoes. -I have had to change my guides very frequently, for after eight days' -marching with me, Indian and Acadian alike find themselves utterly used -up." - -After this story, the family passed the greater part of the night in -bewailing the fate of their friends and kinsfolk, the victims of a -barbarous decree. - -M. de Saint-Luc allowed himself but a few hours rest, so eager was he -to present himself before Murray at Quebec as a living protest against -the vindictive cruelty which had sent to their death so many brave -soldiers, so many unoffending women and little ones. It had been -thought that Murray's unreasoning bitterness was due to the fact that -he could not forget his defeat of the previous year. - -"Do you know, D'Haberville," said M. de Saint-Luc at breakfast, "who -was the friend so strong with Murray as to obtain you your two years' -respite? Do you know to whom you owe to-day the life which you would -probably have lost in our shipwreck?" - -"No," said Captain D'Haberville. "I have no idea what friend we can -have so powerful. But whoever he is, never shall I forget the debt of -gratitude I owe him." - -"Well, my friend, it is the young Scotchman Archibald de Lochiel to -whom you owe this eternal gratitude." - -"I have commanded," almost shouted Captain D'Haberville, "that the name -of this viper, whom I warmed in my bosom, should never be pronounced in -my presence." And the captain's great black eyes shot fire. - -"I dare flatter myself," said M. de Saint-Luc, "that this command -hardly extends to me. I am your friend from childhood, your brother in -arms, and I know all the obligations which bind us mutually. I know -that you will not say to me, as you said to your sister, the superior, -when she sought to plead the cause of this innocent young man: 'Enough, -my sister. You are a holy woman, bound to forgive your enemies, even -those who have been guilty of the blackest ingratitude against you. But -as for me, you know that I never forgive an injury. That is my nature. -If it be a sin, God has not given me strength to conquer it. Enough, -my sister; and never again pronounce his name in my presence, or all -intercourse between us shall cease.' No, my dear friend," continued -Saint-Luc, "you will not make me this answer; and you will hear what I -have to say." - -M. D'Haberville knew too well the requirements of hospitality to impose -silence upon his friend under his own roof. His thick eyebrows gathered -in a heavy frown, he half closed his eyes as if to veil his thoughts, -and resigned himself to listen with the air of a criminal to whose -satisfaction the judge is endeavoring to prove that he deserves his -sentence. - -M. de Saint-Luc detailed Archie's conduct from the beginning, and his -struggle with his implacable foe Montgomery. He spoke energetically of -the soldier's obligation to obey the commands of his superior, however -unjust. He drew a touching picture of the young man's despair, and -added: - -"As soon as Lochiel learned that you and yours were ordered to embark -at once for Europe, he requested an audience with the general, which -was granted. - -"'_Captain_ de Lochiel,' said Murray, handing him the brevet of his new -rank, 'I was going to look for you. Having witnessed your exploits on -the glorious field of 1759, I hastened to ask for your promotion; and I -may add that your subsequent conduct has proved you worthy of the favor -of His Majesty's Government, and of my utmost efforts on your behalf.' - -"'I am most glad, sir,' answered Lochiel, 'that your recommendation has -obtained me a reward far beyond anything my poor services could entitle -me to expect; and I beg you will accept my grateful thanks for the -favor, which emboldens me to ask yet one more. General, it is a great, -an inestimable favor which I would ask of you.'" - -"'Speak, captain,' said Murray, 'for I would do much to gratify you.' - -"'If it were myself that was concerned,' said Archie, 'I should -have nothing further to desire. It is for others I would speak. The -D'Haberville family, ruined, like so many others, by our conquest, has -been ordered by Your Excellency to depart at once for France. They have -found it impossible to sell, even at the greatest sacrifice, the small -remnants of their once considerable fortune. Grant them, I implore -you, two years in which to set their affairs in order. Your Excellency -is aware how much I owe to this family, which loaded me with kindness -during my ten years' sojourn in the colony. It was I who, obeying the -orders of my superior officer, completed their ruin by burning their -manor and mill at St. Jean-Port-Joli. For the love of Heaven, general, -grant them two years, and you will lift a terrible burden from my soul!' - -"'Captain de Lochiel,' said Murray severely, 'I am surprised to hear -you interceding for the D'Habervilles, who have shown themselves our -most implacable enemies.' - -"'It is but just to them, general,' answered Archie, 'to recognize that -they have fought bravely to defend their country, even as we have done -to conquer it. It is with some confidence I address myself to a brave -soldier, on behalf of truly valiant enemies.' - -"Lochiel had touched the wrong cord, for Murray was brooding over his -defeat of the preceding year, and, further, he was hardly susceptible -to anything like chivalry of sentiment. He answered icily: - -"'Impossible, sir! I can not recall my order. The D'Habervilles must -go.' - -"'In that case, will Your Excellency be so kind as to accept my -resignation?' said Archie. - -"'What, sir!' exclaimed the general, paling with anger. - -"'Will Your Excellency,' repeated Archie coldly, 'be so good as to -accept my resignation, and permit me to serve as a common soldier? They -who will seek to point the finger at me as the monster of ingratitude, -who, after being loaded with benefits by a family to whom he came a -stranger, achieved the final ruin of that family without working any -alleviation of their lot--they who would hold me up to scorn for this -will find it harder to discover me when buried in the ranks than when I -am at the head of men who have no such stain upon them.' Once more he -offered his commission to the general. - -"The latter became first red and then pale, turned upon his heel, bit -his lips, passed his hand across his forehead, muttered something like -a 'G--d d--n!' between his teeth, and remained for a moment plunged in -thought. Then he calmed himself suddenly, put out his hand, and said: - -"'I appreciate your sentiments, Captain de Lochiel. Our sovereign must -not be deprived of the services which you can render him as one of his -officers, you who are ready to sacrifice your future for a debt of -gratitude. Your friends shall remain.' - -"'A thousand thanks!' cried Archie. 'You may count on my devotion -henceforth, though I be required to march alone to the cannon's mouth -to prove it. A mountain of remorse lay on my heart. Now I feel as light -as one of our mountain roebucks!'" - -Of all the passions that sway men's wills, jealousy and revenge are -perhaps the hardest to control. Captain D'Haberville, after having -listened with a frown, said merely: - -"I perceive that the services of M. de Lochiel have met with due -appreciation. As for me, I was unaware that I was so indebted to him." -And he turned the conversation into another channel. - -M. de Saint-Luc glanced at the other members of the family, who had -listened with eyes cast down, not daring to discuss the subject. -Rising from the table, he added: - -"This respite, D'Haberville, is a most fortunate thing; for you -may rest assured that within two years you will find yourself -free to go or come as you will. The English governor incurred too -heavy a responsibility when he doomed to death so many persons of -prominence--persons allied to the most illustrious families, not only -on the Continent, but in England as well. He will seek to conciliate -the Canadians in order to ward off the consequences of this dreadful -catastrophe. Now, farewell, my friends; and remember they are weak -souls who let themselves be beaten down by misfortune. One great -consolation we have in considering that we did all that could be -expected of the bravest, and that, if our country could have been -preserved, our arms and our courage would have preserved it." - -The night was far advanced when M. de Saint-Luc reached Quebec and -presented himself at the Château St.-Louis, where he was at first -refused admission. But he was so determined, declaring that his tidings -were of the most immediate importance, that at length an aide consented -to awaken the governor, who had been some hours in bed. Murray at first -failed to recognize M. de Saint-Luc, and asked him angrily how he dared -disturb him at such an hour, or what tidings he could bring of such -pressing importance. - -"An affair which you will assuredly consider worthy of some attention, -sir, for I am Captain de Saint-Luc, and my presence here will tell you -the rest." - -General Murray turned as pale as death. Presently he called for -refreshments, and, treating Saint-Luc with the most profound -consideration, he inquired of him the fullest particulars of the wreck. -He was no longer the same man who had carelessly consigned so many -brave officers to their doom just because the sight of their uniforms -displeased him. - -What M. de Saint-Luc had foreseen presently came to pass. Thenceforward -Governor Murray, conscience-stricken by the loss of the Auguste, became -very lenient toward the Canadians, and those who wished to remain in -the colony were given liberty to do so. M. de Saint-Luc, in particular, -whose possible revelations he may have dreaded, became the special -object of his favor, and found nothing to complain of in the governor's -attitude. He set his tremendous energies to the work of repairing his -fortunes, and his efforts were crowned with well-merited success. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -LOCHIEL AND BLANCHE. - - -After seven long years of severe privation, content and even happiness -came back to the D'Habervilles. It is true that the great manor -house had been replaced by a somewhat humble dwelling; but it was a -palace compared to the mill they had just left. The D'Habervilles -had, moreover, suffered less than many others in the same position. -Loved and respected by their tenants, they had suffered none of -those humiliations which the vulgar often inflict upon their betters -in distress. The D'Habervilles had never forgotten that it is the -privilege of the upper classes to treat their inferiors with respect. -They were besieged with offers of service. When it was decided to -rebuild the manor, the whole parish volunteered its assistance to help -along the work. Every man labored with as much zeal as if it were his -own house he was building. With the delicate tact of the Frenchman, -they never entered, except as invited guests, the poor chambers which -the family had set apart in the mill. If they had been affectionate -toward their seigneur in his prosperity, when the iron hand of -adversity was laid upon him they became his devoted disciples. - -Only they who have known great reverses, who have suffered long and -cruelly, can appreciate the blissful content of them who again see -better days. Hitherto all had respected Captain D'Haberville's grief, -and in his presence had scarcely spoken above their breath; but now -the natural gayety of the French heart reasserted itself, and all was -changed as by enchantment. - -The captain laughed and joked as he used to before the war, the ladies -sang as they busied themselves about the house, and again the sonorous -voice of Uncle Raoul was heard on fine evenings arousing the echoes of -the cape. The faithful José was everywhere at once, and tales of the -experiences of his "late father, now dead" flowed incessantly from his -lips. - -One morning toward the end of August, that same year, Captain -D'Haberville was returning from the river Port-Joli, his gun on one -shoulder and a well-filled game-bag slung over the other, when he saw a -small boat put off from a ship which was anchored a little way out. The -boat made directly for the D'Habervilles' landing. The captain sat on a -rock to wait for it, imagining that it contained some sailors in quest -of milk and fresh victuals. As they landed he was hastening forward -to meet them, when he saw with surprise that one of them, who was -dressed as a gentleman, was handing a packet to one of the sailors and -directing him to take it to the manor house. At the sight of Captain -D'Haberville this gentleman seemed to change his mind suddenly, for he -stepped forward and handed him the packet with these words: - -"I have hardly dared hand you this packet myself, Captain D'Haberville, -although it contains news at which you will rejoice." - -"Why, sir," replied the captain, searching his memory for the name of -this person, whose face seemed half familiar, "why should you have -hesitated to hand me the packet yourself if chance had not thrown me in -your way?" - -"Because, sir," said the other, hesitating, "I might have feared that -it would be disagreeable to you to receive it at my hands. I know that -Captain D'Haberville never forgets either a benefit or an injury." - -Captain D'Haberville stared at the stranger; then, frowning heavily, he -shut his eyes and was silent for some moments. The stranger, watching -him intently, could see that a violent struggle was raging in his -breast. Presently Captain D'Haberville recovered his self-possession -and said, with scrupulous politeness: - -"Let us leave to each man's own conscience the remembrance of past -wrongs. You are here, Captain de Lochiel, and as the bearer of letters -from my son you are entitled to every welcome on my part. The family -will be glad to see you. You will receive at my house--a cordial -hospitality." He was going to say bitterly a princely hospitality, but -the reproach died upon his lips. The lion was as yet but half appeased. - -Archie instinctively put out his hand to grasp that of his old friend; -but Captain D'Haberville responded with a visible effort, and his hand -lay passive in the young man's clasp. - -A sigh burst from Archie's lips, and for a time he seemed uncertain -what to do. At length he said sorrowfully: - -"Captain D'Haberville can refuse to forgive him whom once he loved and -overwhelmed with benefits, but he has too noble a soul to wantonly -inflict a punishment too great to be endured. To see again the places -which will recall such poignant memories will be trial enough in -itself, without meeting there the cold welcome which hospitality -extends to the stranger. Farewell, Captain D'Haberville; farewell -forever to him whom I once called my father, if he will no longer -regard me as a son. I call Heaven to witness that every hour has -been embittered with remorse since the fatal day when my duty as a -soldier under orders forced me to enact a barbarism at which my very -soul sickened. I swear to you that a great weight has lain ceaselessly -upon my heart, through the hours of excitement on the battle-field, of -gayety at ball and festival, not less than through the silence of the -long and weary nights. Farewell forever, for I perceive that you have -refused to hear from the lips of the good superior the story of my pain -and my despair. Farewell for the last time, and, since all intercourse -must cease between us, tell me, oh, tell me, I implore you, that some -measure of peace and happiness has been restored to your family! Oh, -tell me that you are not continually miserable! Nothing remains for me -but to pray God on my knees that he will shed his best blessings on a -family which I so deeply love! To offer to repair with my own fortune -the losses which I caused would be an insult to a D'Haberville." - -Though M. D'Haberville had refused to listen to his sister, he had -none the less been impressed by the recital of M. de Saint-Luc, and by -Archie's devotion in offering to sacrifice his fortune and his future -to a sentiment of gratitude. Hence the degree of welcome with which he -had received him. Otherwise, it is probable he would have turned his -back upon him. - -The suggestion of pecuniary compensation made M. D'Haberville start as -if he had been touched with a red-hot iron; but this passing emotion -was forgotten in the conflict of his feelings. He clasped his breast -with both hands, as if he would tear out the bitterness which, in spite -of him, clung to his heart. Making Lochiel a sign to remain where he -was, he strode rapidly down the shore; then he came back slowly and -thoughtfully, and said: - -"I have done my utmost, Archie, to banish the last of my bitterness; -but you know me, and you know it will be a work of time to blot it -completely from my remembrance. All that I can say is that my heart -forgives you. My sister the