revealed Claude pacing restlessly to and fro in his narrow prison, his
ears strained to catch the meaning of the sounds from above. She was by
his side in an instant.

"Marguerite!"

He uttered but the one word, and stood gazing at her, but without
touching her. Coming suddenly upon him out of the darkness he took her
for a vision. But her arms were about his neck, and the warm pressure of
her cheek against his convinced him of the reality of her presence. He
could not take her in his manacled arms; but she kissed the fettered
wrists, and wept to see the terrible difference the six weeks had
wrought in his once stalwart form. The strong young soldier himself, to
whom the sudden shock of joy had come so unexpectedly after his long and
dreary solitude, could not keep back the tears. Their words were few and
broken. Marguerite told him how she had found a way to reach him, and
how the other two women were keeping guard above till her return; and he
showed her the narrow space where he had walked up and down in the
twilight all these weary days, and the hard pallet where he had slept.
Her tears flowed afresh at the sight. But the increasing noise on the
deck above, the sounds of heavy feet and of men shouting, recalled them
to the present.

"Where are we, dearest?" said Claude. "We cannot have reached
Charlesbourg Royal?"

"No, would to Heaven that we had! It is Newfoundland, and my uncle has
anchored to procure fresh water. O Claude, I shudder to think what will
become of us. My uncle is surely mad. His temper has become so
ungovernable that scarce a man on board dares to address him. I have
thought sometimes that that wretch Gaillon, who is constantly in
attendance upon him, must be keeping him under the influence of some
drug or charm which is surely sapping his intelligence. I tremble when
he approaches, for I know not what fresh insult he may heap upon me."

Claude ground his teeth.

"If I were but free, and had the use of my hands for five minutes!" he
muttered. "Why did I submit to him for so long? But hark! there is
surely something of unusual importance going on overhead."

By this time a boat had put off from _La Grande Hermine_, and Cartier
was seen to enter it. Roberval stood on the poop, watching his approach
in silence. Just at this moment some one touched his arm. It was
Gaillon.

"Pardon, Sieur," he murmured in the nobleman's ear, "but some one has
obtained access to the prisoner in the hold. I f