ptly to mine and stayed, and he bowed profoundly and with an air
of suggestion. He drank, still looking, and then turned again to the
Governor. I felt my heart stand still. Did he suspect my love for you,
Robert? Had he discovered something? Was Gabord a traitor to us? Had
I been watched, detected? I could have shrieked at the suspense. I was
like one suddenly faced with a dreadful accusation, with which was a
great fear. But I held myself still--oh, so still, so still--and as in
a dream I heard the Governor say pleasantly, 'I would I had such
conspirators always by me. I am sure you would wish them to take more
responsibility than you will now assume in Canada.' Doltaire bowed and
smiled, and the Governor went on: 'I am sure you will approve of Captain
Moray being shot instead of hanged. But indeed it has been my good
friend the Chevalier here who has given me the best council I have held
in many a day.'

"To this Monsieur Doltaire replied: 'A council unknown to statute, but
approved of those who stand for etiquette with ones foe's at any cost.
For myself, it is so unpleasant to think of the rope'" (here Alixe hid
her face in her hands for a moment) "'that I should eat no breakfast
to-morrow, if the gentleman from Virginia were to hang.' It was
impossible to tell from his tone what was in his mind, and I dared not
think of his failure to interfere as he had promised me. As yet he had
done nothing, I could see, and in eight or nine hours more you were to
die. He did not look at me again for some time, but talked to my mother
and my father and the Chevalier, commenting on affairs in France and
the war between our countries, but saying nothing of where he had been
during the past week. He seemed paler and thinner than when I last saw
him, and I felt that something had happened to him. You shall hear soon
what it was.

"At last he turned from the Chevalier to me, and, said, 'When did you
hear from your brother, mademoiselle?' I told him; and he added, 'I have
had a letter since, and after supper, if you will permit me, I will
tell you of it.' Turning to my father and my mother, he assured them of
Juste's well-being, and afterwards engaged in talk with the Governor, to
whom he seemed to defer. When we all rose to go to the salon, he offered
my mother his arm, and I went in upon the arm of the good Chevalier. A
few moments afterwards he came to me, and remarked cheerfully, 'In this
farther corner where the spinet sounds mos