superior told me all. I listened to her, -after hearing of your good offices in interceding with the governor -on my behalf, of which I learned through my friend de Saint-Luc. -I concluded that he who was ready to sacrifice rank and fortune -for his friends could only have been acting by compulsion in those -circumstances to which I now allude for the last time. If you should -notice occasionally any coldness in my attitude toward yourself, please -pay no attention to it. Let us leave it all to time." - -He pressed Lochiel's hand cordially. The lion was appeased. - -"As it is probable," said M. D'Haberville, "that the calm is going to -continue, send back your sailors after they have had something to eat; -and if by chance a favorable wind should arise, my good nag Lubine will -carry you to Quebec in six hours--that is, if your business prevents -your staying with us so long as we would wish. This will be convenient -for you, will it not?" - -With these words, he passed his arm under that of Archie and they -walked together toward the house. - -"Now, Archie," said the captain, "how does it happen that you bring -letters and good news from my son?" - -"I left Jules in Paris seven weeks ago," answered Archie, "after having -stayed a month with him at the house of his uncle M. de Germain, who -did not wish me to be separated from my friend during my stay in -France; but it will be pleasanter for you to learn all from his own -hand, so permit me to say no more." - -If it saddened Lochiel to see what one would have called before the -conquest the D'Haberville village replaced by three or four poor -cottages, nevertheless, he had an agreeable surprise in the prosperous -appearance of the manor. These buildings, new and freshly white-washed, -this garden gay with flowers, these two orchards laden with fine fruit, -the harvesters returning from the meadows with fragrant loads of -hay--all this tended to dissipate the impression of gloom that had at -first almost overwhelmed him. With the exception of a sofa and a dozen -arm-chairs of mahogany, and a few other small articles of furniture -snatched from the flames, everything was of extreme simplicity within -the new dwelling. All the furniture was in plain wood. The walls were -guiltless of pictures, as the floors of carpets. The family portraits, -which had been the pride of the D'Habervilles, no longer occupied -their places in the dining-room; the only ornaments of the new rooms -were some fir-boughs standing in the corners and a generous supply -of flowers in baskets made by the natives. This absence of costly -adornment, however, was not without its charm. One breathed deeply in -that atmosphere, wholesome with the fragrance of fir-boughs, flowers, -and new wood. There was everywhere a flavor of freshness, which made it -hard to regret the absence of more costly appointments. - -All the family, having seen M. D'Haberville in the distance accompanied -by a stranger, had gathered in the drawing-room to receive him. Not -having seen Archie for ten years, nobody but Blanche recognized him. -The girl grew pale at the sight of the friend whom she had never -thought to see again; but recovering herself promptly, as women will to -conceal their strongest feelings, like the other two ladies she made -the deep courtesy which she would have bestowed upon a stranger. As for -Uncle Raoul, he bowed with chilly politeness. He had little love for -the English, and ever since the conquest he had been cursing them with -an eloquence not edifying to pious ears. - -"May I be roasted by an Iroquois," exclaimed the captain, addressing -Archie, "if a single one of us knew you. Come, look at this gentleman; -ten years ought not to have blotted him from your memory. As for me, I -knew him at once. Speak, Blanche, you being the youngest should have -better eyes than the rest." - -"I think," said Blanche in a low voice, "that it is M. de Lochiel." - -"Yes," said M. D'Haberville, "it is Archie, who has seen Jules very -lately in Paris. He brings us letters from him, full of good news. What -are you doing, Archie, that you do not embrace your old friends?" - -The family, ignorant of the change in the captain's feelings, were only -awaiting his consent to give Archie a welcome whose warmth brought -tears into his eyes. - -The last letter from Jules contained the following passage: - -"I have been taking the waters of Baréges for my wounds, and though I -am still weak, I am getting well rapidly. The doctors say that I must -have rest, and that it will be long before I am able to take the field -again. I have obtained an unlimited furlough. Our relative the minister -and all my friends counsel me to leave the army and return to Canada, -the new country of all my family. They advise me to establish myself -there, after taking the oath of allegiance to the English crown; but -I will do nothing without consulting you. My brother Archie, who has -influential friends in England, has sent me a letter of recommendation -from one high in authority to your governor, Sir Guy Carleton, who, -they say, shows great consideration for the Canadian nobility. If -on your advice I decide to remain in Canada, I shall hope to be of -some use to my poor fellow-countrymen. God willing, I shall have the -pleasure of embracing you all again toward the end of September next. -Oh, what happiness, after so long a separation!" - -In a postscript Jules added: - -"I was forgetting to tell you that I have been presented to the King, -who received me most kindly. He even praised me for what he was pleased -to call my noble conduct, and made me a Knight of the Grand Cross of -the Most Honorable Order of St. Louis. I know not to what pleasantry -I owe this favor, which every Frenchman who carried a sword has as -much deserved as I. I could name ten officers in my own division who -should have been decorated in my place. It is true that I have had the -precious advantage of getting carved up like a fool in every battle. -Truly it is a pity that there was not an order for fools; then I should -have fairly won the distinction which his Most Christian Majesty has -just bestowed upon me. I hope, however, that this act will not shut -the gates of paradise against him, and that St. Peter will find some -other little peccadilloes to object to. Otherwise, I should be greatly -concerned." - -Lochiel could scarcely keep from laughing at the words "Most Christian -Majesty." He could see the mocking smile with which his friend would -write the phrase. - -"Always the same," exclaimed M. D'Haberville. - -"And thinking only of others!" exclaimed the rest, with one voice. - -"I will wager my head to a shilling," said Archie, "that he would -rather have seen the honor bestowed upon one of his friends." - -"What a son!" exclaimed the mother. - -"What a brother!" added Blanche. - -"You may well say what a brother," exclaimed Archie fervently. - -"And what a nephew have I trained up!" cried Uncle Raoul, making passes -in the air with his cane, as if it were a saber and he on horseback. -"There is a prince who can distinguish merit, and who knows how to -reward it. His Majesty of France shows great discernment. He knows -that with a hundred officers like Jules he could resume the offensive, -overrun Europe with triumphant armies, overleap the Detroit like -another William, crush proud Albion, and reconquer the colonies!" -Again Uncle Raoul carved the air in every direction with his cane, to -the imminent peril of the eyes, noses, and chins of the rest of the -company. Then the chevalier looked about him proudly, and, with the -aid of his cane, he dragged himself to an arm-chair, to repose after -the laurels he had won for the King of France by the help of a hundred -officers like his nephew. - -The letters from Jules, and Archie's coming, made that day one of -feverish delight at D'Haberville Manor; and Archie was pursued with -incessant questions about Jules, about their friends in France, -about the Faubourg St. Germain, about the court, and about his own -adventures. Archie wished then to see the servants. In the kitchen, -getting dinner, he found the mulatto woman Lisette, who threw herself -upon his neck as she used to do when he came home for his holidays with -Jules. Her voice was choked with sobs of delight. - -This woman, whom Captain D'Haberville had bought when she was only -four years old, had some failings, but she was deeply attached to the -family. She stood in awe of no one but the master. Her mistress she -regarded as a sort of new comer, whom she obeyed or not according to -her whim. - -Blanche and her brother were the only ones who could do what they liked -with her. Though Jules often tormented her sorely, she was always -ready to laugh at his tricks and shield him from their consequences. - -Tried beyond all patience, M. D'Haberville had long ago given her her -freedom; but, to use her own words, "she laughed at his emancipation -like that," snapping her fingers, "for she had as good a right as he -and his to remain in the house where she had been brought up." If her -master, too utterly exasperated, would dismiss her by one door, she -would promptly re-enter by the other. - -This irrepressible woman was as much affected by the misfortunes of her -master as if she had been a daughter of the family; and, strange to -say, during all the years when the captain was immersed in bitterness -and gloom, she was a model of obedience and submission, and did the -work of at least two servants. When she was alone with Blanche she -would sometimes throw herself sobbing on her neck, and the brave girl -would forget her own griefs in comforting those of the slave. It is -necessary to add that when prosperity returned to the family Lisette -became as willful as before. - -Leaving the kitchen, Lochiel ran to meet José, who came singing up from -the garden, laden with fruit and vegetables. - -"Excuse me if I give you my left hand," said José; "I left the other -behind me on the Plains of Abraham. I bear no grudge, however, against -the 'short petticoat' (begging your pardon) who relieved me of it. -The thing was done so neatly right at the joint that the surgeon had -nothing left to do but bandage up the stump. We came off about quits, -nevertheless, the 'short petticoat' and I, for I ran my bayonet through -his body. It's just as well after all, however, for what use would my -right hand be to me when there is no more fighting? No more war now -that the Englishman is master of the land," added José, sighing. - -"It seems, my dear José," answered Lochiel, laughing, "that you know -pretty well how to do without your right hand as long as the left -remains to you." - -"Very true," said José. "I can manage when I'm driven to it, as in the -scrimmage with the 'short petticoat'; but I confess that it grieves me -to be thus crippled. Both hands would have been none too many to serve -my master with. The times have been hard, indeed; but, thank God, the -worst is over." And tears welled up in the faithful José's eyes. - -Lochiel then betook himself to the harvesters, who were busy raking the -hay and loading the carts. They were all old acquaintances, who greeted -him warmly for all the family, the captain excepted, had been at pains -to exonerate him. The dinner, served with the greatest simplicity, was -nevertheless lavish in its abundance, thanks to the game with which -shore and forest were swarming at this season. The silver had been -reduced to the limits of strict necessity; besides the spoons, forks, -and drinking-cups, there remained but a single jug of ancient pattern, -graven with the D'Haberville arms, to attest the former opulence of the -family. The dessert consisted of the fruits of the season, brought in -on maple leaves, in birch-bark _cassots_ and baskets ingeniously woven -by the Indians. A little glass of black-currant ratafia before dinner -to sharpen the appetite, spruce beer made out of the branches of the -tree, and Spanish wine which they drank much tempered with water, these -were the only liquors that the hospitality of Seigneur D'Haberville -could set before his guest. This did not prevent the meal from being -pervaded with kindly gayety; the family seemed to be entering upon a -new life. But for his dread of wounding Archie, Captain D'Haberville -would not have failed to joke upon the absence of champagne, which was -replaced by the sparkling spruce beer. - -"Now that we are _en famille_," said the captain, smiling at Archie, -"let us talk of the future of my son. As for me, old and worn out -before my time with the fatigues of war, I have a good excuse for not -serving the new government. It would not be for me, moreover, at my -age, to draw the sword against France, whom I have served for more than -thirty years. Rather death, a hundred times!" - -"And, like Hector the Trojan," interrupted Uncle Raoul, "we can all say: - - _Si Pergama dextra - Defendi possent, etiam hâc defensa fuissent_." - -"Never mind Hector the Trojan," exclaimed M. D'Haberville who, not -being as learned as his brother, had small taste for his quotations. -"Never mind Hector the Trojan, who was not greatly concerned with -our family affairs. Let us return to Jules. His health compels him -to withdraw from the service, perhaps for a long time, or even -permanently. His dearest interests are here where he was born. Canada -is his true fatherland. He can not have the same affection for the -land of his ancestors. His position, moreover, is very different from -mine. What would be cowardice for me, standing on the edge of the tomb, -is but an act of duty for him who is but on the threshold of life. -Splendidly has he paid his debt to the country of his fathers. He -retires honorably from a service which the doctors order him to leave. -Now let him consecrate his energy and his abilities to the service of -his fellow Canadians. The new governor is already well disposed toward -us. He welcomes those of my countrymen who have intercourse with him. -He has many times expressed his sympathy for the brave officers whom -he had met face to face on the battle-field, and whom fate, not their -courage, had betrayed. In the gatherings at Chateau St. Louis he shows -the same regard for Canadians as for his own countrymen, as much for -those of us who have lost all as for those more fortunate who can -maintain a dignity suitable to their rank. Under his administration and -supported by the strong recommendations which our friend Lochiel has -procured for him, Jules has every reason to hope for a high position in -the colony. Let him take the oath of allegiance to the English crown; -and my last words when I bid him a final farewell shall be: 'Serve your -English sovereign with the same zeal, devotion, and loyalty with which -I have served the French King, and receive my blessing.'" - -Every one was struck by this sudden change of sentiment in the head of -the family. They forgot that Adversity is a hard master, who bends the -most stubborn heart beneath his grasp of steel. Captain D'Haberville, -too proud and too loyal to acknowledge openly that Louis XV had -wronged the subjects who had served him with a heroism so devoted, -nevertheless, felt keenly the ingratitude of the French court. Although -stung to the quick by such treatment, he was ready to shed the last -drop of his blood for this voluptuous monarch given over to the whims -of his mistresses. But there his devotion ceased. He would have refused -for himself the favors of the new government; but he was too just to -sacrifice his son's future to a sentiment with so slight a basis. - -"Let each one now express his opinion freely," said the captain, -smiling, "and let the majority decide." The ladies answered this appeal -by throwing themselves into his arms. Uncle Raoul seized his brother's -hand, shook it vigorously, and exclaimed: - -"Nestor of old could not have spoken more wisely." - -"Nor could we have been more delighted," said Archie, "if we had had -the advantage of listening to the very words of that most venerable -Grecian." - -As the tide was full and the river beautifully calm, Archie proposed -to Blanche a walk along the lovely shore, which stretches--varied with -sandy coves--from the manor to the little Port-Joli River. - -"Everything I see," said Archie, as they moved along the river's edge, -the level rays of the sunset making a path of red gold from their -feet to the far-off mountains, "everything I see is rich with sweet -memories. Here, when you were a child, I taught you to play with the -shells which I picked up along this shore. In this little bay I taught -my brother Jules to swim. There are the same strawberry beds and -raspberry thickets whence we plucked the fruit you were so fond of. -Here, seated, book in hand, on this little rock, you used to wait the -return of Jules and me from hunting, to congratulate us on our success -or mock at our empty game-bags. Not a