se de Lotbiniere
or Cecile Tourangeau! Will you hear the truth? He fell in love with me,
and I had not the heart to repulse him,--nay, I could not, for I will
confess to you, Amelie, as I often avowed to you in the Convent, I loved
Le Gardeur the best of all my admirers! And by this blessed shrine,"
continued she, laying her hand upon it, "I do still! If he be, as some
say he is, going too fast for his own good or yours or mine, I regret it
with my whole heart; I regret it as you do! Can I say more?"

Angelique was sincere in this. Her words sounded honest, and she spoke
with a real warmth in her bosom, such as she had not felt in a long
time.

Her words impressed Amelie favorably.

"I think you speak truly, Angelique," replied she, "when you say you
regret Le Gardeur's relapse into the evil ways of the Palace. No one
that ever knew my noble brother could do other than regret it. But oh,
Angelique, why, with all your influence over him did you not prevent it?
Why do you not rescue him now? A word from you would have been of more
avail than the pleading of all the world beside!"

"Amelie, you try me hard," said Angelique, uneasily, conscious of
the truth of Amelie's words, "but I can bear much for the sake of Le
Gardeur! Be assured that I have no power to influence his conduct in the
way of amendment, except upon impossible conditions! I have tried, and
my efforts have been vain as your own!"

"Conditions!" replied Amelie, "what conditions?--but I need not ask you!
He told me in his hour of agony of your inexplicable dealing with him,
and yet not so inexplicable now! Why did you profess to love my brother,
leading him on and on to an offer of his hand, and then cruelly reject
him, adding one more to the list of your heartless triumphs? Le Gardeur
de Repentigny was too good for such a fate from any woman, Angelique!"
Amelie's eyes swam in tears of indignation as she said this.

"He was too good for me!" said Angelique, dropping her eyes. "I will
acknowledge that, if it will do you any good, Amelie! But can you not
believe that there was a sacrifice on my part, as well as on his or
yours?"

"I judge not between you, Angelique! or between the many chances wasted
on you; but I say this Angelique des Meloises, you wickedly stole the
heart of the noblest brother in New France, to trample it under your
feet!"

"'Fore God, I did not, Amelie!" she replied indignantly. "I loved and do
love Le Gardeur de Repentigny, but I