indicated that he had borne back an army with open hands.
Then he chucked Adrienne under the chin with his finger and added in
his softest voice:

"I saw somebody's lover the other day, over yonder in the Indian
village. He spoke to me about somebody--eh, ma petite, que voulez-vous
dire?"

"Oh, Papa Roussillon! we were just talking about Rene!" cried Alice.
"Have you seen him?"

"I saw you, you little minx, jumping into a man's arms right under the
eyes of a whole garrison! Bah! I could not believe it was my little
Alice!"

He let go a grand guffaw, which seemed to shake the cabin's walls.
Alice blushed cherry red. Adrienne, too bashful to inquire about Rene,
was trembling with anxiety. The truth was not in Gaspard Roussillon,
just then; or if it was it stayed in him, for he had not seen Rene de
Ronville. It was his generous desire to please and to appear opulent of
knowledge and sympathy that made him speak. He knew what would please
Adrienne, so why not give her at least a delicious foretaste? Surely,
when a thing was so cheap, one need not be so parsimonious as to
withhold a mere anticipation. He was off before the girls could press
him into details, for indeed he had none.

"There now, what did I tell you?" cried Alice, when the big man was
gone. "I told you Rene would come. They always come back!"

Father Beret came in a little later. As soon as he saw Alice he frowned
and began to shake his head; but she only laughed, and imitating his
hypocritical scowl, yet fringing it with a twinkle of merry lines and
dimples, pointed a taper finger at him and exclaimed:

"You bad, bad, man! why did you pretend to me that Lieutenant Beverley
was dead? What sinister ecclesiastical motive prompted you to describe
how Long-Hair scalped him? Ah, Father--"

The priest laid a broad hand over her saucy mouth. "Something or other
seems to have excited you mightily, ma fille, you are a trifle
impulsively inclined to-day."

"Yes, Father Beret; yes I know, and I am ashamed. My heart shrinks when
I think of what I did; but I was so glad, such a grand joy came all
over me when I saw him, so strong and brave and beautiful, coming
toward me, smiling that warm, glad smile and holding out his arms--ah,
when I saw all that--when I knew for sure that he was not dead--I, why,
Father--I just had to, I couldn't help it!"

Father Beret laughed in spite of himself, but quickly managed to resume
his severe countenance.

"Ta! ta!" he excl