tree, a bush, a shrub, but looks -to me like an old and dear acquaintance. Oh, happy childhood, happy -youth! Ever rejoicing in the present, forgetful of the past, careless -of the future, life rolls along as gently as the current of this pretty -stream which we are now crossing. It was then that we were wise, Jules -and I, when our highest ambition was to pass our days together here, -happy in our work and our hunting." - -"Just such a life of monotony and peace," interrupted Blanche, "is that -to which our sex is doomed. God in giving man strength and courage set -him apart for the loftier destinies. What must be the enthusiasm of a -man in the midst of the battle! What sight more sublime than that of -the soldier facing death a hundred times in the tumult for all he holds -most dear! What must be the fierce exultation of the warrior when the -bugles sound for victory!" - -This noble girl knew of no glory but that of arms. Her father, almost -incessantly in the field, came back to the bosom of his family only to -rehearse the exploits of his comrades-in-arms; and Blanche, while yet a -child, had become steeped with martial ardor. - -"There are triumphs all too dearly bought," answered Archie, "when -one considers the disasters that have followed in their train, when -one remembers the tears of the widow and the orphan, robbed of their -dearest! But here we are at the Port-Joli, well named, with its sunny -banks gay with wild-rose thickets, its groves of fir and spruce, and -its coverts of red willow. What memories cling about this lovely -stream! I see again your gentle mother and your good aunt seated -here on the grass on a fair evening in August, while we are paddling -up-stream, in our little green canoe, to Babin's Islet, keeping time -with our paddles as we sing in chorus the refrain of your pretty song: - - We're afloat, we're afloat, on the water so blue, - We are bound for our isle of delight. - -I hear again the voice of your mother calling repeatedly: 'Go and get -Blanche at once, you incorrigibles; it is supper-time, and you know -your father expects punctuality at meals.' And Jules would answer, -paddling with all his might, 'Do not fear my father's anger. I will -take the whole responsibility on my own shoulders. I will make him -laugh by telling him that, like His Majesty Louis XIV, he had expected -to wait. You know I am a spoiled child in the holidays.'" - -"Dear fellow!" said Blanche, "he was sad enough that day when you and I -found him hiding in this fir grove, where he had concealed himself to -escape the first heat of father's indignation. - -"And he had not done anything so very dreadful after all," said Archie, -laughing. - -"Let us enumerate his crimes," replied Blanche, counting on her -fingers. "First, he had disobeyed father's orders by harnessing to -the carriage an unruly three-year-old filly which was scarcely to be -managed even in a sleigh. Secondly, after a hard tussle with the rash -young driver, the filly had taken the bit in her teeth, and as the -first proof of her freedom had crushed the unhappy cow belonging to our -neighbor Widow Maurice." - -"A most happy accident for said widow," interposed Archie, "for -your father replaced the old animal with two of the finest heifers -in his pastures. I remember the anxiety of the poor woman when she -learned that some officious spectator had informed your father of the -accident. How does it happen that the people whom Jules tormented most -assiduously are just the ones who were most devoted to him? What is the -spell by which he compels everybody to love him? Widow Maurice used to -have hardly a moment's peace while we were home for the holidays; yet -she was always in tears when she came to bid Jules good-by." - -"The reason is not far to seek," said Blanche. "It is that all know his -kind heart. You know, moreover, by experience, Archie, that those whom -he loves best are just the ones that he teases most unremittingly. But -let us continue our enumeration of his misdemeanors on that unlucky -day! Thirdly, after killing the cow, the ugly brute ran against a -fence, broke one of the wheels, and hurled the driver fifteen feet into -the meadow beyond; but Jules, who always falls on his feet, like a cat, -was in no way the worse for this adventure. Fourthly, and lastly, after -smashing the carriage to splinters on the rocks of the Trois Saumons -River, the mare ended by breaking her own legs on the shore, over in -the parish of L'Islet." - -"Yes," added Archie, "and I remember how eloquently you pleaded for the -culprit, who, in despair at having so deeply offended so good a father, -was in danger of proceeding to rash extremities against himself. -'Dear papa,' you said, 'should you not rather thank heaven for having -preserved Jules's life? What matters the loss of a cow, a horse, a -carriage? You might have seen his bleeding body brought home to you!' -'Come, let us talk no more about it,' was your father's reply. 'Go -and look for your rascal of a brother, for I doubt not you and Archie -know where he has taken refuge after his nice performances!' "I see -yet," continued Archie, "the half-penitent, half-comical air of Jules -when he knew the storm had blown over. 'What, my father,' he ended by -saying, after listening to some energetic remonstrances, 'would you -have preferred to see me dragged to my death, like another Hippolytus, -by the horse which your hands had nourished to be the murderer of your -son? Would you have chosen to see my ensanguined locks dangling on -the brambles?' To which the captain answered: 'Come, let's to supper, -since there seems to be a God for such madcaps as you.' 'Now, that's -more like the way to talk to a fellow,' was Jules's response. I never -could quite understand," continued Archie, "why your father, who is -ordinarily so unforgiving, used to forgive and forget so easily any -offense of Jules." - -"Father knows," said Blanche, "that Jules loves him devotedly, -and would endure anything to spare him pain. For all his headlong -thoughtlessness, Jules could never offend my father deeply." - -"Now that we have called up so many pleasant memories," said Archie, -"let us sit down on this hillock where we have so often before rested, -and let us speak of more serious matters. I have decided to settle in -Canada. I have lately sold a property which was left to me by one of -my cousins. My fortune, although but moderate in the old country, will -be counted large out here, where my happiest days have been spent, and -where I propose to live and die among my friends. What do you say, -Blanche?" - -"Nothing in the world could please us more. Oh, how happy Jules will -be, how glad we will all be!" - -"Yes, you will all be pleased, doubtless; but my happiness can never be -perfect, Blanche, unless you will consent to make it so by giving me -your hand. I love--" - -The girl sprang to her feet as if an adder had stung her. With -trembling lips and pale with anger, she cried: - -"You offend me, Captain de Lochiel! You have not considered the cruelty -of the offer you are making me! Is it now you make me such a proposal, -when the flames that you and yours have lighted in my unhappy country -are hardly yet extinguished? Is it now, while the smoke yet rises from -our ruined homes, that you offer me the hand of one of our destroyers? -There would, indeed, be a bitter irony in lighting the marriage torch -at the smoking ashes of my unhappy country! They would say, Captain -de Lochiel, that your gold had bought the hand of the poor Canadian -girl; and never will a D'Haberville endure such humiliation. O Archie! -Archie! I would never have expected it of you, you the friend of my -childhood! You know not what you are doing!" And Blanche burst into -tears. - -Never had the noble Canadian girl appeared so beautiful in Archie's -eyes as now, when she rejected with proud disdain the hand of one of -her country's conquerors. - -"Calm yourself, Blanche," answered Lochiel. "I admire your patriotism. -I appreciate the exalted delicacy of your sentiments, however unjust -they may be toward the friend of your childhood. Never would a Cameron -of Lochiel give offense to any lady, least of all to the sister of -Jules D'Haberville, to the daughter of his benefactor. You know, -Blanche, that I never act without due reflection. For you to reject -with scorn the hand of an Englishman so soon after the conquest would -be but natural in a D'Haberville; but as for me, Blanche, you know -that I have loved you long--you could not be ignorant of it, in spite -of my silence. The penniless young exile would have failed in every -honorable sentiment had he declared his love for the daughter of his -rich benefactor. Is it because I am rich now, is it because the chance -of war has made us victorious in the struggle, is it because fate made -of me an unwilling instrument of destruction, is it because of all this -that I must bury in my heart one of the noblest emotions of our nature, -and acknowledge myself defeated without an effort? No, Blanche, you -surely can not think it; you have spoken without reflection; you regret -the harsh words which have escaped you. Speak, Blanche, and say that -you did not mean it." - -"I will be candid with you, Archie," replied Blanche. "I will be as -frank as a peasant girl who has studied neither her feelings nor her -words--as a country girl who has forgotten the conventionalities of -that society from which she has so long been banished--and I will speak -with my heart upon my lips. You had all that could captivate a girl of -fifteen years--noble birth, wit, beauty, strength, and a generous and -lofty heart. What more could be needed to charm an enthusiastic girl? -Archie, if the penniless young exile had asked my parents for my hand, -and they had granted his request, I should have been proud and happy -to obey. But, Captain de Lochiel, there is now a gulf between us which -I will never cross." And again the girl's voice was choked with sobs. - -"But I implore you, my brother Archie," continued she, taking his hand, -"do not alter your intention of settling in Canada. Buy property in -our neighborhood, so that we can see you continually. And if, in the -ordinary course of nature (for you are eight years older than I), I -should have the unhappiness to lose you, be sure that you would be -mourned as bitterly by your sister Blanche as if she had been your -wife. And now it is getting late, Archie, and we must return to the -house," she added, pressing his hand affectionately between both of -hers. - -"You will never be so cruel toward me and toward yourself," cried -Archie, "as to persist in this refusal! Yes, toward yourself, Blanche, -for the love of a heart like yours does not die out like a common -passion; it resists time and all vicissitudes. Jules will plead my -cause on his return, and his sister will not refuse him his first -request. Oh, tell me that I may hope!" - -"Never, Archie, never," said Blanche. "The women of my family, as well -as the men, have never failed in their duty--have never shrunk from any -sacrifice, however painful. Two of my aunts, while yet very young, said -one day to my father: 'You have no more than enough, D'Haberville, to -maintain the dignity of the house. Our dowry would make a considerable -breach in your means. To-morrow we shall enter a convent, where all is -prepared to receive us.' Prayers, threats, the fury of my father--all -proved vain; they entered the convent, where they have not wearied -of good deeds to this day. As for me, Archie, I have other duties -to perform--duties very dear to me. I must sweeten life as far as -possible for my parents, must help them to forget their misfortunes, -must care for them in their old age, and must close their eyes at the -last. My brother Jules will marry; I will nurse his children, and share -alike his good and evil fortune." - -Lochiel and Blanche walked toward the house in silence. The last rays -of the setting sun, mirrored in the swelling tide, lent a new charm to -the enchanting scene; but to their eyes the loveliness of nature seemed -to have suddenly faded out. The next day, toward evening, a favorable -wind arose. The vessel which had brought Lochiel weighed anchor at -once, and M. D'Haberville instructed José to convey his young friend to -Quebec. - -During the journey there was no lack of conversation between the two -travelers; their subjects were inexhaustible. Toward five o'clock in -the morning, however, as they were passing Beaumont, Lochiel said to -José: - -"I am as sleepy as a marmot. We sat up late yesterday, and I was so -feverish that I got no sleep for the rest of the night. Do sing me a -song to keep me awake." - -He knew the hoarseness and vigor of his companion's voice, and he put -great faith in it as an anti-soporific. - -"I can not refuse," answered José, who, like many others blessed -with a discordant voice, prided himself greatly on his singing. "The -more sleepy you are the more risk you run of breaking your head on -the rocks, which have never been cleared away since La Corriveau's -memorable trip; but I hardly know what to begin with. How would you -like a song on the taking of Berg-op-Zoom?" - -"Berg-op-Zoom will do," said Archie, "though the English were pretty -badly treated there." - -"Hem! hem!" coughed José. "Nothing like a little revenge on the enemy -that handled us so roughly in '59." And he struck up the following: - - "A Te Deum for him who was born the doom (_repeat_) - Of the stout-walled city of Berg-op-Zoom (_repeat_). - By'r lady, he wants the best that's going, - Who can do up a siege in a style so knowing." - -"How charmingly _naïve_!" cried Lochiel. - -"Is it not, captain?" said José, very proud of his success. - -"Indeed, yes, my dear José; but go on. I am in a hurry to hear the end. -Do not halt upon so good a road." - -"Thank you, captain," said José, touching his cap. - - "Like Alexander who lived of old (_repeat_), - His body is small, but his heart is bold (_repeat_). - God gave him all Alexander's wit, - And Cæsar's wisdom on top of it!" - -"'His body is small but his heart is bold,'" repeated Archie, "is a -very happy touch! Where did you pick up this song?" - -"A grenadier who was at the siege of Berg-op-Zoom sang it to my late -father. He said that it was terribly hot work there, and he carried the -marks of it. He had only one eye left, and the skin was torn off his -face from his forehead to his jaw-bone; but, as all these damages were -on the left side, he still could manage his gun properly on the right. -But let us leave him to look out for himself. He is a jolly lad who -would dance a jig on his own grave, and I need not concern myself about -him. Here's the third and last verse: - - "Oh, we combed the hides of the English well (_repeat_), - A very bad lot, as I've heard tell! (_repeat_) - They'll shake, by'r lady, till they get home, - For fear of our boys and their curry-comb." - -"Delightful, 'pon honor!" cried Lochiel. "These English who were a very -bad lot! These soldiers armed with the curry-comb! How exquisitely -_naïve_! Charming!" - -"By our lady, though, captain," said José, "they are not always so -easy to comb, these English. Like our good horse Lubine here, they are -sometimes very bad-humored and ugly to handle if one rubs them too -hard. Witness the first battle of the Plains of Abraham!" - -"It was the English, was it not, who carried the curry-comb then?" -remarked Archie. - -For reply, José merely lifted up the stump of his arm, around which he -had twisted the leather of his whip. - -For a time our travelers journeyed on in silence, and again Archie grew -heavy with sleep. Perceiving this, José cried: - -"Captain, captain, you're nearly asleep! Take care, or you're going to -break your nose, begging your pardon. I think you want another song to -wake you up. Shall I sing you the Complaint of Biron?" - -"Who was Biron?" inquired Lochiel. - -"Uncle Raoul, who is so learned, told me that he was a prince, a great -warrior, the relative and friend of our late King Henry IV; which did -not prevent the latter from having him executed just as if he was a -nobody. When I made my lament upon his death, Uncle Raoul and the -captain told me that he had proved a traitor to the king, and forbid me -even to sing the complaint in their presence. This struck me as rather -droll, but I obeyed them all the same." - -"I have never heard of this lament," said Archie; "and as I am not -particularly sensitive in regard to the kings of France, I wish you -would sing it for me." - -Thereupon José struck up, in a voice of thunder, the following lament: - - "The king he had been warned by one of his _gens d'armes_, - (His name it was La Fin, that gave him the alarm,) - 'Your Majesty, I pray you, of Prince Biron beware, - For he's plotting wicked deeds, and there's treason in the air.' - - "La Fin had hardly spoke when Prince Biron came