ruth,
Menard, I don't believe he will like it."

"Why not?"

"He doesn't know the strength of the Five Nations. He thinks they
would all flee before our regulars just as the Senecas did. Worse than
that, he doesn't know the Indian temperament. I'm afraid you can't
make him understand that to satisfy their hunger for revenge will
serve better than a score of orations and treaties."

"You think he won't touch La Grange?"

"I am almost certain of it."

"Then it rests with me."

"What do you mean?"

"I gave another pledge, d'Orvilliers. If the Governor won't do this--I
shall have to do it myself."

Save for a moment's hesitation Menard's voice was cool and even; but
he had stopped walking and was looking closely at the commandant.

D'Orvilliers was gazing at the floor.

"What do you mean by that?" he said slowly, and then suddenly he got
up. "My God, Menard, you don't mean that you would--"

"Yes."

"That can't be! I can't allow it."

"It may not be necessary. I hope you are mistaken about the
Governor."

"I hope I am--but no; he won't help you. He's not in the mood for
paying debts to a weakened enemy. And--Menard, sit down. I must talk
plainly to you. I can't go on covering things up now. I don't believe
you see the matter clearly. If it were a plain question of your
mission to the Onondagas--if it were--Well, I want you to tell me in
what relation you stand to Mademoiselle St. Denis."

The Captain was standing by the chair. He rested his arms on the high
back, and looked over them at d'Orvilliers.

"She is to be my wife," he said.

D'Orvilliers leaned back and slowly shook his head.

"My dear fellow," he said, "when your story goes to Quebec, when the
Chateau learns that you have promised the punishment of La Grange in
the name of France, and then of this,--of Mademoiselle and her
relations to yourself and to La Grange,--do you know what they will
do?"

Menard was silent.

"They will laugh--first, and then--"

"I know," said the Captain, "I have thought of all that."

"You have told all this in your report?"

"Yes."

"So you would go on with it?"

"Yes; I am going on with it. There is nothing else I can do. I
couldn't have offered to give myself up; they already had me. The
fault was La Grange's. What I did was the only thing that could have
been done to save the column; if you will think it over, you will see
that. I know what I did,--I know I was right; and if my superiors,
when I h