ompense, in answer to an
inquiry of Donald, ordered him not to return to the farm, but remain in
the city to take part in its defence. While the country was in danger
the Montmagny estate might take care of itself.

XIX.

THE FRIGHTENED DOVES.

Pauline had few or no misgivings. Her little being was all heart, and
her mind could not grasp the significance of the political events which
passed before her eyes, and on which her future more or less depended.
For her, loyalty to France consisted simply in reverence and obedience
towards her father. For her, fealty to the King did not extend much
beyond love for his handsome, manly representative, Roderick Hardinge.
Happy woman that need not walk beyond the beautiful round of the
affections. Noble woman whose heroism is purely of the heart, not of the
head. There are many species of martyrdom, but that of mere love is the
grandest in the concentration of its own singleness.

After Roderick's departure, Pauline felt the need of being alone for a
brief period in order to go over quietly in her own conscience all the
varied pathetic scenes of that evening. It was not a process of
analysis. Her mind was incapable of that. It was merely a quiet
rehearsal of all the facts, that their vividness might be made more
vivid, and their effect brought home more tenderly to her heart. For a
long hour she sat on the foot of her bed, now weeping, now smiling, now
tossing her lovely head backwards, then burying her sweet face in her
hands. At times a shadow would flit over the delicate features, but it
would soon be replaced by a glamor of serenity, until finally her whole
demeanor settled into an air of prayerful content. Her hands joined upon
her knee, her brow was bent, and her lips murmured words of gratitude.
Beautiful Pauline! Sitting there with inclined body, and her whole being
divided between her love on the earth and her duty to heaven, she was
the true type of the loveable woman.

It was eleven o'clock at the small ivory clock over the mantel, when a
scratch was heard at the door. What was Pauline's surprise, on answering
the call, to see little Blanche step into the room.

"Why, my little wood-flower, what could have brought you here to-night?"
she exclaimed.

The child sidled up to her godmother and did not answer at first, but
there was that in her eye which at once led to suspicion that everything
was not right. Her very presence there at such an hour was the
ind