e used her strongest efforts to induce Therese to take a ramble with
her. She did go to the woods occasionally, but she took her work along,
always.

"Why do you keep so closely to it?" Rose asked one day.

"Mam'selle, part is for my trousseau. Maman instructed me in the fashion
of her old home, where girls begin to fill up a chest, to be ready."

"Oh, Therese, have you a lover?"

"_Non._" Therese shook her head. "But I may have, some day. There will
be people, men sent over to settle New France. The King has promised."

"Did you see M. Boulle, when he was here?"

"Oh, yes. And a nice young man he is, too."

"I wish he had wanted to marry you. He is nice and good to look at. How
could one marry Pierre Gaudrion, with his low brow and fierce eyebrows
that meet over his nose, and his great hands, that seem made of lead, if
he lays them on you! Yet he is smart and ingenious."

"And they say now that he visits Anastase Fromont. She will make a good
wife."

Rose gave a little shiver. She could recall one time, the last, when
Pierre had laid his hand on both her shoulders and drawn her to him, and
she had wrenched herself away, every drop of blood within her rising up
in protest.

"Don't you dare to touch me again, or I will kill you," she had flung
out with blazing eyes.

Then for weeks he had never so much as looked at her.

"Yes," retrospectively. "Why do people take likes the wrong way? Now if
M. Boulle had----"

"It is said he was wild for love of you," interposed Therese.

"That made the trouble. Miladi liked him so much. Therese, there is some
kind of love we must have before you can put yourself in a man's hand,
and let him take you to his home, where you must remain while life
lasts. A whole long life, think of it! And if you wanted to get free the
priest would forbid it. There would be nothing but to throw yourself
into the river."

Therese looked with frightened eyes at the impetuous girl.

"There is God to obey and serve. And if He sends you a good husband--M.
Boulle was brother to our dear Sieur's wife. It would have been an
excellent marriage."

"If it hadst only been thou!" Rose's short-lived passion was over, and
she was smiling.

"But you see, Mam'selle, they are strong Catholics. I follow my mother's
faith, and we do not believe telling beads and saying prayers is all of
the true service to the Lord. So it would never have done."

Rose was minded to laugh at the grave, satisfied tone,