possible? Yet that voice could not belong to
any other. It must be. And even as he stood thus bewildered, the boy
raised his hat with a shy smile, with which there was also much
sadness mingled, and revealed the face of the little Margot.

"Wal," exclaimed Zac, "this doos beat creation!"

Zac then caught both her hands, and held them in a tight grip, and
for a few moments could not speak.

"I do feel good, little one," said he, in a tremulous voice. "This
here's what I ben a waitin' for--to see you--an' you only--though I
skurse dared to hope it. At any rate, I did hope and feel that you
wouldn't go off without a word, and no more you heven't; an' I feel
so happy that I could cry."

It was not exaggerated. Honest Zac was unused to such emotions, and
hardly understood them. His eyes were moist as he looked upon Margot,
and she saw that his simple confession was true. Her own emotion was
as great as his. Tears started to her own eyes, and in her sadness
she leaned on his arm and wept. Whereupon Zac's tears fell in spite
of him, and he began to call himself a darned fool, and her a dear
little pet; till the scolding of himself and the soothing of Margot
became so hopelessly intermingled that he called her a darned old
pet, and himself a dear little fool. Whereupon Margot burst into a
laugh, dashed her tears away, and started off from Zac's grasp.

And now Margot proceeded to tell Zac the reason of her journey. From
her he learned for the first time the events that had taken place on
shore. First, she informed him that Claude was in confinement, and
that Cazeneau intended to take him or send him to Louisbourg; that
Cazeneau himself was bitterly hostile to him. She informed him that
Laborde was dead; that Mimi was in terrible distress, and in mortal
terror of Cazeneau; and finally, that she was to be taken to
Louisbourg. All this filled Zac with concern and apprehension. She
informed Zac that she and her mistress were to be taken away early on
the following morning, and that she had slipped off thus in disguise,
with the consent of her mistress, to let him know the danger of his
friend; for Claude was to remain in Grand Pre for some time longer,
and her mistress thought that after Cazeneau had departed, it might
be possible to do something to save him.

This occupied some time, and Zac interrupted her with many questions.
At length, having told her story, Margot turned away. This startled
Zac.

"What!" said he; "yo