in, - His cap was in his hand, and he bowed before the king. - Said he: 'Will't please Your Majesty to try your hand at play? - Here's a thousand Spanish doubloons that I have won this day.' - - "'If you have them with you, prince,' replied His Majesty, - 'If you have them with you, prince, go find the queen, and she - Will play you for the Spanish gold you have not long to see!' - - "He had not played two games when the constable came in, - And bowing, cap in hand, right courtly said to him: - 'Oh, will you rise up, prince, and come along with me? - This night in the Bastile your bed and board shall be!' - - "'Oh, had I but my sword, my weapon bright and keen, - Oh, had I but my saber, my knife of golden sheen, - No constable could capture me that ever I have seen!' - - "It might have been a month, or may be two weeks more, - That no friends came to see him or passed his prison door; - At last came judges three, pretending not to know, - And asked of him, 'Fair prince, oh, who has used you so?' - - "'Oh, they who used me so had power to put me here; - It was the king and queen, whom I served for many a year; - And now for my reward my death it draweth near! - - "'And does the king remember no more the Savoy War? - And has the king forgotten the wounds for him I bore? - And is it my true service now that I must suffer for? - - "'And has the king forgotten that if I have to die, - The blood of Biron may to Heaven for vengeance cry? - Or does the king remember I have a brother yet? - But when _he_ sees the king he will not me forget.'" - -By this time Lochiel was thoroughly awake. The tremendous voice of José -would have awakened the sleeping beauty herself from the depths of her -hundred years' slumber. - -"But you, sir," said José, "you who are nearly as learned as Uncle -Raoul, you could perhaps tell me something of this wicked king who so -ungratefully put this poor M. Biron to death." - -"Kings, my dear José, never forget a personal offense, and, like a -great many smaller people who can not overlook the faults of others, no -matter how well atoned for, for faithful services, their memory is very -short." - -"Well, now, but that seems very queer to me, when I was thinking that -the good God had given them everything that heart could wish! A short -memory! But that is droll." - -Smiling at his companion's innocence, Archie replied: - -"King Henry IV, however, had an excellent memory, although it failed -him in that one instance. He was a good prince and loved his subjects -as if they were his own children, and he did all he could to make them -happy. It is not surprising that his memory is cherished by all good -Frenchmen, even after a lapse of one hundred and fifty years." - -"By our lady," exclaimed José, "there's nothing surprising in that, if -the subjects have a better memory than their princes! It was cruel of -him, however, to hang this poor M. Biron." - -"The nobility of France were never hung," said Archie. "That was one of -their special privileges. They simply had their heads cut off." - -"That was indeed a privilege. It may perhaps hurt more, but it is much -more glorious to die by the sword than by the rope," remarked José. - -"To return to Henry IV," said Archie; "we must not be too severe in -our condemnation of him. He lived in a difficult period, a period of -civil war. Biron, his kinsman and former friend, turned traitor, and -was doubly deserving of his fate." - -"Poor M. Biron!" said José; "but he speaks finely in his lament." - -"It is not always they who speak the best who have most right on their -side," remarked Archie. "There is no one so like an honest man as an -eloquent knave." - -"All very true, Mr. Archie. We have one poor thief in our district, -and as he doesn't know how to defend himself, everybody is continually -getting his teeth into him, while his brother, who is a hundred times -worse than he, has so smooth a tongue that he passes himself off for a -little saint. Meanwhile, yonder is Quebec! But no more the white flag -waving over her," added José, sighing. - -To hide his emotion, he went searching in all his pockets for his pipe, -grumbling to himself and repeating his old refrain: - - "Our good folk will come again." - -José spent two days in Quebec, and returned loaded with all the -presents that Archie thought would find acceptance at D'Haberville -Manor. Such rich gifts as he would have sent under other circumstances -he dared not send now, for fear of wounding his friends. In bidding -José farewell, he said: - -"I left my prayer-book at the manor house. Beg Miss Blanche to take -care of it till I return. It was a keepsake." - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -THE FAMILY HEARTH. - - -Many a calamity had swept over the land since the day when the -relations and friends of Jules had gathered at the manor house to bid -him farewell before his departure for France. Among the old men time -had made his customary inroads. The enemy had carried fire and sword -into the peaceful dwellings of the _habitants_. The famine numbered its -victims by the hundred. The soil had been drenched with the blood of -its brave defenders. Wind and sea had conspired against many of those -brave officers from whom sword and bullet had turned aside. Nature was -satiated with the blood of the children of New France. The future was -dark indeed for the upper classes, already ruined by the havoc of the -enemy, for those who, in laying by the sword, were compelled to lay -by the main support of their families, and for those who foresaw that -their descendants, reduced to a lower walk in life, would be compelled -to till the soil which their valiant ancestors had made illustrious. - -The city of Quebec, which of old had seemed to brave, upon its hill -summit, the thunders of the heaviest guns and the assaults of the -most daring battalions, the proud city of Quebec, still incumbered -with wreckage, raised itself with difficulty out of its ruins. The -British flag streamed triumphant from its overbearing citadel, and the -Canadian who, by force of habit, used to raise his eyes to the height -in expectation of seeing the lily banner, would drop them again sadly, -repeating with a sigh these touching words, "But our good kin will come -again." - -The reader will doubtless be gratified to see his old acquaintances, -after so many disasters bravely endured, once more gathered together at -a little banquet. This was a feast given by M. D'Haberville in honor of -his son's return. Even "the good gentleman" himself, though nearing the -close of his century, had responded in person to the summons. Captain -des Ecors, a comrade of M. D'Haberville, a brave officer who had been -brought to ruin by the conquest, formed with his family a congenial -addition to the gathering. One of Jules's kinsfolk who perished in -the wreck of the Auguste had left him a small legacy, which brought -a new comfort to the D'Habervilles, and enabled them to exercise a -hospitality from which they had been long and reluctantly debarred. - -All the guests were at table, after vainly waiting for the arrival of -Lochiel, who was as a rule the most punctual of men. - -"Well, my friends," said M. D'Haberville, "what think you now of -the omens which so saddened me ten years ago? What is your opinion, -Monsieur the Curé, of those mysterious warnings which Heaven appeared -to send me?" - -"I think," answered the priest, "that every one has had, or imagined -himself to have, more or less mysterious warnings, even in the most -remote epochs. But, without going too far back, Roman history is rife -with prodigies and portents. Occurrences the most insignificant were -classed as good or bad omens. The soothsayers consulted the flight of -birds, the entrails of the sacrificial victims, and what not! Further, -they say that no two of these holy and veracious personages could look -at each other without laughing." - -"And you conclude from this--?" queried M. D'Haberville. - -"I conclude," said the priest, "that we need not greatly concern -ourselves about such manifestations. Supposing Heaven were pleased, in -certain exceptional cases, to give visible signs as to the future, this -would but add one more to the already numberless ills of poor humanity. -We are by nature superstitious, and we should be kept in a state of -feverish apprehension, far worse than the actual evils supposed to be -foreshadowed." - -"Well," said M D'Haberville, who, like many more, consulted others -merely as a matter of form, "my own experience compels me to believe -that such omens are very often to be trusted. To me they have never -played false. Besides those which you yourselves have witnessed, I -could cite you a host of others. For instance, about fifteen years ago -I was leading a war party against the Iroquois. My band was made up -of Canadians and Huron Indians. We were on the march, when suddenly I -felt a sharp pain in my thigh, as if I had been struck by some hard -substance. The pang was sharp enough to make me halt a moment. I told -my Indians about it. They looked at each other uneasily, consulted the -horizon, and breathed deeply, sniffing the air in every direction, like -dogs in quest of game. Then, certain that there were no enemies in the -neighborhood, they resumed their march. I asked Petit-Étienne, the -chief, who appeared uneasy, if he was dreading a surprise. 'Not that I -know of,' said he, 'but at our first encounter with the enemy you will -be wounded just where you felt the pain.' Of course I laughed at the -prediction; but for all that, not two hours later an Iroquois bullet -went through my thigh at the spot in question, fortunately escaping the -bone. No, gentlemen; omens have proved faithful in my own case." - -"And what thinks Monsieur the Chevalier?" asked the priest. - -"I think," said Uncle Raoul, "that there is good wine on the table, and -that it is our pressing duty to attack it." - -"An admirable decision!" cried everybody. - -"The wine," remarked Jules, "is the most faithful of presages, for -it announces happiness and mirth. In proof of it, here is our friend -Lochiel coming up the avenue. I am going to meet him." - -"You see, my dear Archie," said the captain, greeting him warmly, -"you see that we have treated you without ceremony, as a child of the -family. We only waited for you half an hour. Knowing your soldierly -punctuality, we feared that some unavoidable business had prevented -your coming." - -"I should have been much grieved if you had treated me otherwise than -as a child of the family," answered Archie. "I had planned to be here -quite early this morning, but I did not make sufficient allowance for -your fine quagmire at Cap St.-Ignace. First of all, my horse got into a -bog-hole, whence I extricated him at the cost of the harness, which I -had to do without as best I could. Then I broke a wheel of my carriage, -whereupon I had to go and seek help at the nearest house, about a mile -and a half away. For most of the distance I was wading through mud up -to my knees, and when I got there I was half dead with fatigue." - -"Ah, my dear Archie," said Jules, the ceaseless mocker, "_quantum -mutatus ab illo_, as Uncle Raoul would have said if I hadn't got ahead -of him. Where are your mighty legs, of which you were once so proud -in that same morass? Have they lost their agility since the 28th of -April, 1760? They served you admirably in that retreat, as I predicted -they would." - -"It is true," replied Lochiel, laughing heartily, "that they did not -fail me in the _retreat_ of 1760, as you so considerately call it, but, -my dear Jules, you had no reason to complain of your own, short as they -are, in the retreat of 1759. One compliment deserves another you know, -always with due regard to a soldier's modesty." - -"Ah, but you're all astray there, my dear fellow. A scratch which I -had received from an English bullet was interfering very seriously -with my flight, when a tall grenadier who had somehow taken a fancy to -me, threw me over his shoulder with no more ceremony than as if I were -his haversack, and, continuing his retreat at full speed, deposited me -at length within the walls of Quebec. It was time. In his zeal, the -creature had carried me with my head hanging down his rascally back, -like a calf on the way to the butcher's, so that I was almost choked -by the time he landed me. Would you believe it, the rascal had the -audacity some time afterward, to ask me for a _pour-boire_ for himself -and his friends, who were so glad to see their little grenadier once -more upon his feet; and I was fool enough to treat the crowd. You see, -I never could keep up a grudge. But here is your dinner, piping hot, -which your friend Lisette has kept in the oven for you. To be sure, you -deserve to take your dinner in the kitchen, for the anxiety that you -have been causing us; but we'll let that pass. Here is José bringing -you an appetizer, according to the custom of all civilized nations. The -old fellow is so glad to see you that he is showing his teeth from ear -to ear. I assure you that he is not one-handed when he is giving his -friends a drink, and still less so when, like his late father, he is -taking one himself." - -"Our young master," answered José, putting the empty plate under his -arm in order to shake Archie's hand, "our young master is always at -his jokes; but Mr. Archie knows very well that if there was only one -glass of brandy left in the world I should give it to him rather than -drink it myself. As for my poor late father, he was a very systematic -man; so many drinks a day and not a drop more--always barring weddings -and festivals and other special occasions. He knew how to live with -propriety, and also how to take his little recreations from time to -time, the worthy man! All I can say is, that when he entertained his -friends he didn't keep the bottle under the table." - -In The Vicar of Wakefield Goldsmith makes the good pastor say: - -"I can't say whether we had more wit among us than usual, but I'm -certain we had more laughing, which answered the end as well." - -The same might be said of the present gathering, over which there -reigned that French light-heartedness which seems, alas, to be -disappearing in what Homer would call these degenerate days. - -"Neighbor," said Captain D'Haberville to Captain des Ecors, "if your -little difficulty with General Murray has not spoiled your throat for -singing, please set a good example by giving us a song." - -"Indeed," said Archie, "I heard that you had great difficulty -in escaping the clutches of our bad-tempered general, but I am -unacquainted with the particulars." - -"When I think of it, my friend," exclaimed Captain des Ecors, "I -feel something of a strangling sensation in my throat. I should not -complain, however, for in my case the general conducted affairs in due -order; instead of hanging me first and trying me afterward, he came to -the wise conclusion that the trial had better precede the hanging. -The fate of the unhappy miller Nadeau, my fellow-prisoner, who was -accused of the same crime as myself, and who was not tried until after -his execution--the sad fate of this respectable man, whose innocence -he heard too late, led him to hesitate before hanging me untried. In -my captivity I passed many a bad quarter of an hour. All communication -with the outside world was forbidden me. I had no means of learning -what fate was in store for me. Every day I asked the sentinel who was -walking up and down beneath my window if he had any news for me, and -ordinarily I received in answer a cordial 'goddam.' At last a soldier, -more accessible and good-humored, who could jabber a scrap of French, -replied to my question, '_Vous pendar sept heures le matingul!_' I -believe this jolly and sympathetic creature put all his knowledge of -French into that one phrase, for to every other question I asked I -received the same reply--'_Vous pendar sept heures le matingul!