nd lo! old faces and places
had changed. Children had grown into women, with children at their
breasts; young wives had become matronly; and the middle-aged were
slaving servants and apothecaries to make them young again. And the
young man turned from the world he used to know, and said: 'There
are but three things in the world worth doing--loving, roaming, and
fighting.' Therefore, after one day, he turned from the poor little
Court-game at Quebec, travelled to Montreal, spent a few hours with
his father and his brothers, Bienville, Longueil, Maricourt, and
Sainte-Helene, and then, having sent word to his dearest friend, came to
see him, and found him--his voice got softer--the same as of old: ready
with music and wine and aves for the prodigal."

He paused. The priest had placed meat and wine on the table, and now
he came and put his hand on Iberville's shoulder. "Pierre," he said,
"I welcome you as one brother might another, the elder foolishly fond."
Then he added: "I was glad you remembered our music."

"My dear De Casson, as if I could forget! I have yet the Maggini you
gave me. It was of the things for remembering. If we can't be loyal to
our first loves, why to anything?"

"Even so, Pierre; but few at your age arrive at that. Most people learn
it when they have bartered away every dream. It is enough to have a few
honest emotions--very few--and stand by them till all be done."

"Even hating?" Iberville's eyes were eager.

"There is such a thing as a noble hate."

"How every inch of you is man!" answered the other, clasping the
priest's arms. Then he added: "Abbe, you know what I long to hear. You
have been to New York twice; you were there within these three months--"

"And was asked to leave within these three months--banished, as it
were."

"I know. You said in your letter that you had news. You were kind to
go--"

"Perrot went too."

"My faithful Perrot! I was about to ask of him. I had a birch-bark
letter from him, and he said he would come--Ah, here he is!"

He listened. There was a man's voice singing near by. They could even
hear the words:

"'O the young seigneur! O the young seigneur!
A hundred bucks in a day he slew;
And the lady gave him a ribbon to wear,
And a shred of gold from her golden hair
O the way of a maid was the way he knew;
O the young seigneur! O the young seigneur!'"

"Shall we speak freely before him?" said the priest. "As