ed and impoverished the Colony. If this new
Mississippi scheme propounded by new Laws,"--and here La Corne glanced
boldly at the Intendant,--"is to be enforced on the scale proposed,
there will not be left in the Colony one piece of silver to rub against
another. It will totally beggar New France, and may in the end bankrupt
the royal treasury of France itself if called on to redeem them."

The discussion rolled on for an hour. The Count listened in silent
approbation to the arguments of the gentlemen opposing the measure, but
he had received private imperative instructions from the King to aid
the Intendant in the issue of the new paper money. The Count reluctantly
sanctioned a decree which filled New France with worthless assignats,
the non-redemption of which completed the misery of the Colony and aided
materially in its final subjugation by the English.

The pile of papers upon the table gradually diminished as they were
opened and disposed of. The Council itself was getting weary of a long
sitting, and showed an evident wish for its adjournment. The gentlemen
of the law did not get a hearing of their case that day, but were well
content to have it postponed, because a postponement meant new fees
and increased costs for their clients. The lawyers of Old France, whom
LaFontaine depicts in his lively fable as swallowing the oyster and
handing to each litigant an empty shell, did not differ in any essential
point from their brothers of the long robe in New France, and differed
nothing at all in the length of their bills and the sharpness of their
practice.

The breaking up of the Council was deferred by the Secretary opening
a package sealed with the royal seal, and which contained other sealed
papers marked SPECIAL for His Excellency the Governor. The Secretary
handed them to the Count, who read over the contents with deep interest
and a changing countenance. He laid them down and took them up again,
perused them a second time, and passed them over to the Intendant,
who read them with a start of surprise and a sudden frown on his
dark eyebrows. But he instantly suppressed it, biting his nether lip,
however, with anger which he could not wholly conceal.

He pushed the papers back to the Count with a nonchalant air, as of
a man who had quite made up his mind about them, saying in a careless
manner,--

"The commands of Madame la Marquise de Pompadour shall be complied
with," said he. "I will order strict search to b