ich he more than once
acknowledged by kissing the loving fingers which waited upon him so
tenderly.

"I cannot stay in the house, Amelie," said he; "I shall go mad if I do!
You know how it has fared with me, sweet sister! I yesterday built up a
tower of glass, high as heaven, my heaven--a woman's love; to-day I am
crushed under the ruins of it."

"Say not so, brother! you were not made to be crushed by the nay of any
faithless woman. Oh! why will men think more of our sex than we deserve?
How few of us do deserve the devotion of a good and true man!"

"How few men would be worthy of you, sweet sister!" replied he, proudly.
"Ah! had Angelique had your heart, Amelie!"

"You will be glad one day of your present sorrow, brother," replied she.
"It is bitter I know, and I feel its bitterness with you, but life with
Angelique would have been infinitely harder to bear."

He shook his head, not incredulously, but defiantly at fate. "I would
have accepted it," said he, "had I been sure life with her had been hard
as millstones! My love is of the perverse kind, not to be transmuted by
any furnace of fiery trial."

"I have no answer, brother, but this:" and Amdlie stooped and kissed his
fevered forehead. She was too wise to reason in a case where she knew
reason always made default.

"What has happened at the Manor House," asked he after a short silence,
"that aunt is going to return home sooner than she expected when she
left?"

"There are reports to-day of Iroquois on the upper Chaudiere, and her
censitaires are eager to return to guard their homes from the prowling
savages; and what is more, you and Colonel Philibert are ordered to go
to Tilly to look after the defence of the Seigniory."

Le Gardeur sat bolt upright. His military knowledge could not comprehend
an apparently useless order. "Pierre Philibert and I ordered to Tilly to
look after the defence of the Seigniory! We had no information yesterday
that Iroquois were within fifty leagues of Tilly. It is a false rumor
raised by the good wives to get their husbands home again! Don't you
think so, Amelie?" asked he, smiling for the first time.

"No, I don't think so, Le Gardeur! but it would be a pretty ruse de
guerre, were it true. The good wives naturally feel nervous at being
left alone--I should myself," added she, playfully.

"Oh, I don't know! the nervous ones have all come with the men to the
city; but I suppose the works are sufficiently advanced, and the