are not likely to forget the
invitations to the balls and dinners of the bachelor Intendant of New
France. It is the most fashionable thing in the city, and every lady
is wild to attend them. There is one, the handsomest and gayest of them
all, who, they say, would not object even to become the bride of the
Intendant."

It was a careless shaft of the old dame's, but it went to the heart of
Caroline. "Who is she, good dame?--pray tell me!"

"Oh, my Lady, I should fear her anger, if she knew what I say! She
is the most terrible coquette in the city--worshipped by the men, and
hated, of course, by the women, who all imitate her in dress and style
as much as they possibly can, because they see it takes! But every woman
fears for either husband or lover when Angelique des Meloises is her
rival."

"Is that her name? I never heard it before, dame!" remarked Caroline,
with a shudder. She felt instinctively that the name was one of direful
omen to herself.

"Pray God you may never have reason to hear it again," replied Dame
Tremblay. "She it was who went to the mansion of Sieur Tourangeau and
with her riding-whip lashed the mark of a red cross upon the forehead of
his daughter, Cecile, scarring her forever, because she had presumed
to smile kindly upon a young officer, a handsome fellow, Le Gardeur de
Repentigny--whom any woman might be pardoned for admiring!" added the
old dame, with a natural touch of the candor of her youth. "If Angelique
takes a fancy to the Intendant, it will be dangerous for any other woman
to stand in her way!"

Caroline gave a frightened look at the dame's description of a possible
rival in the Intendant's love. "You know more of her, dame! Tell me all!
Tell me the worst I have to learn!" pleaded the poor girl.

"The worst, my Lady! I fear no one can tell the worst of Angelique des
Meloises,--at least, would not dare to, although I know nothing bad of
her, except that she would like to have all the men to herself, and so
spite all the women!"

"But she must regard that young officer with more than common affection,
to have acted so savagely to Mademoiselle Tourangeau?" Caroline, with
a woman's quickness, had caught at that gleam of hope through the
darkness.

"Oh, yes, my Lady! All Quebec knows that Angelique loves the Seigneur
de Repentigny, for nothing is a secret in Quebec if more than one
person knows it, as I myself well recollect; for when I was the Charming
Josephine, my very whispers