_' It -was easy to gather from this that I was to be hung some morning at -seven o'clock, but what morning I could not learn. The outlook was -anything but cheerful. For three whole days I had seen the body of the -unfortunate Nadeau hanging from one of the arms of his wind mill, the -plaything of the gale. Every morning I expected that I should be called -to take his place on this novel and ingenious gibbet." - -"Infamous!" cried Archie. "And the man was innocent!" - -"This was proved at the inquest which was held after the execution," -replied Captain des Ecors. "I should add that General Murray appeared -to repent with bitterness for this murder, which he had committed in -his haste. He heaped Nadeau's family with benefits, and adopted his -two little orphan daughters, whom he took with him to England. Poor -Nadeau!" - -All the company echoed the words "Poor Nadeau!" - -"Alas!" said Des Ecor philosophically, "if we were to set ourselves -lamenting for all who have lost their lives by--But let us change a -subject so painful." Then he sang the following song: - - "The new Narcissus am I named, - Whom all men most admire; - From water have I been reclaimed, - In wine to drown my fire. - When I behold the rosy hue - That gives my face renown, - Enraptured with the lovely view, - I drink my image down. - - "In all the universe is naught - But tribute pays to thee; - Even the winter's ice is brought - For thy benignant glee. - The Earth exerts her anxious care - Thy nurture to assist; - To ripen thee the sun shines fair; - To drink thee I exist." - -The songs and choruses succeeded each other rapidly. That contributed -by Madame Vincelot wrought up the merriment of the party to a high -pitch. - - "This festal board, this royal cheer, - They clearly tell - (They clearly tell) - Our host is glad to have us here, - And feast us well - (And feast us well); - For even he permits that we - Make Charivari! Charivari! Charivari! - - "Now pour me out a glass, kind host, - Of this good wine (_repeat_), - For I would drink a loving toast-- - This wife of thine (_repeat_), - Who smilingly permits that we - Make Charivari! Charivari! Charivari!" - -To this Madame D'Haberville added the following impromptu stanza: - - "If our endeavor to make your cheer - Be not in vain (_repeat_), - Consider you're the masters here, - And come again (_repeat_), - And it shall be your care that we - Make Charivari! Charivari! Charivari!" - -Then Jules added a verse: - - "Without a spice of rivalry - Dan Cupid nods (_repeat_), - But challenge him to cups, and he - 'Ll accept the odds (_repeat_). - Bacchus and he, as well as we, - Make Charivari! Charivari! Charivari!" - -At the end of each stanza every one pounded on the table with their -hands or rapped on the plates with their forks and spoons, till the din -became something indescribable. - -Blanche, being asked to sing her favorite song of Blaise and Babette, -endeavored to excuse herself and substitute another; but the young -ladies insisted, crying: "Let us have Blaise and Babette by all means; -the minor is so touching." - -"Yes," said Jules, "that is a minor, with its 'My love it is my life'; -a minor to touch the tenderest chord in the feminine heart. Quick, let -us have the sweet minor, to touch the hearts of these charming young -ladies!" - -"We'll make you pay for that in blindman's buff," said one of them. - -"And in the game of forfeits," said another. - -"Look out for yourself, my boy," said Jules, addressing himself, "for -in the hands of these young ladies you stand no better chance than -a cat without claws would in--hades! No matter. Sing away, my dear -sister. Your voice, perhaps, like that of Orpheus, will assuage the -fury of your enemies." - -"The wretch!" chorused the young ladies, "to compare us--But, never -mind, we'll settle with you later. Meanwhile, sing us the song, -Blanche, dear." - -The latter still hesitated. Then, fearing to attract attention by her -refusal, she sang the following song with tears in her voice. It was -the cry of a pure love finding utterance, in spite of all her efforts -to bury it in her heart: - - "For thee, dear heart, these flowers I twine. - My Blaise, accept of thy Babette - The warm rose and the orange-flower, - And jessamine and violet. - Be not thy passion like the bloom, - That shines a day and disappears. - My love is an undying light, - And will not change for time or tears. - - "Dear, be not like the butterfly - That knows each blossom in the glades, - And cheapen not thy sighs and vows - Among the laughing village maids. - Such loves are but the transient bloom - That shines a day and disappears. - My love is an undying light, - And will not change for time or tears. - - "If I should find my beauty fade, - If I must watch these charms depart, - Dear, see thou but my tenderness-- - Oh, look thou only on my heart! - Remember how the transient bloom - Shines for a day and disappears. - My love is an undying light, - And will not change for time or tears." - -Every one was moved by her touching pathos, of which they could not -guess the true cause. They attributed it, lamely enough, to her emotion -on seeing Jules thus brought back to the bosom of his family. To divert -their attention, Jules hastened to say: - -"But it's myself that has brought the pretty song with me from France." - -"Let us have your pretty song," arose the cry on all sides. - -"No," said Jules, "I am keeping it for Mademoiselle Vincelot, to whom I -wish to teach it." - -Now the young lady in question had for some years been declaring -herself very hostile to the idea of marriage; indeed, she had avowed -a pronounced preference for celibacy. But Jules knew that a certain -widower, not waiting quite so long as decorum required, had overcome -the strange repugnance of this tigress of chastity, and had even -prevailed upon her to name the day. This declared opponent of marriage -was in no hurry to thank Jules, whose malicious waggery she knew too -well; but every one cried persistently: "The song! Give us the song, -and you can teach it to Elise at your leisure." - -"As you will," said Jules. "It is very short, but is not wanting in -spice: - - "A maiden is a bird - That seems to love the cage, - Enamored of the nest - That nursed her tender age; - But leave the window wide - And, presto! she's outside - And off on eager wing - To mate and sing." - -They chaffed Elise a good deal, who, like all prudes, took their -pleasantries with rather a bad grace, seeing which, Madame D'Haberville -gave the signal, and the company arose and went into the drawing-room. -Elise, as she was passing Jules, gave him a pinch that nearly brought -the blood. - -"Come, my fair one, whose claws are so sharp," exclaimed Jules, "is -this such a caress as you destined for your future spouse, this which -you are now bestowing on one of your best friends? Happy spouse! May -Heaven keep much joy for him at the last!" - -After the coffee and the customary _pousse-café_ the company went out -into the court-yard to dance country dances and to play fox and geese -and my lady's toilet. Nothing could be more picturesque than this -latter game, played in the open air in a yard studded with trees. The -players took their places each under a tree. One only remained in the -open. Each furnished his or her contribution to my lady's toilet--one -being her dress, another her necklace, another her ring, and so forth. -It was the office of one of the players to direct the game. As soon -as he called for one of these articles the one representing this -article was obliged at once to leave his post, which was promptly taken -possession of by another. Then, as the different articles of my lady's -toilet were called for rapidly, a lively interchange of positions -was set up between the players, the one left out in the first place -striving to capture any post that might be left for an instant vacant. -This merry game was continued until my lady considered her toilet -complete. Then, on the cry, "My lady wants all her toilet," all the -players change places with alacrity, and the one who was left out had -to pay a forfeit. It is not to be supposed that this game was conducted -without a vast deal of laughter and clamor and ludicrous mishaps. - -When the ladies were tired the party went into the house to amuse -themselves less vigorously with such games as "does the company please -you," or "hide the ring," "shepherdess," or "hide and seek," or "hot -cockles," etc. They ended up with a game proposed by Jules, which was -ordinarily productive of much laughter. - -The early Canadians, though redoubtable warriors on the battle-field, -were thorough children in their social gatherings. Being nearly all -kinsfolk or friends of long standing, many of their games which in -these days might be regarded in the best circles as overfamiliar were -robbed of the objectionable element. The stranger would have said that -they were a lot of brothers and sisters letting their spirits have free -play within the privacy of the family. - -It was not without deliberate purpose that Jules, who still felt the -pinch Elise had given him, proposed a game by which he hoped to get -his revenge. This is the game: A lady seated in an arm-chair begins by -choosing some one as her daughter. Her eyes are then blindfolded, and, -by merely feeling the faces of the players, who kneel before her one by -one, with their heads enveloped in a shawl or scarf, she is required to -pick out her daughter. Every time she makes a mistake she has to pay a -forfeit. It is often a man or an old woman who kneels before her thus -disguised, whence arises many a laughable mistake. - -When it came the turn of Elise to take the arm-chair, she did not fail -to select Jules for her daughter, with the purpose of tormenting him a -little during the inspection. As each person knelt at the feet of the -blindfolded lady, all the others sang in chorus: - - "Oh, lady, say, is this your daughter? - Oh, lady, say, is this your daughter? - In buckles of gold and rings galore, - The watermen bold are at the oar." - -The blindfolded lady responds in the same fashion: - - "Oh, yes, it is, it is my daughter, etc." - -Or else: - - "Oh, no, it is not, it is not my daughter; - Oh, no, it is not, it is not my daughter. - In buckles of gold and rings galore, - The watermen bold are at the oar." - -After having inspected several heads, Elise, hearing under the shawl -the stifled laughter of Jules, imagined she had grasped her prey. She -feels his head. It is not unlike that of Jules. The face, indeed, -seems a trifle long, but this rascally Jules has so many tricks for -disguising himself! Did he not mystify the company for a whole evening, -having been introduced as an old aunt just arrived that very day from -France? Under this disguise, did he not have the audacity to kiss all -the pretty women in the room, including Elise herself? The wretch! Yes, -Jules is capable of anything! Under this impression she pinches an ear. -There is a cry of pain and a low growl, followed by a loud barking. She -snatches the bandage from her eyes, to find herself confronted with two -rows of threatening teeth. It was Niger. Just as at the house of Farmer -Dinmont, of whom Scott tell us, all the dogs were named Pepper, so at -the D'Haberville mansion all the dogs were called Niger or Nigra, in -memory of their ancestor, whom the little Jules had named to show his -progress in Latin. - -Elise at once snatched off her high-heeled shoe, and made an attack on -Jules. The latter held poor Niger as a shield, and ran from room to -room, the girl following him hotly amid roars of laughter. - -Oh, happy time when lightness of heart made wit unnecessary! Oh, happy -time when the warmth of welcome made superfluous the luxury which -these ruined Canadians were learning to do without! The houses, like -the hearts of their owners, seemed able to enlarge themselves to meet -every possible demand of hospitality. Sleeping-places were improvised -upon the slightest occasion; and when once the ladies were comfortably -provided for the sterner sex found no difficulty in shifting for -themselves. These men, who had passed half their life in camp during -the harshest seasons; who had journeyed four or five leagues on -snow-shoes, resting by night in holes which they dug in the snow (as -they did when they went to attack the English in Acadia), these men of -iron could do without swan's-down coverlets to their couches. - -The merry-making paused only for sleep, and was renewed in all its -vigor in the morning. As every one then wore powder, the more skillful -would undertake the _rôle_ of hairdresser, or even of barber. The -subject, arrayed in an ample dressing-gown, seated himself gravely in a -chair. The impromptu hairdresser rarely failed to heighten the effect -of his achievement, either by tracing with the powder puff an immense -pair of whiskers on those who lacked such adornment, or, in the case of -those who were already provided, by making one side a great deal longer -than the other. The victim frequently was made aware of his plight only -by the peals of laughter which greeted him on entering the drawing-room. - -The party broke up at the end of three days, in spite of the efforts -of M. and Madame D'Haberville to keep them longer. Archie alone, who -had promised to spend a month with his old friends, kept his word and -remained. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -CONCLUSION. - -Ainsi passe sur la terre tout ce qui fut bon, vertueux, sensible! -Homme, tu n'es qu'un songe rapide, un rêve douloureux; tu n'existes que -par le malheur; tu n'es quelque chose que par la tristesse de ton âme et -l'eternelle mélancolie de ta pensée!--_Chateaubriand._ - - -After the departure of the guests the family fell back into the sweet -intimacy of former days. Jules, whom his native air had restored to -health, passed the greater part of the day in hunting with Archie. -The abundance of game at that season made the pastime very agreeable. -They took supper at seven, they went to bed at ten, and the evenings -seemed all too short even without the help of cards. Jules, who was -ignorant of what had passed between his sister and Archie, could not -but be struck with his friend's unusual sadness, of which, however, he -failed to guess the cause. To all questions on the subject he received -an evasive answer. Finally, imagining that he had found the root of -the difficulty, one evening when they were alone together he put the -question directly. - -"I have noticed, my brother," said he, "the sadness which you endeavor -to conceal from us. You are unjust to us, Archie, you do yourself an -injustice. You should not brood over the past. In saving the lives -which would otherwise have been lost in the shipwreck of the Auguste, -you have done my family a service which more than compensates for what -took place before. It is we now who owe you a debt of gratitude which -can never be repaid. It was very natural that, prejudiced by report -and for the moment forgetful of your noble heart, even such friends as -we, imbittered by our losses, should lend an ear to calumnies against -you; but you know that a simple explanation was enough to re-cement -our old friendship. If my father bore his grudge for a long time, you -know his nature and must make allowance for it. He feels now all his -old affection for you. Our losses have been in great part repaired, -and we live more tranquilly under the British Government than we did -under the rule of France. Our _habitants_ have followed the example of -Cincinnatus, as Uncle Raoul would say, and exchanged the musket for -the plow-share. They are opening up new land, and in a few years this -_seigneurie_ will be in a most prosperous condition. With the help of -the little legacy which I lately received, we shall soon be as rich -as we were before the conquest. Therefore, my dear Archie, drive away -this gloom which is making us all miserable and resume thy former -lightheartedness." - -Lochiel was silent for some time, and only answered after a painful -effort. - -"Impossible, my brother. The wound is more recent than you imagine and -will bleed all my life, for all my hopes are destroyed. But let us -leave the subject; for I have already been wounded in my tenderest and -purest emotions, and an unsympathetic word from you would finish me." - -"An unsympathetic word from my lips, do you say, Archie? What can you -mean by that? The friend whom I have sometimes vexed with my raillery -knows very well what my heart is toward him, and that I was always -ready to crave his pardon. You shake your head sadly! Great heaven, -what is the matter? What is there that you can not confide to your -brother, the friend of your boyhood? Never have I had anything to -conceal from you. My thoughts were as open to you as your own, and I -had imagined that you were as frank with me. A curse upon whatever has -been able to come between us!" - -"Stop, Jules, stop," cried Archie. "However painful my confidences -may be to you, I must tell you all rather than let you harbor such -a cruel suspicion. I am going to open my heart to you, but on the -express condition that you shall hear me uninterruptedly to the end, -as an impartial judge. Not till to-morrow will we return to this sore -subject. Meanwhile, promise to keep the secret that I am going to -confide to you." - -"I give you my word," said Jules, grasping his hand. - -Thereupon Lochiel recounted minutely the conversation that he had had -with Blanche. As soon as he came to an end he lit a candle and withdrew -to his own room. - -As for Jules, he stormed within himself all night. Having studied women -only in the _salons_ of St. Germain, his vigorous common sense could -ill appreciate the sublimity that there was in the sacrifice which his -sister was imposing upon herself. Such sentiments