itches
in the house. I don't believe wicked things would be allowed to enter
it. The Saint-Michels were so pious, and ugly, and resigned to the
poverty of refugees. Their society was so good for me, my mother, when
she was alive, made me venerate them until I hated them. Holy Sophie
died and went to heaven. I shall never see her again. She was, indeed,
excellent. This can't be a nest of witches. George, why don't you go and
knock on the door?"

It was not necessary, for the door opened and a man appeared, holding
his violin by the neck. He stepped out to look around the cabin at some
horses fastened there, and saw and hailed us.

I was not sorry to be allowed to enter, for I was tired to exhaustion,
and sat down on the floor away from the fire. The man looked at me
suspiciously, though he was ruddy and good natured. But he bent quite
over before De Chaumont's daughter, and made a flourish with his hand
in receiving young Croghan. There were in the cabin with him two women
and two little girls; and a Canadian servant like a fat brown bear came
from the rear of the house to look at us and then went back to the
horses.

All the women began to speak, but Annabel de Chaumont could talk faster
than the four others combined, so they knew our plight before we learned
that they were the Grignon and Tank families, who were going into the
west to find settlement and had made the house their camp for one night.
The Dutch maid, dark and round-eyed, and the flaxen little Grignon, had
respect for their elders and held their tongues while Madame Tank and
Madame Grignon spoke, but Annabel de Chaumont was like a grove of
sparrows. The world seemed swarming with young maids. The travelers were
mere children, while the count's daughter was startling as an angel. Her
clothing fitted her body like an exquisite sheath. I do not know what it
was, but it made her look as slim as a dragon fly. Her white and rose
pink face had a high arched nose, and was proud and saucy. She wore her
hair beaten out like mist, with rich curly shreds hanging in front of
her ears to her shoulders. She shook her head to set her hat straight,
and turned her eyes in rapid smiling sweeps. I knew as well then as I
ever did afterwards that she was bound to befool every man that came
near her.

There were only two benches in the cabin, but it was floored and better
made than our hunting lodges. The temporary inmates and their guests
sat down in a long row before the