e Church we should be much worse than we are, and
faith--some of us are about as bad as we can be already."

Pauline, tired out, said no more, but leaning back fell into dreaming
of her marriage and of the life before her. Her brother was gone,
peacefully and honourably on the whole; of Angeel it was not necessary
to think, and if Artemise were to remain at Clairville as its mistress,
a very good way might be opened toward conciliating the neighbourhood
and of managing the child for the future. The Archambaults would most
likely all return, evict Mme. Natalie Poussette, who would return to
her husband, and Clairville Manor again assume the lively air of a
former period, with French retainers young and old overrunning the
house and grounds.

Once more in thought Miss Clairville saw the culmination of her hopes
all revolving around the interesting Hawtree, and once more she began
in fancy to add to, sort over, and finally pack away the airy trousseau
which must now be enriched by at least one sober black suit, hat and
mourning veil.

CHAPTER XXIV

RELAPSE

"How shall I trace the change, how bear to tell
How he broke faith----"

The Hotel Champlain is a hostelry not on the list which promises the
highest class of entertainment for the tourist; one has not to go there
unless one is French or in some way connected with or interested in
French life and character, yet the _cuisine_ is excellent and the rooms
clean and neat. The occasional presence of pompous Senators from the
provinces on their way to the legislative halls of the capital ensures
a certain average of cooking and attendance; at other times prevail the
naturally comfortable instincts of the host and hostess, M. and Mme.
Alphonse Prefontaine, a couple bearing the same initials as the
Poussettes, the wife a Natalie too, but extremely different in ideals
and character. Thus, monsieur, the host, had voyaged, been to "Paris,
France," emphasized in case you should think he meant that village,
Paris, Ontario; had written a brochure on his travels and was a great
patron of such arts as at that time the French population of Montreal
were privileged to offer. Madame, the wife, with well-frizzed black
hair, strong features and kindly dark eyes, was handsome enough for a
Lady Mayoress, had excellent if a little showy taste in dress and had
reared a large and healthy family.

To their comfortable roof Crabbe repaired rather than to any English
one,