were all over the city by the next dinner
hour, and repeated at every table, as gentlemen cracked their almonds
and drank their wine in toasts to the Charming Josephine."

"Pshaw! dame! Tell me about the Seigneur de Repentigny! Does Angelique
des Meloises love him, think you?" Caroline's eyes were fixed like stars
upon the dame, awaiting her reply.

"It takes women to read women, they say," replied the dame, "and
every lady in Quebec would swear that Angelique loves the Seigneur de
Repentigny; but I know that, if she can, she will marry the Intendant,
whom she has fairly bewitched with her wit and beauty, and you know a
clever woman can marry any man she pleases, if she only goes the right
way about it: men are such fools!"

Caroline grew faint. Cold drops gathered on her brow. A veil of mist
floated before her eyes. "Water! good dame water!" she articulated,
after several efforts.

Dame Tremblay ran, and got her a drink of water and such restoratives
as were at hand. The dame was profuse in words of sympathy: she had
gone through life with a light, lively spirit, as became the Charming
Josephine, but never lost the kindly heart that was natural to her.

Caroline rallied from her faintness. "Have you seen what you tell me,
dame, or is it but the idle gossip of the city, no truth in it? Oh, say
it is the idle gossip of the city! Francois Bigot is not going to marry
this lady? He is not so faithless"--to me, she was about to add, but did
not.

"So faithless to her, she means, poor soul!" soliliquized the dame. "It
is but little you know my gay master if you think he values a promise
made to any woman, except to deceive her! I have seen too many birds
of that feather not to know a hawk, from beak to claw. When I was the
Charming Josephine I took the measure of men's professions, and never
was deceived but once. Men's promises are big as clouds, and as empty
and as unstable!"

"My good dame, I am sure you have a kind heart," said Caroline, in reply
to a sympathizing pressure of the hand. "But you do not know, you cannot
imagine what injustice you do the Intendant"--Caroline hesitated and
blushed--"by mentioning the report of his marriage with that lady. Men
speak untruly of him--"

"My dear Lady, it is what the women say that frightens one! The men are
angry, and won't believe it; but the women are jealous, and will believe
it even if there be nothing in it! As a faithful servant I ought to have
no eyes to watch m