re naught to
his silent grief! It was more terrible than the wildest outburst of
passion I ever saw!"

"And what did he say? Oh, aunt, tell me all! Do not spare me one word,
however bitter! Did he not curse you? Did he not curse me? And above
all, Le Gardeur? Oh, he cursed us all; he heaped a blasting malediction
upon the whole house of Repentigny, did he not?"

"Amelie, be composed! Do not look at me so wildly with these dear eyes,
and I will tell you." Her aunt tried to soothe her with fond caresses.

"I will be composed! I am calm! Look now, aunt, I am calm!" exclaimed
the grief-stricken girl, whose every nerve was quivering with wild
excitement.

The Lady de Tilly and Heloise made her sit down, while each held
forcibly a hand to prevent an access of hysteria. Mere Ste. Vierge rose
and hastily left the chapel to fetch water.

"Amelie, the nobleness of Pierre Philibert is almost beyond the range of
fallible mortals," said the Lady de Tilly. "In the sudden crash of all
his hopes he would not utter a word of invective against your brother.
His heart tells him that Le Gardeur has been made the senseless
instrument of others in this crime."

"A thousand thanks, dearest aunt, for your true appreciation of Pierre!
I know he deserves it all; and when the veil covers my head forever from
the eyes of men, it will be my sole joy to reflect that Pierre Philibert
was worthy, more than worthy, of my love! But what said he further,
aunt? Oh, tell me all!"

"He rose from his knees beside the corpse of his father," continued the
lady, "and seeing me kneeling, raised me and seated me in a chair beside
him. He asked me where you were, and who was with you to support and
comfort you in this storm of affliction. I told him, and he kissed me,
exclaiming, 'Oh, aunt,--mother, what shall I do?'"

"Oh, aunt! did Pierre say that? Did he call you aunt and mother? And he
did not curse me at all? Poor Pierre!" And she burst out into a flood of
tears which nothing could control.

"Yes Amelie! His heart is bleeding to death with this dreadful
sword-stroke of Le Gardeur's," said the Lady de Tilly, after waiting
till she recovered somewhat.

"And will he not slay Le Gardeur? Will he not deem it his duty to kill
my brother and his?" cried she. "He is a soldier and must!"

"Listen, Amelie. There is a divinity in Pierre that we see only in
the noblest of men; he will not slay Le Gardeur. He is his brother and
yours, and will regard him as