m,--had yielded for a brief season to
the indulgence of those natural feelings, which were awakened by the
recognition of his daughter. But his ascetic habits, and the blind
bigotry of his creed, soon regained their influence over his mind, and
led him to distrust the most virtuous emotions of his heart. The
self-inflicted penance, which estranged him from her, in infancy, he
deemed still binding; and the vow which he had taken to lead a life of
devotion, he thought no circumstances could annul. As the priest of God,
he must conquer every earthly passion; the work to which he was
dedicated yet remained unaccomplished, and the sins of his early life
were still unatoned.

Thus he reasoned, blinded by the false dogmas of a superstitious creed;
and the arguments of Madame de la Tour, the tears and entreaties of
Lucie, had been alike disregarded. The return of the priest, who usually
officiated at the fort, was the signal for him to depart on a tour of
severe duty to the most distant settlements of Acadia. Nothing could
change his determination; he parted from Lucie with much emotion,
solemnly conjuring her to renounce her spiritual errors, and embrace the
faith of the only true church. As his child, he assured her, he should
pray for her happiness, as a heretic, for her conversion; but he
relinquished the authority of a father, which his profession forbade him
to exercise, and left her to the guidance of her own conscience. From
that time, Lucie had neither seen nor heard from him; but solicitude for
his fate pressed heavily on her heart, and she shed many secret and
bitter tears for her unfortunate parent.

Soon after the death of Madame de la Tour, Lucie removed her residence
to the cottage of Annette. The fort was no longer a suitable or pleasant
abode for her. Mons. de la Tour disregarded the wishes which his lady
had expressed in her last illness,--that Lucie might be allowed to
follow her own inclinations,--and renewed his endeavours to force her
into a marriage with De Valette. But his threats and persuasions were
both firmly resisted, and proved equally ineffectual to accomplish his
purpose. De Valette, indeed, had too much pride and generosity to urge
his suit after a decided rejection; and he was vexed by his uncle's
selfish pertinacity. In the early period of his attachment to Lucie, he
accidentally discovered that most of her fortune had become involved in
the private speculations of her guardian, and was proba