mmediately subjoined:

"This can be easily ascertained if you will answer me a few questions.
You called upon Lieutenant-Governor Cramahe early on the morning of the
seventh?"

"I did so."

"You delivered to him a parcel of letters purporting to have come from
Colonel Arnold, the commander of the Bastonnais?"

"Yes, sir."

"Some of those letters were addressed to citizens of Quebec?"

"They were."

"You know the names of those citizens?"

"I do not."

"Did not the Lieutenant-Governor open the letters before you."

"He did."

"And read them?"

"Yes, and read them."

M. Belmont's lip curled in scorn and his eyes darted fire at Hardinge,
who responded with a smile:

"The Lieutenant-Governor opened and read the letters in my presence and,
after reading, made his comments aloud, but in no instance did he reveal
the name of the persons to whom the letters were addressed, so that I
am, to this moment, in profound ignorance of them. Except by inference
from what has occurred between us, I should not know that one of those
letters was addressed to you, and, indeed, as yet I have no positive
proof that such was the case."

"Such is the case," cried M. Belmont in a voice of thunder. "I received
such a letter and it has brought me into trouble. I was summoned to the
Chateau in the face of the whole city. I have been suspected and
threatened, and the consequence is that I have been driven to...."

"Stop, M. Belmont," said Hardinge quietly, and interposing his hand.
"Tell me nothing of your plans. I do not want to know them. I will do my
duty to my King and Country. I believe you will do yours, but should
your principles lead you to another course, I prefer to ignore the fact,
and thus avoid becoming your enemy."

"You are not and will not be my enemy," exclaimed M. Belmont, clasping
the extended hand of Hardinge in both of his, and then embracing him on
the cheek. "I owe you a full apology. My suspicions were cruelly
unjust, but you have dispelled them. My treatment of you this evening
was outrageous, and I beg you to pardon me. Your explanations are
thoroughly satisfactory. You did your duty as a soldier in delivering
those letters to the Lieutenant-Governor, and even if you had known to
whom they were addressed, your obligation would have been no less."

"I did not need to be told my duty," said Hardinge with just a shade of
haughtiness, which he immediately qualified by adding, "but I am
flattered to know