smacking of old delights in an older land, songs,
with which home-sick white men comforted themselves in far-off
lodges--were roared out in strident tones. Feet were beating time to the
rasp of the fiddles. Men rose and danced wild jigs, or deftly executed
some intricate Indian step; and uproarious applause greeted every
performer. The hall throbbed with confused sounds and the din deadened
my thinking faculties. Even now, Eric might be slipping past. In that
deafening tumult I could decide nothing, and when I tried to leave the
table, all the lights swam dizzily.

"Excuse me, Sir!" I whispered, clutching the priest's elbow. "You're
Father Holland and are to go north in my boats. Come out with me for a
moment."

Thinking me tipsy, he gave me a droll glance. "'Pon my soul! Strapping
fellows like you shouldn't need last rites----"

"Please say nothing! Come quickly!" and I gripped his arm.

"Bless us! It's a touch of the head, or the heart!" and he rose and
followed me from the hall.

In the fresh air, dizziness left me. Sitting down on the bench, where I
had lain the night before, I told him my perplexing mission. At first, I
am sure he was convinced that I was drunk or raving, but my story had
the directness of truth. He saw at once how easily he could leave the
fort at that late hour without arousing suspicion, and finally offered
to come with me to the river bank, where we might intercept Hamilton.

"But we must have a boat, a light cockle-shell thing, so we can dart out
whenever the brigade appears," declared the priest, casting about in his
mind for means to forward our object.

"The canoes are all locked up. Can't you borrow one from the Indians?
Don't you know any of them?" I asked with a sudden sinking of heart.

"And have the whole pack of them sneaking after us? No--no--that won't
do. Where are your wits, boy! Arrah! Me hearty, but what was that?"

We both heard the shutter above our heads suddenly thrown open, but
darkness hid anyone who might have been listening.

"Hm!" said the priest. "Overheard! Fine conspirators we are! Some
eavesdropper!"

"Hush!" and remembering whose window it was, I held him; for he would
have stalked away.

"Are you there?" came a clear, gentle voice, that fell from the window
in the breaking ripples of a fountain plash.

The bit of statuary had become suddenly animate and was not so
marble-cold to mankind as it looked. Thinking we had been taken for an
expected lover