nture. He was in his right place superintending the
counters of the Friponne. He despised Penisault, while glad to use him
in the basest offices of the Grand Company.

Le Mercier was a pickthank, angling after the favor of La Pompadour,--a
pretentious knave, as hollow as one of his own mortars. He suspected him
of being a spy of hers upon himself. Le Mercier would be only too glad
to send La Pompadour red-hot information of such an important secret as
that of Caroline, and she would reward it as good service to the King
and to herself.

Deschenaux was incapable of keeping a secret of any kind when he got
drunk, or in a passion, which was every day. His rapacity reached to the
very altar. He would rob a church, and was one who would rather take
by force than favor. He would strike a Montagnais who would ask for
a blanket more than he had cheated him with. He would not trust
Deschenaux.

De Pean, the quiet fox, was wanted to look after that desperate gallant,
Le Gardeur de Repentigny, who was still in the Palace, and must be kept
there by all the seductions of wine, dice, and women, until we have done
with him. De Pean was the meanest spirit of them all. "He would kiss my
foot in the morning and sell me at night for a handful of silver," said
Bigot. Villains, every one of them, who would not scruple to advance
their own interests with La Pompadour by his betrayal in telling her
such a secret as that of Caroline's.

De Repentigny had honor and truth in him, and could be entirely trusted
if he promised to serve a friend. But Bigot dared not name to him a
matter of this kind. He would spurn it, drunk as he was. He was still
in all his instincts a gentleman and a soldier. He could only be used
by Bigot through an abuse of his noblest qualities. He dared not broach
such a scheme to Le Gardeur de Repentigny!

Among his associates there was but one who, in spite of his brutal
manners and coarse speech, perhaps because of these, Bigot would trust
as a friend, to help him in a serious emergency like the present.

Cadet, the Commissary General of New France, was faithful to Bigot as a
fierce bull-dog to his master. Cadet was no hypocrite, nay, he may have
appeared to be worse than in reality he was. He was bold and outspoken,
rapacious of other men's goods, and as prodigal of his own. Clever
withal, fearless, and fit for any bold enterprise. He ever allowed
himself to be guided by the superior intellect of Bigot, whom he
reg