hey have
gone to the Palace, whither I went and got admittance to the cabinet
of the Intendant. He received me in his politest and blandest manner.
I asked an interview with Le Gardeur. Bigot told me that my friend
unfortunately at that moment was unfit to be seen, and had refused
himself to all his city friends. I partly believed him, for I heard the
voice of Le Gardeur in a distant room, amid a babble of tongues and the
rattle of dice. I sent him a card with a few kind words, and received
it back with an insult--deep and damning--scrawled upon it. It was not
written, however, in the hand of Le Gardeur, although signed by his
name. Read that, your Excellency," said he, throwing a card to the
Count. "I will not repeat the foul expressions it contains. Tell Pierre
Philibert what he should do to save his honor and save his friend. Poor,
wild, infatuated Le Gardeur never wrote that--never! They have made him
sign his name to he knew not what."

"And, by St. Martin!" exclaimed La Corne, who looked at the card, "some
of them shall bite dust for that! As for Le Gardeur, poor boy, overlook
his fault--pity him, forgive him. He is not so much to blame, Pierre, as
those plundering thieves of the Friponne, who shall find that La Corne
St. Luc's sword is longer by half an ell than is good for some of their
stomachs!"

"Forbear, dear friends," said the Bishop; "it is not the way of
Christians to talk thus."

"But it is the way of gentlemen!" replied La Corne, impatiently, "and I
always hold that a true gentleman is a true Christian. But you do your
duty, my Lord Bishop, in reproving us, and I honor you for it, although
I may not promise obedience. David fought a duel with Goliath, and was
honored by God and man for it, was he not?"

"But he fought it not in his own quarrel, La Corne," replied the Bishop
gently; "Goliath had defied the armies of the living God, and David
fought for his king, not for himself."

"Confiteor! my Lord Bishop, but the logic of the heart is often truer
than the logic of the head, and the sword has no raison d'etre, except
in purging the world of scoundrels."

"I will go home now; I will see your Excellency again on this matter,"
said Pierre, rising to depart.

"Do, Pierre! my utmost services are at your command," said the Governor,
as the guests all rose too. It was very late.

The hour of departure had arrived; the company all rose, and courteously
bidding their host good-night, proceeded to thei