The Span o' Life Part 25

"And think you, monsieur, a Canadian would ever consent to pilot an enemy up our river?"

"Madame, I cannot doubt that even a Canadian will act as other men, if he have a pistol at the back of his head. No, no, madame; believe me, the river is our danger, and I would that M. de Vaudreuil might see it as I do."

"M. de Vaudreuil is a G.o.d-fearing man, monsieur."

"So much the better for him, madame; but, unfortunately, I am responsible for military matters," he answered, with a bitterness which made me most uncomfortable.

He saw my distress and added, quickly: "But such affairs should not be discussed before ladies; I forget myself. Mme. de Sarennes, I have every respect for your opinion, and it is only my anxiety for our common cause which urges me to exaggerate what may after all be merely possible dangers."

"Now, Mme. de St. Just, to return to our society. We are dull now, and shall be until the last s.h.i.+ps leave; but we will have b.a.l.l.s and routs later on, and perhaps may even offer you a novelty in the shape of a winter pique-nique, a fete champetre in four feet of snow."

"That, I am sure, must be delightful," I answered, pleased that the conversation had taken a different turn; "but I am afraid I have little interest in amus.e.m.e.nt as yet."

"We have cards, madame, if you are ever tempted to woo the fickle G.o.ddess."

"M. de Montcalm," asked Mme. de Sarennes, in her severest manner, "do you intend to put an end to scandalous play this winter?"

"Eh, mon Dieu, madame! I must do something, I suppose. It is indeed a scandal that officers should ruin themselves, and I a.s.sure you I have had many a bad quarter of an hour over it. It cannot be forbidden altogether, for they must amuse themselves in some manner."

"They exist without it in Montreal."

"Possibly; but M. de Vaudreuil is there. We cannot hope to aspire to all his virtues." And to my dismay I saw we were once more nearing dangerous ground.

To turn the conversation again, I asked for news of the English at Louisbourg.

"Some are still there, some in garrison at Beausejour, some in New York and Boston, and others returned to England; but we will doubtless have an opportunity of inspecting most of them here next spring, unless, as Mme. de Sarennes suggests, peace be declared in the meantime."

This was as bad as ever, but led to nothing more than a momentary stiffness, which Angelique's entrance dissipated, and made a merry ending to a visit not without its difficulties.

Before the Marquis left, he said to me: "You may not have heard, madame, but your brother, who is an officer in Fraser's, a Highland regiment, was captured in the first engagement, and was a prisoner in Louisbourg up to the capitulation. If you wish, I can obtain more definite news of him through M. de Maxwell, one of our officers who was in garrison there at the time."

Nothing could have been more unlooked-for, and for a moment I was overwhelmed at the thought of this innocent betrayal of my presence to Hugh. I could hardly find courage to reply, and it was fortunate that my answer served as a cover to my confusion.

"M. de Montcalm, I have never heard from or written to my brother since he accepted his English commission," I said, in a trembling voice.

"Pardon, madame; I had forgotten when I spoke."

"Just as we forget, monsieur, that our Marguerite is not one of us by birth as she is in heart," cried Angelique, enthusiastically, slipping her arm about me.

This shewed me more than any other happening how precarious my position was, for though neither Angelique, nor her mother, nor M.

de Montcalm, would now mention my ident.i.ty, any of them might already have spoken of my brother. M. de Sarennes knew my secret, and Hugh might discover it at any moment.

When the Marquis left, Mme. de Sarennes no longer made an effort to contain her indignation.

"They are all alike!" she burst forth. "They make not the slightest effort to understand us, nor to do aught but amuse themselves. You are quite right, Marguerite, to refuse to have any part in their gaieties! I shall never urge you again. To talk of b.a.l.l.s and routs and gaming as necessities, when the people are starving within our very walls!

"What wonder is it our husbands and brothers and sons say these faineants care naught what becomes of the country or the people, so long as they gain some little distinction which may ent.i.tle them to an early return and an empty decoration! They have neither pity, nor faith, nor the slightest interest in the cause for which they are fighting.

"If M. de Vaudreuil, whom they pretend to despise, were permitted to take the field himself, with a few thousand good Canadians behind him, we would hear a different story. Think you if my son had been permitted to reach Louisbourg it would have fallen? No, a thousand times no! And it is the same elsewhere. Who repulsed the English charge at Carillon? The Canadians. Who brings every important piece of news of the enemy? Some despised Canadian. Who know how to fight and how to handle themselves in the woods? Canadians, and only Canadians! And these are the men they affect to despise! And it is Canadian wives and sisters and daughters--more shame to them!--who lay themselves out to amuse and to be talked about by these same disdainful gentry!

"Go to your room, mademoiselle!" she ended, turning on Angelique.

"I will hear nothing of your doings among a clique I despise from top to bottom;" and the indignant old lady stopped, worn out for very lack of breath, while Angelique made a little laughing grimace at me and fled.

