can we live
at peace with buccaneers?" Their talk was interrupted here; but a few
days later, in the same garden, Morris came to them. "A ship enters
harbour," he said, "and its commander sends this letter."

An instant after the governor turned a troubled face on the girl and
said: "Your counsel of the other day is put to rapid test, Jessica. This
comes from monsieur, who would pay his respects to me."

He handed the note to her. It said that Iberville had brought prisoners
whom he was willing to exchange for French prisoners in the governor's
hands.

Entering New York harbour with a single vessel showed in a strong light
Iberville's bold, almost reckless, courage. The humour of it was not
lost on Jessica, though she turned pale, and the paper fluttered in her
fingers.

"What will you do?" she said.

"I will treat him as well as he will let me, sweetheart." Two hours
afterwards, Iberville came up the street with Sainte-Helene, De Casson,
and Perrot,--De Troyes had gone to Quebec,--courteously accompanied by
Morris and an officer of the New York Militia. There was no enmity shown
the Frenchmen, for many remembered what had once made Iberville popular
in New York. Indeed, Iberville, whose memory was of the best, now and
again accosted some English or Dutch resident, whose face he recalled.

The governor was not at first cordial; but Iberville's cheerful
soldierliness, his courtier spirit, and his treatment of the English
prisoners, soon placed him on a footing near as friendly as that of
years before. The governor praised his growing reputation, and at last
asked him to dine, saying that Mistress Leveret would no doubt be glad
to meet her rescuer again.

"Still, I doubt not," said the governor, "there will be embarrassment,
for the lady can scarce forget that you had her lover prisoner. But
these things are to be endured. Besides, you and Mr. Gering seem as
easily enemies as other men are friends."

Iberville was amazed. So, Jessica and Gering were affianced. And the
buckle she had sent him he wore now in the folds of his lace! How could
he know what comes from a woman's wavering sympathies, what from her
inborn coquetry, and what from love itself? He was merely a man with
much to learn.

He accepted dinner and said: "As for Monsieur Gering, your excellency,
we are as easily enemies as he and Radisson are comrades-in-arms."

"Which is harshly put, monsieur. When a man is breaking prison he
chooses any tool.