Part 14 (1/2)
”And we will go back to La Belle France. I fancy I can manage a sort of preferment with Dubissay, who has the ear of the Queen mother at present. At all events I am tired of this turmoil, and thou, _ma mie_, art wasting thy beauty in this savage land.”
He stooped and kissed her. If he had been ready last year, she would have hailed the prospect with delight. Why did it not seem so attractive now?
”And the child?” she asked presently, her eyes fixed on the floor.
Was the tone indifferent?
”How much dost thou love her, _ma mie_? At first thy heart was sore for the loss of our own, but time heals all such wounds. Destournier left no stone unturned to discover her parentage, and failed. I think she has been some one's love child. True we could give her our name, and with a good dowry she could marry well. But she will want some years of convent training to tone her down.”
”And if we should leave her here? Though they say Miladi de Champlain comes over soon, and there may be a court with maids of honor.”
He laughed. ”What I fancy is this, though I am no seer. Destournier is fond of her, fatherly now, but she is shooting up into a tall girl.
There will not be so many years between them as the Sieur and Mademoiselle Boulle. And some day he will take her to wife. 'Twere a pity to spoil the romance. She adores him.”
Miladi bit her lip hard, and drew her brow into a sharp frown.
”What nonsense!” she made answer.
”Destournier is a fine fellow, and will be a rich one some day.”
”The more need that he should marry in his own station.”
”But there is talk of reproducing home t.i.tles in this new land. And Baron Destournier can raise his wife to his own station. If the child should not be amenable to training, or develop some waywardness, there might be sorrow, rather than joy or satisfaction in thine heart.”
”There will be time enough to consider,” she returned.
He left the room. She went out on the shady side of the gallery, and looked down over the town. The two under discussion a moment ago were climbing the steep rocks instead of taking the path where steps were cut. The wind blew her s.h.i.+ning hair about, her face was filled with ripples of laughter. He took her arm and she would have no help, but sprang like a deer from point to point, then turned to throw her merriment at him.
”Yes, miladi would take her to France. What if some day he should follow?”
The Governor spent a month in intense satisfaction, enlarging the borders of his pet garden, talking with M. Hebert, who had been watching the growth of some fine fruit trees imported from northern France, that had blossomed and were perfecting a few specimens of fruit. He thought sometimes it would be a joy to give up all cares and rest in cultivating the soil. If the summers were short everything grew abundantly. There were several rare plants, also, that they had acclimated.
”Bring thy wife over and be content,” advised M. Hebert, in a cordial tone, ”and enjoy the governors.h.i.+p.”
M. de Champlain laughed. But presently he said: ”Friend, you little know the delights of an explorer who brings new countries to light, who builds cities that may continue after him. The route to India has not yet been located. The fields of gold and silver have not been discovered. The lilies of France have not been planted over there,”
nodding his head. ”We must go before the Spaniard gets a foothold. Yet there are delights I must confess that even Horace longed for--a garden.”
But if he longed for it at times he found the restless current hurrying him on. Some disaffected members of the company were bringing charges against him, desiring to depose him from the governors.h.i.+p. But Conde, who had again come into power, knew there was not another man who would work so untiringly for the good of New France, or make it bring in such rich returns.
CHAPTER VII
JOURNEYING TO A FAR COUNTRY
The colony pa.s.sed a very fair winter. It was in the latter part of April that one night an alarm was given and the big bell at the fort rang out its call to arms.
The messenger had trudged through the snow and was breathless.
”An Indian attack. The Iroquois are burning the settlement, and murdering our people. To arms! to arms!”