appeared to him mere -romantic and exaggerated nonsense, or the product of an imagination -rendered morbid by calamity. With his heart set upon an alliance which -would gratify his dearest wishes, he resolved that, with the consent of -Archie, he would have a very serious conversation with Blanche, from -which he felt confident he would come off victorious. "She loves him," -thought he, "and therefore my cause is already gained." - -Man, with all his apparent superiority, with all his self-confident -vanity, has never yet sounded the depths of the feminine heart, that -inexhaustible treasure-house of love, devotion, and self-sacrifice. -The poets have sung in every key this being who came all beauty -from the hands of her Creator; but what is all this physical beauty -compared to the spiritual beauty of a noble and high-souled woman? -Indeed, who is more miserable than man in the face of adversity, -when, poor pygmy, he leans on the fortitude of a woman, who bears the -burden uncomplainingly. It is not surprising then that Jules, knowing -woman only on the surface, expected an easy triumph over his sister's -scruples. - -"Come, Blanche," said Jules to his sister, the next day, after dinner, -"there's our Scottish Nimrod setting out with his gun to get some birds -for our supper. Let's you and I see if we can scale the bluff as nimbly -as we used to." - -"With all my heart," answered Blanche. "You shall see that my Canadian -legs have lost none of their agility." - -The brother and sister, assisting themselves by the projecting rocks, -and by the shrubs which clung in the crevices of the cliff, speedily -scaled the difficult path that led to the summit. After gazing in -silence for a time at the magnificent panorama unrolled before them, -Jules said to his sister: - -"I had an object in bringing you here. I wanted to talk to you on -a subject of the greatest importance. You love our friend Archie; -you have loved him for a long time; yet for reasons that I can not -comprehend, for over-exalted sentiments which warp your judgment, you -are imposing upon yourself an unnatural sacrifice and preparing for -yourself a future of wretchedness. As for me, if I loved an English -girl, and she returned my affection, I would marry her just as readily -as if she were one of my own countrywomen." - -Blanche's eyes filled with tears. Taking her brother's hand -affectionately, she answered: - -"If you were to marry an English girl, my dear Jules, I should take her -to my heart as a sister; but that which you could do without incurring -any reproach, would be cowardice on my part. Nobly have you paid your -debt to your country. Your voice has nerved your soldiers through the -most terrible conflicts. Twice has your bleeding body been dragged from -our battle-fields, and three times have you been wounded in Old World -struggles. Yes, my beloved brother, you have fulfilled all your duty -to your country, and you can afford to indulge, if you wish, the whim -of taking a daughter of England to wife. But I, a weak woman, what -have I done for this enslaved and now silent land, this land which -has rung so often of old with the triumphant voices of my countrymen? -Shall a daughter of the D'Habervilles be the first to set the example -of a double yoke to the daughters of Canada? It is natural and even -desirable that the French and English in Canada, having now one country -and the same laws, should forget their ancient hostility and enter -into the most intimate relationships; but I am not the one to set the -example. They would say, as I told Archie, that the proud Briton, after -having vanquished and ruined the father, had purchased with his gold -the poor Canadian girl! Never, never shall it be said!" And the girl -wept bitterly on her brother's shoulder. - -"No one will know of it," she continued, "and you yourself will never -realize the full extent of the sacrifice I am making, but fear not, -Jules, I have the strength for it. Proud of the sentiments by which -I have been inspired, I shall pass my days serenely in the bosom of -my family. Of this be sure," she continued in a voice that thrilled -with exaltation, "that she who has loved the noble Cameron of Lochiel -will never soil her bosom with another earthly love. You made a -mistake in selecting this spot, Jules, wherein to talk to me on such a -subject--this spot whence I have so often gazed proudly on the mansion -of my fathers, which is now replaced by yonder poor dwelling. Let us go -down now, and if you love me never mention this painful subject again." - -"Noble soul!" cried Jules, and he held her sobbing in his arms. - -Archie, having lost all hope of wedding Blanche D'Haberville, set -himself to repaying the debt of gratitude which he owed Dumais. The -refusal of Blanche changed his first intentions and left him more -latitude; for he now resolved upon a life of celibacy. Archie, whom -misfortune had brought to an early maturity, had studied men and things -with great coolness of judgment; and he had come to the wise conclusion -that marriage is rarely a success unless based on mutual love. Unlike -most young men, Lochiel was genuinely modest. Though endowed with -remarkable beauty, and with all those qualities which go to captivate -women, he nevertheless remained always simple and unassuming in his -manner. He further believed, with Molière's Toinette, that the pretense -of love often bears a very close resemblance to the reality. "When I -was poor and in exile," thought he, "I was loved for my own sake; now -that I am rich, who knows that another woman would love in me anything -but my wealth and my rank, even supposing that I should succeed in -banishing from my heart my first and only love." Archie decided then -that he would never marry. - -The sun was disappearing behind the Laurentian hills, when Lochiel -arrived at the farm of Dumais. The order and prosperity which reigned -there gave him an agreeable surprise. The good wife, busy in her -dairy, where a fat servant girl was helping her, came forward to meet -him without recognizing him, and invited him to enter the house. - -"This is the house of Sergeant Dumais, I believe," said Archie. - -"Yes, sir, and I am his wife. My husband should be back presently from -the fields with a load of grain. I will send one of the children to -hurry him up." - -"There is no hurry, madam. I have called to give you news of a certain -Mr. Archie de Lochiel, whom you once knew. Perhaps you have forgotten -him." - -Madame Dumais came nearer. After studying his face intently for some -moments, she said: - -"There is certainly a resemblance. Doubtless you are one of his -kinsfolk. Forget Mr. Archie! He could never think us capable of such -ingratitude. Do you not know, then, that he faced almost certain death -to save my husband's life, and that we pray to God every day that he -will bless our benefactor? Forget Mr. Archie! You grieve me, sir." - -Lochiel was much moved. Lifting into his lap the little seven-year-old -Louise, Dumais's youngest child, he said to her: - -"And you, my little one, do you know Mr. Archie?" - -"I have never seen him," said the child, "but we pray for him every -day." - -"What do you pray?" asked Archie. - -"O God, bless Mr. Archie, who saved papa's life, as long as he lives; -and, when he dies, take him to your holy paradise." - -Lochiel continued to chat with Madame Dumais till the latter heard -her husband's voice at the barn. She ran to tell him that there was a -stranger in the house with news from Mr. Archie. Dumais was preparing -to pitch off his load, but he threw down the fork and rushed into the -house. It was by this time too dark for him to make out the stranger's -face. - -"You are indeed welcome," said he, "coming with news from one so dear -to us." - -"You are--Sergeant Dumais?" inquired Archie. - -"You are Mr. Archie!" cried Dumais, clasping him in his arms. "Do you -think I could forget the voice that cried to me 'Courage!' when I was -hanging on the brink of the abyss--the voice I heard so often in my -sickness?" - -Toward the end of the evening Archie said: - -"My dear Dumais, I am come to ask a great favor." - -"A favor!" exclaimed Dumais. "Could I, a poor farmer, be so fortunate -as to do you a favor? It would be the happiest day of my life." - -"Well, Dumais, it depends upon you to restore me to health. Though I -may not look it, I am sick, more sick than you could imagine." - -"Indeed," said Dumais, "you are pale, and sadder than of old. Good -heaven! What is the matter?" - -"Have you ever heard of a malady to which the English are very subject, -and which they call the spleen, or blue devils?" - -"No," said Dumais. "I have known several of your English who, if I may -say it without offense, seemed to have the devil in them; but I had -imagined that these devils were of a darker hue." - -Archie began to laugh. - -"What we, my dear Dumais, call the blue devils is known among you -Canadians as '_peine d'esprit_.'" - -"I understand now," said Dumais, "but what astonishes me is that a man -like you, with everything heart could wish, should be amusing himself -with blue devils." - -"My dear Dumais," replied Archie, "I might answer that every one in -the world has his sorrows, however fortunate he may seem; but it is -enough now to say that the malady is upon me, and that I count upon you -to help me to a cure." - -"Command me, Mr. Archie; for I am at your service day and night." - -"I have tried everything," continued Archie. "I have tried study, I -have tried literary work. I am better in the day-time, but my nights -are usually sleepless, and when I do sleep, I wake up as miserable as -ever. I have concluded that nothing but hard manual labor can cure me. -After toiling all day, I imagine that I shall win such a slumber as has -long been denied me." - -"Very true," said Dumais. "When a man has labored all day with his -hands, I defy him to suffer from sleeplessness at night. But how shall -I have the pleasure of helping you?" - -"I expect you to cure me, my dear Dumais. But listen while I explain my -plans. I am now rich, and since Providence has given me riches which I -had never expected, I should employ a portion of them in doing good. -In this parish and the neighborhood there is an immense deal of land -unoccupied, either for sale or to be granted. My plan is to take up a -large acreage of such lands, and not only superintend the clearing, but -work at it myself. You know that I have good arms; and I will do as -much as any of the rest." - -"I know it," said Dumais. - -"There are many poor fellows," continued Archie, "who will be glad -enough to get work at such good wages as I shall give. You understand, -Dumais, that I shall have to have some one to help me. Moreover, what -would I do in the evening and during bad weather, without a friend to -keep me company? It is then that my melancholy would kill me." - -"Let us set out to-morrow," cried Dumais, "and visit the best lots, -which, for that matter, I already know pretty well." - -"Thank you," said Archie, grasping his hand; "but who will take care of -your farm in your frequent absences?" - -"Don't be anxious on that score, sir. My wife could manage very well -alone, even without her brother, an old bachelor, who lives with us. My -farm has never suffered much from my absence. I have always preferred -the musket to the plow. My wife scolds me occasionally on this subject; -but we are none the worse friends for that." - -"Do you know," said Archie, "that yonder by the edge of the river, near -that maple grove, is the most charming situation for a house. Yours is -old. We will build one large enough for us all. I will build it, on -condition that I have the right to occupy half of it during my life; -and on my death all will belong to you. I have resolved to remain a -bachelor." - -"Men like you," said Dumais, "are altogether too scarce. It would be -wrong to let the breed die out. But I begin to understand that you are -thinking less about yourself than about me and my family, and that you -are seeking to make us rich." - -"Let us speak frankly," answered Archie. "I have no true friends in the -world but the D'Haberville family and yours." - -"Thank you, sir," said Dumais, "for classing us poor farmers with that -illustrious family." - -"I only consider the virtues and good qualities of men," answered -Lochiel. "To be sure, I love and respect birth and breeding, which does -not prevent me from loving and respecting all men who are worthy of -such sentiments. I want to give you a fourth part of my fortune." - -"Oh, sir!" cried Dumais. - -"Listen a moment, my friend," continued Lochiel. "When I told you that -I was suffering from what you call '_peine d'esprit_,' I was telling -the literal truth. I have found the remedy for this trouble. It lies -in plenty of hard work and in helping my friends. I am going to give -you during my life-time a quarter of my fortune. Look out for yourself, -Dumais! I am obstinate, like all Scotchmen. If you trifle with me, -instead of a quarter, I am as likely as not to give you a half. But, to -speak seriously, my dear Dumais, you would be doing me a very ill turn, -indeed, if you should refuse me." - -"If this is the case, sir," said Dumais, with tears in his eyes, "I -accept your gift." - -Let us leave Lochiel busying himself in heaping benefits on Dumais, and -let us return to our other friends. - -"The good gentleman," now almost a hundred years old, lived but a year -after Jules's return. He died surrounded by his friends, having been -most lovingly nursed by Blanche and Jules throughout the month of his -last illness. A little while before his death he begged Jules to open -his bed-room window, and, casting a feeble glance toward the stream -which rolled peacefully past his door, he murmured: - -"There it is, my friend; there's the walnut tree in whose shadow I told -you the story of my misfortunes; it was there I counseled you from my -own experience. I die content, for I see that you have profited by my -words. When I am gone, take this little candlestick. It will remind you -of the vigils it has witnessed and of the advice which I have given you. - -"As for you, my dear and faithful André," exclaimed M. d'Egmont, "it -grieves me to leave you alone in this world where you have shared my -sorrows. You have promised me to pass the rest of your days with the -D'Habervilles, who will care for your old age tenderly. You know that -after your death the poor are to be our heirs." - -"My dear master," said Franc[oe]ur, sobbing, "the poor will not have -long to wait for their inheritance." - -Having bid farewell to all his friends, "the good gentleman" asked the -priest to say the prayers for the dying. Just at the words, "_Partez -âme Chrétienne, au nom du Dieu tout-puissant qui vous a créé_," he -breathed his last. Sterne would have said: - -"The recording angel of the court of heaven shed a tear upon the -follies of his youth, and blotted them out forever." The angels are -more compassionate than men, who neither forget nor forgive the faults -of others! - -André Franc[oe]ur was struck with paralysis on the day of his master's -burial, and survived him but three weeks. - - * * * * * - -When Jules had said to his sister: "If I loved an English girl and -she would have me, I would marry her as readily as one of my own -countrywomen," Blanche had been far from suspecting her brother's -real intentions. The truth was that Jules, on his voyage across the -Atlantic, had made the acquaintance of a young English girl of great -beauty. A second Saint-Preux, Jules had given her lessons in something -more than French grammar during a passage that lasted two months. He -had shown excellent taste. The young girl, in addition to her beauty, -possessed the qualities to inspire a true passion. - -All obstacles being at length overcome, and the consent of both -families obtained, in the following year Jules married the fair -daughter of Albion, who soon won the hearts of all about her. - -Uncle Raoul, always bitter against the English on account of the -leg which he had lost in Acadia, but too well bred to fail in the -proprieties, used at first to shut himself up whenever he wanted to -swear comfortably at the compatriots of his lovely niece; but by the -end of a month she had entirely captivated him, whereupon he suddenly -suppressed his oaths, to the great benefit of his soul and of the pious -ears which he had scandalized. - -"That rascal of a Jules," said Uncle Raoul, "showed very good taste -in wedding this young English woman. His Holiness the Pope of old was -quite right when he said that these young islanders would be angels if -only they were Christians; _non angli, sed angeli fuissent, si essent -Christiani_." - -It was another thing when the dear uncle, trotting a little nephew on -one knee and a little niece on the other, used to sing them the songs -of the Canadian _voyageurs_. How proud he was when their mother used to -cry: - -"For pity sake, come to my help, dear uncle, for the little demons -won't go to sleep without you." - -Uncle Raoul had charged himself with the military education of his -nephew. Therefore, before he was four years old, this pygmy warrior, -armed with a little wooden gun, might be seen making furious attacks -against the ample stomach of his instructor, who was obliged to defend -with his cane the part assaulted. - -"The little scamp," said the chevalier recovering himself, "is going to -have the dashing courage of the D'Habervilles, with the persistence and -independence of the proud islanders from whom he is descended through -his mother." - -José had at first shown himself rather cool toward his young mistress, -but he ended by becoming warmly attached to her. She had speedily -found the weak point in his armor of reserve. José, like his late -father, dearly loved his glass, which, however, produced very little -effect upon his hard head. It was as if one should pour the liquor -upon the head of the weather-cock, and expect to confuse the judgment -of that venerable but volatile bird. His young mistress was forever -offering José a drop of brandy to warm him or a glass of wine to -refresh him; till José ended by declaring that if the Englishmen were -somewhat uncivil, their countrywomen by no means resembled them in that -regard. - -With their minds at ease as to the future of their children, M. and -Madame D'Haberville lived happily to extreme old age. The captain's -last words to his son were: - -"Serve your new sovereign as faithfully as I have served the King of -France; and may God bless you, my dear son, for the comfort that you -have been to me!" - -Uncle Raoul, dying three years before his brother, bid farewell to -life with but one regret. He would have liked to see his little nephew -fairly launched on the career of arms, the only career he considered -quite worthy of a D'Haberville. Having perceived, however, that the -child made great progress in his studies, he comforted himself with the -thought that, if not a soldier, his nephew might turn out a _savant_ -like himself and keep the torch of learning lighted in the family. - -José, who had a constitution of iron and sinews of steel, who had never -had an hour of sickness, regarded death as a sort of hypothetical -event. One of his friends said to him one day after his master's death: - -"Do you know, José, you must be at least eighty years old, and one -would scarcely take you to be fifty." - -José leaned upon his hip to show his steadiness, blew through his pipe -to expel a bit of ashes, fumbled in his pocket with his one remaining -hand till he found his tobacco and his flint and steel, and at length -replied with great deliberation. - -"As you know, I am the foster-brother of our late captain; I was -brought up in his house; I have followed him in every campaign that he -has made; I have trained his two children; I have begun, do you see, -upon a new charge, the care of his grandchildren. Very well, then! As -long as a D'Haberville needs my services, I don't propose to leave." - -"Do you think, then, that you will live as long as the late -Maqueue-salé [Methuselah]?" asked the neighbor. - -"Longer still, if need be," replied José. - -Then, having taken from his pocket everything which he needed, he -filled his pipe, put a bit of lighted tinder on the bowl, and applied -himself to smoking while he regarded his friend with the air of a man -convinced of the truth of everything which he has said. - -José kept his word for a dozen years; but it was in vain that he -endeavored to strengthen himself against old age by occupying himself -with his usual tasks, despite the remonstrances of his masters, and at -last he was forced to keep the house. All the family were anxious about -him. - -"What is the matter, my dear José?" said Jules. - -"Bah! only laziness," replied José, "or perhaps my rheumatics." - -But José had never had an attack of that malady. This was only an -excuse. - -"Give the good old fellow, ma'am, his morning glass, it will revive -him," said Archie. - -"I am going to bring you a little glass of excellent brandy," said -Madame Jules. - -"Not just now," replied José, "I always have some in my trunk, but -this morning it doesn't appeal to me." - -They began to be seriously alarmed; this was a bad symptom. - -"Then I am going to make you a cup of tea," said Madame Jules, "and you -will feel better." - -"My English wife," said Jules, "thinks tea a remedy for all ills." - -José drank the tea, and declared that it was a fine medicine and that -he felt better, but this did not prevent the faithful servant from -taking to his bed that very evening never to leave it alive. - -When the brave fellow knew that his end was drawing near, he said to -Jules, who watched with him through the night: - -"I have prayed the good God to prolong my life to your childrens' next -holidays, so that I might see them once more before I die, but I shall -not have that consolation." - -"You shall see them to-morrow, my dear José." - -An hour later Lochiel was on the way to Quebec, and on the next evening -all those who were the dearest in the world to that faithful and -affectionate servant were gathered around his death-bed. After talking -with them for some time and bidding them a most tender farewell, he -summoned all his strength in order to sit up in bed, and when Jules -approached to support him, a burning tear fell on his hand. After this -last effort of that strong nature, he who had shared the good and the -bad fortune of the D'Habervilles fell back and ceased to breathe. - -"Let us pray for the soul of one of the best men that I have known," -said Archie, closing his eyes. - -Jules and Blanche, in spite of remonstrances, would not resign to any -one the task of watching beside their old friend during the three days -that his body remained at the manor house. - -"If one of our family had died," they said, "Jules would not have left -him to another's care." - -One day when Archie, in the course of one of his frequent visits to the -D'Habervilles, was walking with Jules in front of the manor house, he -saw approaching on foot an old man, decently clad, carrying a sealskin -bag on his shoulders. - -"Who is that man?" he asked. - -"Ah," said Jules, "that is our friend, M. D----, carrying his office on -his back." - -"What! His office?" said Archie. - -"Certainly. He is an itinerant notary. Every three months he travels -through certain districts, drawing up new deeds and finishing up copies -of the rough drafts which he always carries with him in order that he -may not be taken unawares. He is an excellent and very amiable man, -French by birth, and very intelligent. On coming to Canada he began -with a small trade in pictures which proved unprofitable, and then, -remembering that he had formerly studied for two years with an advocate -in France, he boldly presented himself before the judges, and passed an -examination, which, if not brilliant, was at least satisfactory enough -for his new country, and then returned home in triumph with a notary's -commission in his pocket. I assure you that every one gets on well with -his deeds, which are drawn with a most scrupulous honesty that supplies -the place of the diction, purer but often tarnished by bad faith, of -more learned notaries." - -"Your nomadic notary," replied Archie, smiling, "arrives opportunely. I -have work for him." - -In fact, Lochiel, who was already well advanced in the task of clearing -which he was so actively engaged upon for the benefit of his friend -Dumais, made over to him in due form all his real estate, reserving -only for himself during his life-time the half of the new and spacious -house which he had built. - -The visits of Archie to the manor house became more frequent as he -advanced in age, and he ended by establishing himself there altogether. -Blanche was no longer in his eyes anything more than an adopted sister; -and the sweet name of brother, which Blanche had given him, purified -the remnant of passion which yet clung to the heart of this noble woman. - - * * * * * - -The author has become so attached to the chief characters in this -veracious history that it costs him a pang to banish them from the -scene. He fears also to grieve those of his readers who may share this -attachment should he kill them all off with one stroke of the pen. Time -will do the fatal work without the author's assistance. - -It is eleven o'clock in the evening, toward the end of October. The -D'Haberville family are gathered in a little parlor sufficiently -illuminated, without the help of the candles, by the flame from an -armful of dry cedar chips which are blazing in the great chimney. -Lochiel, now nearly sixty years of age, is playing a game of draughts -with Blanche. Jules, seated between his wife and daughter, near the -fire, is teasing them both without altogether neglecting the players. - -Young Archie D'Haberville, only son of Jules and godson of Lochiel, -is in a brown study. He is following the fantastic figures which his -imagination has created in the flames now dying slowly on the hearth. - -"What are you thinking about, my grave philosopher?" said his father. - -"I have been watching with intense interest," answered the young man, -"a little group of men, women, and children who have been walking, -dancing, rising, falling, and who have at length all vanished." - -The cedar fire had just died out. - -"You are the true son of your mother, a godson worthy of your -godfather," said Jules D'Haberville, rising to bid good-night. - -Like the fantastic figures which young D'Haberville was watching in -the flames, my characters, dear reader, have been moving for some time -before your eyes, to vanish suddenly, perhaps forever, with him who set -them in motion. - -Farewell, then, dear reader, before my hand, growing more cold than our -Canadian winters, refuses any longer to trace my thoughts. - - -THE END. - - - - -L. C. Page and Company's -Announcement List -of New Fiction - - - - -The Flight of Georgiana - - -+A Romance of the Days of the Young Pretender.+ By +Robert Neilson -Stephens+, author of "The Bright Face of Danger," "An Enemy to the -King," "The Mystery of Murray Davenport," etc. - - -Library 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50 - - -Mr. Stephens's novels all bear the hall-mark of success, for his men -are always live, his women are always worthy of their cavaliers, and -his adventures are of the sort to stir the most sluggish blood without -overstepping the bounds of good taste. - -The theme of the new novel is one which will give Mr. Stephens splendid -scope for all the powers at his command. The career of "Bonnie Prince -Charlie" was full of romance, intrigue, and adventure; his life was a -series of episodes to delight the soul of a reader of fiction, and Mr. -Stephens is to be congratulated for his selection of such a promising -subject. - - - - -Mrs. Jim and Mrs. Jimmie - -By +Stephen Conrad+, author of "The Second Mrs. Jim." - - -Library 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50 - - - - -This new book is in a sense a sequel to "The Second Mrs. Jim," since -it gives further glimpses of that delightful step-mother and her -philosophy. This time, however, she divides the field with "Mrs. -Jimmie," who is quite as attractive in her different way. The book has -more plot than the former volume, a little less philosophy perhaps, but -just as much wholesome fun. In many ways it is a stronger book, and -will therefore take an even firmer hold on the public. - - - - -The Story of Red Fox - - -Told by +Charles G. D. Roberts+, author of "The Watchers of the -Trails," "The Kindred of the Wild," "Barbara Ladd," etc. - -Library 12mo, cloth decorative, with fifty illustrations and cover -design by Charles Livingston Bull - - -$2.00 - - - - -Mr. Roberts's reputation as a scientifically accurate writer, whose -literary skill transforms his animal stories into masterpieces, stands -unrivalled in his particular field. - -This is his first long animal story, and his romance of Red Fox, from -babyhood to patriarchal old age, makes reading more fascinating than -any work of fiction. In his hands Red Fox becomes a personality so -strong that one entirely forgets he is an animal, and his haps and -mishaps grip you as do those of a person. - -Mr. Bull, as usual, fits his pictures to the text as hand to glove, and -the ensemble becomes a book as near perfection as it is possible to -attain. - - - - -Return - - -+A Story of the Sea Islands in 1739.+ By +Alice MacGowan+ and -+Grace MacGowan Cooke+, authors of "The Last Word," etc. With six -illustrations by C. D. Williams. Library 12mo, cloth - - -$1.50 - - -A new romance, undoubtedly the best work yet done by Miss MacGowan and -Mrs. Cooke. The heroine of "Return," Diana Chaters, is the belle of the -Colonial city of Charles Town, S. C., in the early eighteenth century, -and the hero is a young Virginian of the historical family of Marshall. -The youth, beauty, and wealth of the fashionable world, which first -form the environment of the romance, are pictured in sharp contrast to -the rude and exciting life of the frontier settlements in the Georgia -Colony, and the authors have missed no opportunities for telling -characterizations. But "Return" is, above all, a _love-story_. - -We quote the opinion of Prof. Charles G. D. Roberts, who has read the -advance sheets: "It seems to me a story of quite unusual strength and -interest, full of vitality and crowded with telling characters. I -greatly like the authors' firm, bold handling of their subject." - - - - -Lady Penelope - - -By +Morley Roberts+, author of "Rachel Marr," "The Promotion of the -Admiral," etc. With nine illustrations by Arthur W. Brown. - - -Library 12mo, cloth $1.50 - - -Mr. Roberts certainly has versatility, since this book has not a -single point of similarity with either "Rachel Marr" or his well-known -sea stories. Its setting is the English so-called "upper crust" of -the present day. Lady Penelope is quite the most up-to-date young -lady imaginable and equally charming. As might be expected from -such a heroine, her _automobiling_ plays an important part in the -development of the plot. Lady Penelope has a large number of suitors, -and her method of choosing her husband is original and provocative of -delightful situations and mirthful incidents. - - - - -The Winged Helmet - - -By +Harold Steele MacKaye+, author of "The Panchronicon," -etc. With six illustrations by H. C. Edwards. - - -Library 12mo, cloth $1.50 - - -When an author has an original theme on which to build his story, -ability in construction of unusual situations, skill in novel -characterization, and a good literary style, there can be no doubt -but that his work is worth reading. "The Winged Helmet" is of this -description. - -The author gives in this novel a convincing picture of life in the -early sixteenth century, and the reader will be delighted with its -originality of treatment, freshness of plot, and unexpected climaxes. - - - - -A Captain of Men - - -By +E. Anson More+. - - -Library 12mo, cloth, illustrated $1.50 - - -A tale of Tyre and those merchant princes whose discovery of the value -of tin brought untold riches into the country and afforded adventures -without number to those daring seekers for the mines. Merodach, the -Assyrian, Tanith, the daughter of the richest merchant of Tyre, -Miriam, her Hebrew slave, and the dwarf Hiram, who was the greatest -artist of his day, are a quartette of characters hard to surpass in -individuality. It has been said that the powerful order of Free Masons -first had its origin in the meetings which were held at Hiram's studio -in Tyre, where gathered together the greatest spirits of that age and -place. - - - - -The Paradise of the Wild Apple - - -By +Richard LeGallienne+, author of "Old Love Stories -Retold," "The Quest of the Golden Girl," etc. - - -Library 12mo, cloth decorative $1.50 - - -The theme of Mr. LeGallienne's new romance deals with the instinct of -wildness in human nature,--the wander spirit and impatience of tame -domesticity, the preference for wild flowers and fruits, and the glee -in summer storms and elemental frolics. A wild apple-tree, high up in -a rocky meadow, is symbolic of all this, and Mr. LeGallienne works out -in a fashion at once imaginative and serious the romance of a young man -well placed from the view of worldly goods and estate, who suddenly -hungers for the "wild apples" of his youth. The theme has limitless -possibilities, and Mr. LeGallienne is artist enough to make adequate -use of them. - - - - -The Grapple - - -Library 12mo, cloth decorative $1.50 - - -This story of a strike in the coal mines of Pennsylvania gives both -sides of the question,--the Union and its methods, and the non-Union -workers and their