l light and fire. I was charmed, fascinated. I felt my sleepy blood
stirring to the delicate rise and fall of her bosom, the light of her
eyes flashing a dozen colours. There was scarce a sound her steps could
not be heard across the room.

All at once she broke off from this, and stood still.

"Did my eyes seem all honest then?" she asked, with a strange, wistful
expression. Then she came to the couch where I was.

"Robert," said she, "can you, do you trust me, even when you see me at
such witchery?"

"I trust you always," answered I. "Such witcheries are no evils that I
can see."

She put her finger upon my lips, with a kind of bashfulness. "Hush, till
I tell you where and when I danced like that, and then, and then--"

She settled down in a low chair. "I have at least an hour," she
continued. "The Governor is busy with my father and General Montcalm,
and they will not be free for a long time. For your soldiers, I have
been bribing them to my service these weeks past, and they are safe
enough for to-day. Now I will tell you of that dancing.

"One night last autumn there was a grand dinner at the Intendance. Such
gentlemen as my father were not asked; only the roisterers and hard
drinkers, and gambling friends of the Intendant. You would know the sort
of upspring it would be. Well, I was sitting in my window, looking down
into the garden; for the moon was shining. Presently I saw a man appear
below, glance up towards me, and beckon. It was Voban. I hurried down to
him, and he told me that there had been a wild carousing at the palace,
and that ten gentlemen had determined, for a wicked sport, to mask
themselves, go to the citadel at midnight, fetch you forth, and make you
run the gauntlet in the yard of the Intendance, and afterwards set you
fighting for your life with another prisoner, a common criminal. To
this, Bigot, heated with wine, made no objection. Monsieur Doltaire
was not present; he had, it was said, taken a secret journey into the
English country. The Governor was in Montreal, where he had gone to
discuss matters of war with the Council.

"There was but one thing to do--get word to General Montcalm. He was
staying at the moment with the Seigneur Pipon at his manor by the
Montmorenci Falls. He must needs be sought there: he would never allow
this shameless thing. So I bade Voban go thither at once, getting a
horse from any quarter, and to ride as if for his life. He promised, and
left me, and I ret