ers, nor indeed
concerning any one within the walls of the town. Batoche, who came out
to them a couple of times during that interval, stated that he had tried
every night to contrive an entrance, but found all the avenues so
closely guarded that he had to abandon each attempt. He added, however,
that he was sure this extraordinary vigilance would not be kept up a
length of time. So soon as the garrison became satisfied that the
besieging army did not meditate a renewal of the attack--at least a
speedy renewal--they would relax their watchfulness, which must be a
severe strain upon the comparatively small number of the troops. This
assurance afforded Zulma only slender consolation. It pointed to a
further delay, and delay, with all its uncertainties, was what she was
then incapable of enduring. A further source of society was that she and
her father had no tidings whatever of Eugene since the great event.
Previously they heard of and from him frequently through the visits
which Batoche paid the Belmonts.

At the end of a fortnight, Batoche arrived at the Sarpy mansion with a
bit of more definite news. He had not himself succeeded in penetrating
to the interior of the town, but he had unexpectedly met in the woods,
near his hut, at Montmorenci, a poor broken down countryman of his who
had deserted from the militia. From him he heard that the prisoners were
confined in a portion of the Seminary, occupying comfortable quarters,
and precisely one of the causes of his desertion was that he and his
companions were deprived of their best rations for the benefit of these
fellows. He further stated that, at the battle at Sault-au-Matelot, the
young students of the Seminary found themselves engaged and behaved
pretty well, but none of them suffered. This was a source of great
pleasure to both Sieur Sarpy and Zulma and it dispelled their misgivings
about Eugene. Another piece of news brought by this deserter was that,
after firing the fatal shot at Pres-de-ville, the little garrison of the
block-house fell into a panic and fled in the utmost precipitation, and
it was only when they found that they were not pursued that they
ventured to return.

"Ah!" exclaimed Batoche, "if the officer, who took the command after the
brave Montgomery, had only pressed on, the block-house would have been
carried, Arnold would have been reinforced, the combined assault would
have been a complete success, and Quebec would now be ours."

"What is th