loyal adherents, with a final typical clash at the -end. The question is an absorbing one, and it is handled fearlessly. - -For the present at least "The Grapple" will be issued anonymously. - - - - -Brothers of Peril - - -By +Theodore Roberts+, author of "Hemming the Adventurer." - - -Library 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50 - - -"Brothers of Peril" has an unusual plot, dealing with a now extinct -race, the Beothic Indians of the sixteenth century, who were the -original inhabitants of Newfoundland when that island was merely a -fishing-station for the cod-seeking fleets of the old world. - -The story tells of the adventures of a young English cavalier, who, -left behind by the fleet, finds another Englishman, with his daughter -and servants, who is hiding from the law. A French adventurer and -pirate, who is an unwelcome suitor for the daughter, plays an important -part. Encounters between the Indians and the small colony of white men -on the shore, and perilous adventures at sea with a shipload of pirates -led by the French buccaneer, make a story of breathless interest. - - - - -The Black Barque - - -By +T. Jenkins Hains+, author of "The Wind Jammers," "The Strife of the -Sea," etc. With five illustrations by W. Herbert Dunton. - - -Library 12mo, cloth $1.50 - - -According to a high naval authority who has seen the advance sheets, -this is one of the best sea stories ever offered to the public. "The -Black Barque" is a story of slavery and piracy upon the high seas about -1815, and is written with a thorough knowledge of deep-water sailing. -This, Captain Hains's first long sea story, realistically pictures -a series of stirring scenes at the period of the destruction of the -exciting but nefarious traffic in slaves, in the form of a narrative -by a young American lieutenant, who, by force of circumstances, finds -himself the gunner of "The Black Barque." - - - - -Cameron of Lochiel - - -Translated from the French of +Philippe Aubert de Gaspé+ by +Prof. -Charles G. D. Roberts+. - - -Library 12mo, cloth decorative $1.50 - - -The publishers are gratified to announce a new edition of a book by -this famous author, who may be called the Walter Scott of Canada. -This interesting and valuable romance is fortunate in having for its -translator Professor Roberts, who has caught perfectly the spirit of -the original. The French edition first appeared under the title of "Les -Anciens Canadiens" in 1862, and was later translated and appeared in an -American edition now out of print. - -Patriotism, devotion to the French-Canadian nationality, a just pride -of race, and a loving memory for his people's romantic and heroic past, -are the dominant chords struck by the author throughout the story. - - - - -Castel del Monte - - -By +Nathan Gallizier+. Illustrated by H. C. Edwards. - - -Library 12mo, cloth $1.50 - - -A powerful romance of the fall of the Hohenstaufen dynasty in Italy, -and the overthrow of Manfred by Charles of Anjou, the champion of Pope -Clement IV. The Middle Ages are noted for the weird mysticism and -the deep fatalism characteristic of a people believing in signs and -portents and the firm hand of fate. Mr. Gallizier has brought out these -characteristics in a marked degree. - - - - -Slaves of Success - - -By +Elliot Flower+, author of "The Spoilsmen," etc. With twenty -illustrations by different artists. - - -Library 12mo, cloth $1.50 - - -Another striking book by Mr. Flower, whose work is already so well -known, both through his long stories and his contributions to -_Collier's_, the _Saturday Evening Post_, etc. Like his first success, -"The Spoilsmen," it deals with politics, but in the broader field of -state and national instead of municipal. The book has recently appeared -in condensed form as a serial in _Collier's Magazine_, where it -attracted wide-spread attention, and the announcement of its appearance -in book form will be welcomed by Mr. Flower's rapidly increasing -audience. The successful delineation of characters like John Wade, Ben -Carroll, Azro Craig, and Allen Sidway throws new strong lights on the -inside workings of American business and political "graft." - - - - -Silver Bells - - -By +Col. Andrew C. P. Haggard+, author of "Hannibal's Daughter," "Louis -XIV. in Court and Camp," etc. With cover design and frontispiece by -Charles Livingston Bull. - - -Library 12mo, cloth $1.50 - - -Under the thin veneer of conventionality and custom lurks in many -hearts the primeval instinct to throw civilization to the winds and -hark back to the ways of the savages in the wilderness, and it often -requires but a mental crisis or an emotional upheaval to break through -the coating. Geoffrey Digby was such an one, who left home and kindred -to seek happiness among the Indians of Canada, in the vast woods which -always hold an undefinable mystery and fascination. He gained renown as -a mighty hunter, and the tale of his life there, and the romance which -awaited him, will be heartily enjoyed by all who like a good love-story -with plenty of action not of the "stock" order. "Silver Bells," the -Indian girl, is a perfect "child of nature." - - - - -Selections from L. C. Page and Company's List of Fiction - -WORKS OF ROBERT NEILSON STEPHENS - - -=Captain Ravenshaw=; +Or, The Maid of Cheapside+. (40th thousand.) A -romance of Elizabethan London. Illustrations by Howard Pyle and other -artists. - - -Library 12mo, cloth $1.50 - - -Not since the absorbing adventures of D'Artagnan have we had anything -so good in the blended vein of romance and comedy. The beggar student, -the rich goldsmith, the roisterer and the rake, the fop and the maid, -are all here: foremost among them Captain Ravenshaw himself, soldier -of fortune and adventurer, who, after escapades of binding interest, -finally wins a way to fame and to matrimony. - - - - -=Philip Winwood.= (70th thousand.) A Sketch of the Domestic History -of an American Captain in the War of Independence, embracing events -that occurred between and during the years 1763 and 1785 in New York -and London. Written by his Enemy in War, Herbert Russell, Lieutenant -in the Loyalist Forces. Presented anew by +Robert Neilson Stephens+. -Illustrated by E. W. D. Hamilton. - - -Library 12mo, cloth $1.50 - - -"One of the most stirring and remarkable romances that have been -published in a long while, and its episodes, incidents, and actions are -as interesting and agreeable as they are vivid and dramatic."--_Boston -Times._ - - - - -=The Mystery of Murray Davenport.= (30th thousand.) By +Robert Neilson -Stephens+, author of "An Enemy to the King," "Philip Winwood," etc. - - -Library 12mo, cloth, with six full-page illustrations by H. C. Edwards -$1.50 - - -"This is easily the best thing that Mr. Stephens has yet done. Those -familiar with his other novels can best judge the measure of this -praise, which is generous."--_Buffalo News._ - -"Mr. Stephens won a host of friends through his earlier volumes, but -we think he will do still better work in his new field if the present -volume is a criterion."--_N. Y. Com. Advertiser._ - - - - -=An Enemy to the King.= (60th thousand.) From the "Recently Discovered -Memoirs of the Sieur de la Tournoire." Illustrated by H. De M. Young. - - -Library 12mo, cloth $1.50 - - -An historical romance of the sixteenth century, describing the -adventures of a young French nobleman at the Court of Henry III., and -on the field with Henry of Navarre. - - -"A stirring tale."--_Detroit Free Press._ - -"A royally strong piece of fiction."--_Boston Ideas._ - -"Interesting from the first to the last page."--_Brooklyn Eagle._ - -"Brilliant as a play; it is equally brilliant as a romantic -novel."--_Philadelphia Press._ - - - - -=The Continental Dragoon=: +A Romance of Philipse Manor House in 1778+. -(43d thousand.) Illustrated by H. C. Edwards. - - -Library 12mo, cloth $1.50 - - -A stirring romance of the Revolution, the scene being laid in and -around the old Philipse Manor House, near Yonkers, which at the time of -the story was the central point of the so-called "neutral territory" -between the two armies. - - - - -=The Road to Paris=: +A Story of Adventure+. (25th thousand.) -Illustrated by H. C. Edwards. - - -Library 12mo, cloth $1.50 - - -An historical romance of the 18th century, being an account of the life -of an American gentleman adventurer of Jacobite ancestry, whose family -early settled in the colony of Pennsylvania. - - - - -=A Gentleman Player:= +His Adventures on a Secret Mission for Queen -Elizabeth+. (38th thousand.) Illustrated by Frank T. Merrill. - - -Library 12mo, cloth $1.50 - - -"A Gentleman Player" is a romance of the Elizabethan period. It relates -the story of a young gentleman who, in the reign of Elizabeth, falls so -low in his fortune that he joins Shakespeare's company of players, and -becomes a friend and protégé of the great poet. - - - - -WORKS OF CHARLES G. D. ROBERTS - - -=Barbara Ladd.= With four illustrations by Frank Verbeck. - - -Library 12mo, gilt top $1.50 - - -"From the opening chapter to the final page Mr. Roberts lures us on by -his rapt devotion to the changing aspects of Nature and by his keen and -sympathetic analysis of human character."--_Boston Transcript._ - - - - -=The Kindred of the Wild.= +A Book of Animal Life.+ With fifty-one -full-page plates and many decorations from drawings by Charles -Livingston Bull. - - -Small quarto, decorative cover $2.00 - - -"Professor Roberts has caught wonderfully the elusive individualities -of which he writes. His animal stories are marvels of sympathetic -science and literary exactness. Bound with the superb illustrations by -Charles Livingston Bull, they make a volume which charms, entertains, -and informs."--_New York World._ - -" ... Is in many ways the most brilliant collection of animal stories -that has appeared ... well named and well done."--_John Burroughs._ - - - - -=The Forge in the Forest.= Being the Narrative of the Acadian Ranger, -Jean de Mer, Seigneur de Briart, and how he crossed the Black Abbé, -and of his Adventures in a Strange Fellowship. Illustrated by Henry -Sandham, R.C.A. - - -Library 12mo, cloth, gilt top $1.50 - - -A romance of the convulsive period of the struggle between the French -and English for the possession of North America. The story is one of -pure love and heroic adventure, and deals with that fiery fringe of -conflict that waved between Nova Scotia and New England. The Expulsion -of the Acadians is foreshadowed in these brilliant pages, and the part -of the "Black Abbé's" intrigues in precipitating that catastrophe is -shown. - - - - -=The Heart of the Ancient Wood.= With six illustrations by James L. -Weston. - - -Library 12mo, decorative cover $1.50 - - -"One of the most fascinating novels of recent days."--_Boston Journal._ - -"A classic twentieth-century romance."--_New York Commercial -Advertiser._ - - - - -=A Sister to Evangeline.= Being the Story of Yvonne de Lamourie, and -how she went into Exile with the Villagers of Grand Pré. - - -Library 12mo, cloth, gilt top, illustrated $1.50 - - -This is a romance of the great expulsion of the Acadians, which -Longfellow first immortalized in "Evangeline." Swift action, fresh -atmosphere, wholesome purity, deep passion, searching analysis, -characterize this strong novel. - - - - -By the Marshes of Minas. - - -Library 12mo, cloth, gilt top, illustrated $1.50 - - -This is a volume of romance, of love and adventure in that picturesque -period when Nova Scotia was passing from the French to the English -régime. Each tale is independent of the others, but the scenes are -similar, and in several of them the evil "Black Abbé," well known from -the author's previous novels, again appears with his savages at his -heels--but to be thwarted always by woman's wit or soldier's courage. - - - - -=Earth's Enigmas.= A new edition, with the addition of three new -stories, and ten illustrations by Charles Livingston Bull. - - -Library 12mo, cloth, uncut edges $1.50 - - -"Throughout the volume runs that subtle questioning of the cruel, -predatory side of nature which suggests the general title of the book. -In certain cases it is the picture of savage nature ravening for -food--for death to preserve life; in others it is the secret symbolism -of woods and waters prophesying of evils and misadventures to come. All -this does not mean, however, that Mr. Roberts is either pessimistic or -morbid--it is nature in his books after all, wholesome in her cruel -moods as in her tender."--_The New York Independent._ - - - - -WORKS OF LILIAN BELL - - -=Hope Loring.= Illustrated by Frank T. Merrill. - - -Library 12mo, cloth, decorative cover $1.50 - - -"Lilian Bell's new novel, 'Hope Loring,' does for the American girl in -fiction what Gibson has done for her in art. - -"Tall, slender, and athletic, fragile-looking, yet with nerves and -sinews of steel under the velvet flesh, frank as a boy and tender and -beautiful as a woman, free and independent, yet not bold--such is 'Hope -Loring,' by long odds the subtlest study that has yet been made of the -American girl."--_Dorothy Dix, in the New York American._ - - - - -=Abroad with the Jimmies.= With a portrait, in duogravure, of the -author. - - -Library 12mo, cloth, decorative cover $1.50 - - -"A deliciously fresh, graphic book. The writer is so original -and unspoiled that her point of view has value."--_Mary Hartwell -Catherwood._ - -"Full of ozone, of snap, of ginger, of swing and momentum."--_Chicago -Evening Post._ - -" ... Is one of her best and cleverest novels ... filled to the brim -with amusing incidents and experiences. This vivacious narrative needs -no commendation to the readers of Miss Bell's well-known earlier -books."--_N. Y. Press._ - - - - -=The Interference of Patricia.= With a frontispiece from drawing by -Frank T. Merrill. - - -Small 12mo, cloth, decorative cover $1.00 - - -"There is life and action and brilliancy and dash and cleverness and -a keen appreciation of business ways in this story."--_Grand Rapids -Herald._ - -"A story full of keen and flashing satire."--_Chicago Record-Herald._ - - - - -=A Book of Girls.= With a frontispiece. - - -Small 12mo, cloth, decorative cover $1.00 - - -"The stories are all eventful and have effective humor."--_New York -Sun._ - -"Lilian Bell surely understands girls, for she depicts all the -variations of girl nature so charmingly."--_Chicago Journal._ - -_The above two volumes boxed in special holiday dress, per set, $2.50._ - - - - -=The Red Triangle.= Being some further chronicles of Martin Hewitt, -investigator. By +Arthur Morrison+, author of "The Hole in the Wall," -"Tales of Mean Streets," etc. - - -Library 12mo, cloth decorative $1.50 - - -This is a genuine, straightforward detective story of the kind that -keeps the reader on the _qui vive_. Martin Hewitt, investigator, might -well have studied his methods from Sherlock Holmes, so searching and -successful are they. - - -"Better than Sherlock Holmes."--_New York Tribune._ - -"The reader who has a grain of fancy or imagination may be defied to -lay this book down, once he has begun it, until the last word has been -reached."--_Philadelphia North American._ - -"If you like a good detective story you will enjoy this."--_Brooklyn -Eagle._ - -"We have found 'The Red Triangle' a book of absorbing -interest."--_Rochester Herald._ - -"Will be eagerly read by every one who likes a tale of mystery."--_The -Scotsman, England._ - - - - -=Prince Hagen.= By +Upton Sinclair+, author of "King Midas," etc. - - -Library 12mo, cloth decorative $1.50 - - -In this book Mr. Sinclair has written a satire of the first order--one -worthy to be compared with Swift's biting tirades against the follies -and abuses of mankind. - - -"A telling satire on politics and society in modern New -York."--_Philadelphia Public Ledger._ - -"The book has a living vitality and is a strong depiction of political -New York."--_Bookseller, Newsdealer, and Stationer._ - - - - -=The Silent Maid.= By +Frederic W. Pangborn+. - - -Large 16mo, cloth decorative, with a frontispiece by Frank T. Merrill -$1.00 - - -A dainty and delicate legend of the brave days of old, of sprites and -pixies, of trolls and gnomes, of ruthless barons and noble knights. -"The Silent Maid" herself, with her strange bewitchment and wondrous -song, is equalled only by Undine in charm and mystery. - - -"Seldom does one find a short tale so idyllic in tone and so fanciful -in motive. The book shows great delicacy of imagination."--_The -Criterion._ - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Cameron of Lochiel, by Philippe Aubert de Gaspé - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CAMERON OF LOCHIEL *** - -***** This file should be named 53154-8.txt or 53154-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/1/5/53154/ - -Produced by Jana Palkova and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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