. Florian's air suggested confidence and mystery,
and soon, with a voice of hushed suggestion, he told Medallion the
romance of P'tite Louison. And each of the brothers at different times
during the next fortnight did the same, differing scarcely at all in
details, or choice of phrase or meaning, and not at all in general facts
and essentials. But each, as he ended, made a different exclamation.

"Voila, so sad, so wonderful! She keeps the ring--dear P'tite Louison!"
said Florian, the eldest.

"Alors, she gives him a legacy in her will! Sweet P'tite Louison," said
Octave.

"Mais, the governor and the archbishop admire her--P'tite Louison:" said
Felix, nodding confidently at Medallion.

"Bien, you should see the linen and the petticoats!" said Isidore, the
humorous one of the family. "He was great--she was an angel, P'tite
Louison!"

"Attends! what love--what history--what passion!--the perfect P'tite
Louison!" cried Emile, the youngest, the most sentimental. "Ah,
Moliere!" he added, as if calling on the master to rise and sing the
glories of this daughter of romance.

Isidore's tale was after this fashion:

"I ver' well remember the first of it; and the last of it--who can tell?
He was an actor--oh, so droll, that! Tall, ver' smart, and he play in
theatre at Montreal. It is in the winter. P'tite Louison visit Montreal.
She walk past the theatre and, as she go by, she slip on the snow and
fall. Out from a door with a jomp come M'sieu' Hadrian, and pick her up.
And when he see the purty face of P'tite Louison, his eyes go all fire,
and he clasp her hand to his breast.

"'Ma'm'selle, Ma'm'selle,' he say, 'we must meet again!'

"She thank him and hurry away queeck. Next day we are on the river, and
P'tite Louison try to do the Dance of the Blue Fox on the ice. While she
do it, some one come up swift, and catch her hand and say: 'Ma'm'selle,
let's do it together'--like that! It take her breath away. It is M'sieu'
Hadrian. He not seem like the other men she know; but he have a sharp
look, he is smooth in the face, and he smile kind like a woman. P'tite
Louison, she give him her hand, and they run away, and every one stop to
look. It is a gran' sight. M'sieu' Hadrian laugh, and his teeth shine,
and the ladies say things of him, and he tell P'tite Louison that she
look ver' fine, and walk like a queen. I am there that day, and I see
all, and I think it dam good. I say: 'That P'tite Louison, she beat them
all'--I am o