e, Amelie. I don't place Le Gardeur in the same
category with my other admirers. But he got offended because I seemed
to neglect him a little to cultivate this gay new Intendant. Do you know
him?"

"No; nor wish to! I have heard much said to his disadvantage. The
Chevalier La Corne St. Luc has openly expressed his dislike of the
Intendant for something that happened in Acadia."

"Oh, the Chevalier La Corne is always so decided in his likes and
dislikes: one must either be very good or very bad to satisfy him!"
replied Angelique with a scornful pout of her lips.

"Don't speak ill of my godfather, Angelique; better be profane on any
other topic: you know my ideal of manly virtues is the Chevalier La
Corne," replied Amelie.

"Well, I won't pull down your idol, then! I respect the brave old
soldier, too; but could wish him with the army in Flanders!"

"Thousands of estimable people augur ill from the accession of the
Intendant Bigot in New France, besides the Chevalier La Corne," Amelie
said after a pause. She disliked censuring even the Intendant.

"Yes," replied Angelique, "the Honnetes Gens do, who think themselves
bound to oppose the Intendant, because he uses the royal authority in a
regal way, and makes every one, high and low, do their devoir to Church
and State."

"While he does his devoir to none! But I am no politician, Angelique.
But when so many good people call the Intendant a bad man, it behooves
one to be circumspect in 'cultivating him,' as you call it."

"Well, he is rich enough to pay for all the broken pots: they say he
amassed untold wealth in Acadia, Amelie!"

"And lost the province for the king!" retorted Amelie, with all the
asperity her gentle but patriotic spirit was capable of. "Some say he
sold the country."

"I don't care!" replied the reckless beauty, "he is like Joseph in
Egypt, next to Pharaoh in authority. He can shoe his horses with gold! I
wish he would shoe me with golden slippers--I would wear them, Amelie!"

Angelique stamped her dainty foot upon the ground, as if in fancy she
already had them on.

"It is shocking if you mean it!" remarked Amelie pityingly, for she felt
Angelique was speaking her genuine thoughts. "But is it true that the
Intendant is really as dissolute as rumor says?"

"I don't care if it be true: he is noble, gallant, polite, rich, and
all-powerful at Court. He is reported to be prime favorite of the
Marquise de Pompadour. What more do I want?" replied