t
returned and were so much alarmed they dispatched an Indian servitor
with instructions to bring the doctor at once.

"A pretty severe case," he said, with a grave shake of the head. "You
have done the best you could, Mere Dubray, and children have wonderful
recuperative powers. So we will try."

"Poor, pretty little thing," thought Destournier. "Will she find
anything worth living for?" Women had so few opportunities in those
times. And when one was poor and unknown, and in a strange country. Yet
he could not bear to think of her dying. There was always a hopeful
future to living.

CHAPTER II

THE JOY OF FRIENDSHIP

She went down to the very boundaries of the other country, this little
Rose. One night and one day they gave her up. She lay white and silent
and Mere Dubray brought out a white muslin dress and ironed it up, much
troubled to know whether she had a right to Christian burial or not.

And then she opened her eyes with their olden light and began to ask in
a weak voice what happened to her yesterday, and found her last
remembrance was six weeks agone.

She could hardly raise her thin little hand, but all the air was sweet
with growing things. The tall trees had come into rich leafage, the
sunshine glowed upon the grass that danced as if each blade was
fairy-born, and sparkled on the river that went hurrying by as if to
tell a wonderful story. The great craggy upper town glinted in a
thousand varying tints, and at evening was wreathed in trailing mists
that seemed some strange army marching across. The thickly wooded hills
were nodding and smiling to each other, some native fruit trees were in
bloom, and the air was delicious with the scent of wild-grape
fragrance.

"It was a bad fever. And we had no priest to call upon. As if people
here did not need one as well as in that wild place with a long name
where they are hunting copper and maybe gold. But thanks to the saints
and the good doctor, you have come through. Ah, we ought to have a
chapel at least where one could go and pray."

"It is so beautiful and sweet. One would not want to be put in the
ground."

She shuddered thinking of it.

"No, no! And M. Pontgrave has come in with two ships. There is plenty of
provisions and fruits from La Belle France. See, M'sieu Ralph brought
them in for you. Now you have only to get well."

Mere Dubray's face was alight with joy. The child smiled faintly.

"And the Sieur de Champlain?" she asked.