ow what you call it, but he wanted you to
promise to be his wife, for he goes to Tadoussac to-morrow."

Rose's heart beat with a guilty joy.

"I should not promise that. I do not want to be a wife."

Mawha, who had been a wife several times, a tall, rather severe-looking
Indian woman, turned upon her.

"Thou art well-grown and shouldst have a husband. Girls get too wild if
they are let go too long. A husband keeps them in order."

"I will have some supper," Rose said, with dignity, ignoring the
stricture.

Then she cleared a place on the table and brushed it clean with the
birch twigs. Wanamee brought a plate of Indian meal cake, deliciously
browned, some potatoes baked in the hot ashes, and a great slice of
fish, with a dish of spiced preserves of some green fruit and berries.

"I looked for you," Pani said. "Were you up on the mountain?"

Rose shook her head.

She was hungry, but she dallied over her meal, wondering if she had best
go in and say good-night to miladi. She did not always; she quite
understood now that there were times when miladi did not care to see
her; then, at others, she sent for her. Now she would let her send. She
went up to her small chamber presently. The young moon was travelling
over westward with her attendant star. There were boats still out on the
river, merry voices, others in loud and angry dispute. Why did people
want to quarrel, when the world was so beautiful! Then a shrill cry of
some night bird, guards coming and going about the fort. She grew drowsy
presently, and went to bed, serene in the belief that M. Boulle would go
his way and torment her no more, for had not M. Ralph promised?

M. Ralph and miladi were having a rather stormy time. She had inquired
very peremptorily what had kept him so late. Pani had been sent to the
warehouse and had not found him, neither had he been at the fort.

M. Destournier was no hand to prevaricate. He lived an open, honest
life, and had few secrets beside those of business. Ordinarily, he would
have explained what he had been about the last two hours, but he had a
sudden premonition that it was wiser not to do so. Miladi was sometimes
captious where Rose was concerned.

"I was busy," he made answer briefly.

"M. Boulle goes to Tadoussac to-morrow. The vessel came down for him
to-day. Some urgent business requires his attention."

"He has loitered quite long enough," commented her husband. "He is a
pleasant young fellow, but there is