FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121  
122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   >>   >|  
ainst the hill, the blackened stumps littering the hillside, and the gloomy forest beyond. The figures of a few men were visible along the beach, and once I saw a black-robed priest emerge from the door of the mission house, and start down the steep path. The picture slowly faded as we advanced, until finally the last glimpse of the log chapel disappeared in the haze, and we were alone on the mystery of the great lake, gliding along a bare, uninhabited shore. I was aroused by the touch of Cassion's hand on my own as it grasped the side of the canoe. "Adele," he said, almost tenderly. "Why should you be so serious? Cannot we be friends?" My eyes met his in surprise. "Friends, Monsieur! Are we not? Why do you address me like that?" "Because you treat me as though I were a criminal," he said earnestly. "As if I had done you an evil in making you my wife. 'Twas not I who hastened the matter, but La Barre. 'Tis not just to condemn me unheard, yet I have been patient and kind. I thought it might be that you loved another--in truth I imagined that De Artigny had cast his spell upon you; yet you surely cannot continue to trust that villain--the murderer of your uncle." "How know you that to be true?" I asked. "Because there is no other accounting for it," he explained sternly. "The quarrel last evening, the early departure before dawn--" "At your orders, Monsieur." "Ay, but the sergeant tells me the fellow was absent from the camp for two hours during the night; that in the moonlight he saw him come down the hill. Even if he did not do the deed himself, he must have discovered the body--yet he voiced no alarm." I was silent, and my eyes fell from his face to the green water. "'Twill be hard to explain," he went on. "But he shall have a chance." "A chance! You will question him; and then--" He hesitated whether to answer me, but there was a cruel smile on his thin lips. "Faith, I do not know. 'Tis like to be a court-martial at the Rock, if ever we get him there; though the chances are the fellow will take to the woods when he finds himself suspected. No doubt the best thing I can do will be to say nothing until we hold him safe, though 'tis hard to pretend with such a villain." He paused, as if hoping I might speak, and my silence angered him. "Bah, if I had my way the young cockerel would face a file at our first camp. Ay! and it will be for you to decide if he does not." "What is your me
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121  
122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
villain
 

fellow

 

Because

 

chance

 

Monsieur

 
silent
 
voiced
 

departure

 
orders
 

evening


accounting

 

explained

 
sternly
 

quarrel

 
sergeant
 

discovered

 
moonlight
 
absent
 

pretend

 

suspected


paused

 

cockerel

 

decide

 

hoping

 

silence

 

angered

 

question

 

hesitated

 

answer

 

explain


chances

 
martial
 

patient

 

mystery

 

gliding

 
disappeared
 

finally

 
advanced
 

glimpse

 
chapel

uninhabited
 

grasped

 
Cassion
 
aroused
 

slowly

 

figures

 
visible
 

forest

 
gloomy
 

blackened