not succeed, disgrace must come, and then good-bye to the
progress of the Lavilettes, and goodbye, maybe, to her son!

In spite of disappointments and rebuffs in many quarters, she still kept
faith with her ambitions, and, fortunately for herself, she did not see
the abject failure of many of her schemes. Some of the gentry from the
neighbouring parishes had called, chiefly, she was aware, because of Mr.
Ferrol. She was building the superstructure of her social ambitions on
that foundation for the present. She told Louis sometimes, with tears of
joy in her eyes, that a special Providence had sent Mr. Ferrol to them,
and she did not know how to be grateful enough. He suggested a gift to
the church in token of gratitude, but her thanksgiving did not take that
form.

Nic was entirely French at heart, and ignored his mother's nationality.
He resented the English blood in his veins, and atoned for it by
increased loyalty to his French origin. This was probably not so much
a principle as a fancy. He had a kind of importance also in the parish,
and in his own eyes, because he made as much in three months by
buying and selling horses as most people did in a year. The respect
of Bonaventure for his ability was considerable; and though it had no
marked admiration for his character, it appreciated his drolleries, and
was attracted by his high spirits. He had always been erratic, so that
when he disappeared for days at a time no one thought anything of it,
and when he came home to the Manor at unearthly hours it created no
peculiar notice.

He had chosen very good men for his recruits; for, though they talked
much among themselves, they drew a cordon of silence round their little
society of revolution. They vanished in the night, and Nic with them;
but he returned the next afternoon when the fire of excitement was
at its height. As he rode through the streets, people stopped him and
poured out questions; but he only shrugged his shoulders, and gave no
information, and neither denied nor affirmed anything.

Acting under orders, he had marched his company to make conjunction with
other companies at a point in the mountains twenty miles away, but had
himself returned to get the five thousand dollars gathered by Papineau's
agent. Now that the Rebellion was known, Nicolas intended to try and win
his father and his father's money and horses over to the cause.

Because Ferrol was an Englishman he made no confidant of him, and
becaus