ning suddenly to his friend. "La Corne St.
Luc and Pierre Philibert are commissioned by the Governor to search for
that girl. They will not leave a stone unturned, a corner unransacked
in New France. They will find out through the Hurons and my own servants
that a woman has been concealed in Beaumanoir. They will suspect, if
they do not discover who she was. They will not find her on earth,--they
will look for her under the earth. And, by St. Maur! it makes me quake
to think of it, Cadet, for the discovery will be utter ruin! They may
at last dig up her murdered remains in my own Chateau! As you said, the
Bastile and the Place de Greve would be my portion, and ruin yours and
that of all our associates."

Cadet held up his pipe as if appealing to Heaven. "It is a cursed reward
for our charitable night's work, Bigot," said he. "Better you had never
lied about the girl. We could have brazened it out or fought it out with
the Baron de St. Castin or any man in France! That lie will convict us
if found out!"

"Pshaw! the lie was a necessity," answered Bigot, impatiently. "But who
could have dreamed of its leading us such a dance as it has done! Par
Dieu! I have not often lied except to women, and such lies do not
count! But I had better have stuck to truth in this matter, Cadet. I
acknowledge that now."

"Especially with La Pompadour! She is a woman. It is dangerous to lie to
her,--at least about other women."

"Well, Cadet, it is useless blessing the Pope or banning the Devil! We
are in for it, and we must meet La Corne St. Luc and Pierre Philibert as
warily as we can. I have been thinking of making safe ground for us to
stand upon, as the trappers do on the great prairies, by kindling a fire
in front to escape from the fire in the rear!"

"What is that, Bigot? I could fire the Chateau rather than be tracked
out by La Corne and Philibert," said Cadet, sitting upright in his
chair.

"What, burn the Chateau!" answered Bigot. "You are mad, Cadet! No;
but it were well to kindle such a smoke about the eyes of La Corne and
Philibert that they will need to rub them to ease their own pain instead
of looking for poor Caroline."

"How, Bigot? Will you challenge and fight them? That will not avert
suspicion, but increase it," remarked Cadet.

"Well, you will see! A man will need as many eyes as Argus to discover
our hands in this business."

Cadet started, without conjecturing what the Intendant contemplated.
"You will kill