!"

"See that you make no mistake, Michel. If he is only some foolish young
Canadian, would not a private monition be well?" said Repentigny.

"There is no mistake," answered Lotbiniere, decidedly. "As for lenient
dealings, do you think that is the way to keep down the lower classes?
The strong hand and the severe example are the only guarantees of social
order."

The irate Marquis rose from his chair and paced the room.

"Villain! The thought of him drives me beyond myself."

De Lery said little, but noted every word of his uncle's statement, and
it slowly took shape in his mind in a steel-cold deadly contempt for
Lecour.

The true Repentigny alone, his nature long purified of pride, felt no
malice nor indignation against this usurper of his name.

CHAPTER XXII

THE SECRET OUT

Louis Rene Chaussegros de Lery, that model of blue-blooded elegance, was
not the person to encourage any plebeian in basking in the smiles of
aristocratic society. There was an inflexible honour in him, as well as
pride, which was desperately shocked by the contrivings of Lecour. He
therefore detailed the story, without any heat but without any mercy, to
the mess-table of the company of Villeroy.

Two or three mornings later, Dominique came into Germain's sitting
chamber at Troyes and taking up his Master's service sword looked
closely at it as if to examine the polish on the goldwork. Such was his
custom when he had something special to say. Dominique's pieces of
information were invariably valuable. Germain therefore looked up from
the comedy he was reading and gave attention. Dominique related briefly
the rumour just come from Chalons: A Guardsman of the Noailles had
related it to a comrade in the presence of his servant, and the servant
had hurried to communicate it, with many questions, to Dominique.

Germain paled, yet only for an instant. He laughed at the Auvergnat, who
snorted apologetically--

"As if Monsieur _looked_ like a pedlar!"

"This is a righteous punishment for being born far away, Dominique," he
exclaimed; "all colonials must be either mulattoes or cheats; the next
time I am born it shall be in Chalons."

There was no parade that day on account of a _fete_.

He dressed himself in exactly as leisurely fashion as he had previously
intended and ordered a hack-horse to take him to Versailles. So far he
was acting; the world and Dominique his imaginary audience.

Only when he got out of Troyes and, havi