now. For Owaissa's sake and
her debt to her she kept silence as to that part.

Certainly Jeanne had an ovation. When she went into the street there
were smiles and bows. Some of the ladies came to speak to her, and
invited her to their houses, and found her extremely interesting.

Madame De Ber was very gracious, and both Rose and Marie were friendly
enough. But Madame flung out one little arrow that missed its mark.

"Your old lover soon consoled himself it seems. It is said he married a
handsome Indian girl up at the Strait. I dare say he was pledged to
her."

"Yes. It was Owaissa who freed me from captivity. She came down to Bois
Blanc and heard the story and sent me away in her own canoe with her
favorite servant. Louis Marsac was up at St. Ignace getting a priest
while she waited. I cannot think he was at all honest in proposing
marriage to me when another had the right. But there was a grand time it
was said, and they were very happy."

Madame stared. "It was a good thing for you that you did not care for
him. I had a distrust for him. He was too handsome. And then he believed
nothing and laughed at religion. But the Marsacs are going to be very
rich it is said. You did not see them married?"

"Oh, no." Jeanne laughed with a bitterness she had not meant to put into
her voice. "He was away when Owaissa came to me and heard my plight. And
then there was need of haste. I had to go at once, and it would not have
been pleasant even if I could have waited."

"No, no. Men are much given to make love to young girls who have no one
to look after them. They think nothing of it."

"So it was fortunate that it was distasteful to me."

Jeanne had a girl's pride in wanting this woman to understand that she
was in no wise hurt by Marsac's recreancy. Then she added, "The girl was
beautiful as Indian girls go, and it seems a most excellent marriage.
She will be fond of that wild northern country. I could not be content
in it."

Jeanne felt that she was curiously changed, though sometimes she longed
passionately for the wild little girl who had been ready for every kind
of sport and pleasure. But the children with whom she had played were
grown now, boys great strapping fellows with manners both coarse and
shy, going to work at various businesses, and the girls had lovers or
husbands,--they married early then. So she seemed left alone. She did
not care for their chatter nor their babies of which they seemed so
proud.