the eye of De Repentigny, and added, "But we are all cowards in the
Grand Company, and are afraid of the Bourgeois."

The wine was bubbling in the brain of Le Gardeur. He scarcely knew what
the Intendant said, but he caught the last words.

"Whom do you call cowards, Chevalier? I have joined the Grand Company.
If the rest are cowards, I am not: I stand ready to pluck the peruke off
the head of any man in New France, and carry it on my sword to the Place
d' Armes, where I will challenge all the world to come and take it!"

"Pish! that is nothing! give me man's work. I want to see the partner in
the Grand Company who dare pull down the Golden Dog."

"I dare! and I dare!" exclaimed a dozen voices at once in response to
the appeal of the Intendant, who craftily meant his challenge to ensnare
only Le Gardeur.

"And I dare; and I will, too, if you wish it, Chevalier!" shouted Le
Gardeur, mad with wine, and quite oblivious of the thousand claims of
the father of his friend, Pierre Philibert, upon him.

"I take you at your word, Le Gardeur! and bind your honor to it in the
presence of all these gentlemen," said Bigot with a look of intense
satisfaction.

"When shall it be done--to-day?" Le Gardeur seemed ready to pluck the
moon from the sky in his present state of ecstasy.

"Why, no, not to-day; not before the pear is ripe will we pluck it! Your
word of honor will keep till then?"

Bigot was in great glee over the success of his stratagem to entrap De
Repentigny.

"It will keep a thousand years!" replied Le Gardeur, amid a fresh
outburst of merriment round the board which culminated in a shameless
song, fit only for a revel of satyrs.

The Sieur Cadet lolled lazily in his chair, his eyes blinking with a
sleepy leer. "We are getting stupidly drunk. Bigot," said he; "we want
something new to rouse us all to fresh life. Will you let me offer a
toast?"

"Go on, Cadet! offer what toast you please. There is nothing in heaven,
hell, or upon earth that I won't drink to for your sake."

"I want you to drink it on your knees, Bigot! pledge me that, and fill
your biggest cup."

"We will drink it on all fours if you like! come, out with your toast,
Cadet; you are as long over it as Father Glapion's sermon in Lent! and
it will be as interesting, I dare say!"

"Well, Chevalier, the Grand Company, after toasting all the beauties of
Quebec, desire to drink the health of the fair mistress of Beaumanoir,
and in her presence to