tress of the old man, that
Heyward did not dare to venture a syllable of consolation. Munro sat
utterly unconscious of the other's presence, his features exposed and
working with the anguish of his regrets, while heavy tears fell from his
eyes, and rolled unheeded from his cheeks to the floor. At length he
moved, as if suddenly recovering his recollection; when he arose, and
taking a single turn across the room, he approached his companion with
an air of military grandeur, and demanded,--

"Have you not, Major Heyward, some communication that I should hear from
the Marquis de Montcalm?"

Duncan started, in his turn, and immediately commenced, in an
embarrassed voice, the half-forgotten message. It is unnecessary to
dwell upon the evasive, though polite manner, with which the French
general had eluded every attempt of Heyward to worm from him the purport
of the communication he had proposed making, or on the decided, though
still polished message, by which he now gave his enemy to understand,
that unless he chose to receive it in person, he should not receive it
at all. As Munro listened to the detail of Duncan, the excited feelings
of the father gradually gave way before the obligations of his station,
and when the other was done, he saw before him nothing but the veteran,
swelling with the wounded feelings of a soldier.

"You have said enough, Major Heyward!" exclaimed the angry old man:
"enough to make a volume of commentary on French civility. Here has this
gentleman invited me to a conference, and when I send him a capable
substitute, for ye're all that, Duncan, though your years are but few,
he answers me with a riddle."

"He may have thought less favorably of the substitute, my dear sir; and
you will remember that the invitation, which he now repeats, was to the
commandant of the works, and not to his second."

"Well, sir, is not a substitute clothed with all the power and dignity
of him who grants the commission? He wishes to confer with Munro! Faith,
sir, I have much inclination to indulge the man, if it should only be to
let him behold the firm countenance we maintain in spite of his numbers
and his summons. There might be no bad policy in such a stroke, young
man."

Duncan, who believed it of the last importance that they should speedily
come at the contents of the letter borne by the scout, gladly encouraged
this idea.

"Without doubt, he could gather no confidence by witnessing our
indifference," he