o have so promptly obeyed your proclamation. It is the
King's corvee to restore the walls of Quebec, and no Canadian may
withhold his hand from it without disgrace."

"The Chevalier La Corne St. Luc will think us two poor women a weak
accession to the garrison," added she, turning to the Chevalier and
cordially offering her hand to the brave old officer, who had been the
comrade in arms of her husband and the dearest friend of her family.

"Good blood never fails, my Lady," returned the Chevalier, warmly
grasping her hand. "You out of place here? No! no! you are at home on
the ramparts of Quebec, quite as much as in your own drawing-room at
Tilly. The walls of Quebec without a Tilly and a Repentigny would be a
bad omen indeed, worse than a year without a spring or a summer without
roses. But where is my dear goddaughter Amelie?"

As he spoke the old soldier embraced Amelie and kissed her cheek with
fatherly effusion. She was a prodigious favorite. "Welcome, Amelie!"
said he, "the sight of you is like flowers in June. What a glorious time
you have had, growing taller and prettier every day all the time I have
been sleeping by camp-fires in the forests of Acadia! But you girls are
all alike; why, I hardly knew my own pretty Agathe when I came home. The
saucy minx almost kissed my eyes out--to dry the tears of joy in them,
she said!"

Amelie blushed deeply at the praises bestowed upon her, yet felt glad
to know that her godfather retained all his old affection. "Where is
Le Gardeur?" asked he, as she took his arm and walked a few paces apart
from the throng.

Amelie colored deeply, and hesitated a moment. "I do not know,
godfather! We have not seen Le Gardeur since our arrival." Then after a
nervous silence she added, "I have been told that he is at Beaumanoir,
hunting with His Excellency the Intendant."

La Corne, seeing her embarrassment, understood the reluctance of her
avowal, and sympathized with it. An angry light flashed beneath his
shaggy eyelashes, but he suppressed his thoughts. He could not help
remarking, however, "With the Intendant at Beaumanoir! I could have
wished Le Gardeur in better company! No good can come of his intimacy
with Bigot; Amelie, you must wean him from it. He should have been in
the city to receive you and the Lady de Tilly."

"So he doubtless would have been, had he known of our coming. We sent
word, but he was away when our messenger reached the city."

Amelie felt half ashamed, f