hreaded every one of these precious words, like a chaplet of pearls
upon the strings of her heart,--contemplating them, counting them over
and over in secret, with a joy known only to herself and to God, whom
she prayed to guide her right whatever might happen.

That something would happen ere long she felt a premonition, which at
times made her grave in the midst of her hopes and anticipations.

The days passed gaily at Tilly. Amelie carried out the elaborate
programme which she had arranged for the amusement of Le Gardeur as well
as for the pleasures of her guests.

Every day brought a change and a fresh enjoyment. The mornings were
devoted by the gentlemen to hunting, fishing, and other sport; by the
ladies to reading, music, drawing, needlework, or the arrangements of
dress and ornaments. In the afternoons all met together, and the social
evening was spent either at the Manor House or some neighboring mansion.
The hospitality of all was alike: a profusion of social feeling formed,
at that day, a marked characteristic of the people of New France.

The Lady de Tilly spent an hour or two each day with her trusty land
steward, or bailli, Master Cote, in attending to the multifarious
business of her Seigniory. The feudal law of New France imposed great
duties and much labor upon the lords of the manor, by giving them an
interest in every man's estate, and making them participators in every
transfer of land throughout a wide district of country. A person who
acquired, by purchase or otherwise, the lands of a censitaire, or
vassal, was held to perform foi et hommage for the lands so acquired,
and to acquit all other feudal dues owing by the original holder to his
seigneur.

It was during one of these fair summer days at Tilly that Sieur
Tranchelot, having acquired the farm of the Bocage, a strip of land
a furlong wide and a league in depth, with a pleasant frontage on the
broad St. Lawrence, the new censitaire came as in duty bound to render
foi et hommage for the same to the lady of the Manor of Tilly, according
to the law and custom of the Seigniory.

At the hour of noon, Lady de Tilly, with Le Gardeur, Amelie, and Pierre
Philibert, in full dress, stood on a dais in the great hall; Master Cote
sat at a table on the floor in front, with his great clasped book of
record open before him. A drawn sword lay upon the table, and a cup of
wine stood by the side of it.

When all was arranged, three loud knocks were heard o