The indictment was severe, but there was much truth in it at the same time. The condition of the people was pitiable in the extreme.

Provisions were at ruinous prices, the wretched paper money was almost worthless, and even the officers were beggared by their necessary expenses. At the opening of the New Year the Intendance was invaded by a crowd of desperate women clamouring for relief, and the address of M. Bigot in ridding himself of his unwelcome visitors was laughed at as a joke. Worse than this, no attempt was made to lessen or even hide the gaieties that went on, play was as high and as ruinous as ever, and the town was all agog over the report of a ball to be given with unusual splendour by the Intendant on Twelfth-Night. It was true that he made a daily distribution of food at his doors, that he spake pleasant and rea.s.suring words to the suffering people, that he even permitted the respectably dressed among them to enter and view his guests from the gallery of his ball-room, but this did but serve to intensify the bitterness and indignation of those who stood apart from him and his following. It would be unjust to brand M. de Montcalm, and perhaps others, as willing partic.i.p.ants in these excesses; on account of their position, their presence at all formal entertainments was a necessity, and certainly the town offered no distraction of any other nature whatsoever.

Our inquiries had so far failed in discovering any trace of Lucy's whereabouts, and yet I felt certain she was in or about Quebec, and as she had acquired enough French to make her wants known, and was provided with money sufficient to meet them, we held it likely she was in some family, but probably seldom stirred abroad for fear she might be recognised and prevented from keeping her patient watch.

At length the great event of the winter came on--the ball at the Intendance on Twelfth-Night. Angelique was all impatience for the evening, and, when dressed, her excitement added to the charm of her girlish beauty.

"I wish you would come, Marguerite!" she exclaimed, longingly.

"I would like to, cherie, if only to see you."

"And to see M. de Maxwell too. I should like you to see him. I a.s.sure you one does not see such a man every day. He has such brown eyes; they do not sparkle, but they are deep. He has lovely hands, as well cared for as a woman's, but strong and masterful, I am sure. He has a fine foot and a well-turned leg. That is nearly all--except his smile; he smiles, and you think he is smiling for you alone--and when he speaks, you are sure of it! Such a low, sweet voice! You are always certain he is never thinking of any one else when you are listening to it. And he dresses--plainly, perhaps--but it is perfection for him. But there--I must run; Denis has been at the door for an hour," and, kissing me affectionately, she hurried off.

It was well for me she did so, for I could not have listened to her light-hearted babble longer without betraying myself. When I closed the door behind her, and had spent half an hour with Mme.

de Sarennes, I regained my room overwhelmed by the storm of emotions raised within me. "Oh, why cannot I see him, I, of all women in the world?" I cried, aloud, and the words set free my tears to relieve me. As I regained control of myself I caught sight of Angelique's pretty fan, on my table, forgotten in her hurry; and the moment I saw it a plan flashed before me, and I determined to see with my own eyes what I had so long pictured in my heart.

Bathing my face until every trace of my outburst was removed, I dressed myself, and taking a large blue cloak with a hood, which might be worn by either a lady or her servant, I picked up the fan and stole quietly out into the street.

It was a beautiful, soft night, without a moon, and I went down by the rue St. Jean and the Palace Hill without interruption, and, pa.s.sing beyond the walls, went straight to the Intendance, which was all aglow with light, and surrounded by a gaping crowd.

Quickly pa.s.sing through the people, and saying to the grenadier on guard at the gate, "For Mademoiselle de Sarennes," I was admitted to the court-yard, and pa.s.sed the lackeys at the entrance with the same pa.s.sword.

Singling out one who looked civil, I drew him aside.

"I bring this fan for Mademoiselle de Sarennes, but I wish, now that I am here, to have a look at the ball. Is there any place where I can go besides the gallery?"

"Perfectly, mademoiselle; I can shew you just the place. You were lucky in coming to me. Do you know me?"

"No," I answered, willing to flatter him; "but you look as if you would know what I want."

"Aha!" he exclaimed, pluming himself. "You were right, perfectly right. You have only to follow me," and he led the way down the corridor, and, unlocking a door, he motioned me to enter. I drew back as a rush of music and voices and the warm air of the ball-room swept out.

"Do not be afraid," he whispered, "this is curtained off. You can stay here for an hour if you like, no one will come through before then; only, when you leave, be sure and turn the key again, and bring it to me."

I thanked him, and he left, closing the door noiselessly behind him; and then approaching the curtains, I carefully parted them, and looked out on the ball-room.

CHAPTER XXI

I AWAKE FROM MY DREAM

It was a scene that would have done credit to a much larger centre than Quebec. It is true the walls were bare of any fitting decoration, the windows too small to break them with any effect, the chandeliers mean in size, and the sconces but makes.h.i.+fts; still, the room was imposing in its proportions and the company brilliant.