CHAPTER XXV. BETWIXT THE LAST VIOLET AND THE EARLIEST ROSE.
"Do not go out to-day, brother, I want you so particularly to stay withme to-day," said Amelie de Repentigny, with a gentle, pleading voice."Aunt has resolved to return to Tilly to-morrow; I need your help toarrange these papers, and anyway, I want your company, brother," addedshe, smiling.
Le Gardeur sat feverish, nervous, and ill after his wild night spentat the Taverne de Menut. He started and reddened as his sister's eyesrested on him. He looked through the open window like a wild animalready to spring out of it and escape.
A raging thirst was on him, which Amelie sought to assuage by draughtsof water, milk, and tea--a sisterly attention which he more than onceacknowledged by kissing the loving fingers which waited upon him sotenderly.
"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 atower of glass, high as heaven, my heaven--a woman's love; to-day I amcrushed under the ruins of it."
"Say not so, brother! you were not made to be crushed by the nay of anyfaithless 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 withAngelique would have been infinitely harder to bear."
He shook his head, not incredulously, but defiantly at fate. "I wouldhave accepted it," said he, "had I been sure life with her had been hardas millstones! My love is of the perverse kind, not to be transmuted byany furnace of fiery trial."
"I have no answer, brother, but this:" and Amdlie stooped and kissed hisfevered forehead. She was too wise to reason in a case where she knewreason 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 sheleft?"
"There are reports to-day of Iroquois on the upper Chaudiere, and hercensitaires are eager to return to guard their homes from the prowlingsavages; and what is more, you and Colonel Philibert are ordered to goto Tilly to look after the defence of the Seigniory."
Le Gardeur sat bolt upright. His military knowledge could not comprehendan apparently useless order. "Pierre Philibert and I ordered to Tilly tolook after the defence of the Seigniory! We had no information yesterdaythat Iroquois were within fifty leagues of Tilly. It is a false rumorraised by the good wives to get their husbands home again! Don't youthink so, Amelie?" asked he, smiling for the first time.
"No, I don't think so, Le Gardeur! but it would be a pretty ruse deguerre, were it true. The good wives naturally feel nervous at beingleft alone--I should myself," added she, playfully.
"Oh, I don't know! the nervous ones have all come with the men to thecity; but I suppose the works are sufficiently advanced, and the men canbe spared to return home. But what says Pierre Philibert to the orderdespatching him to Tilly? You have seen him since?"
Amelie blushed a little as she replied, "Yes, I have seen him; he iswell content, I think, to see Tilly once more in your company, brother."
"And in yours, sister!--Why blush, Amelie? Pierre is worthy of you,should he ever say to you what I so vainly said last night to Angeliquedes Meloises!" Le Gardeur held her tightly by the hand.
Her face was glowing scarlet,--she was in utter confusion. "Oh, stop,brother! Don't say such things! Pierre never uttered such thoughts tome!--never will, in all likelihood!"
"But he will! And, my darling sister, when Pierre Philibert shall say heloves you and asks you to be his wife, if you love him, if you pity me,do not say him nay!" She was trembling with agitation, and without powerto reply. But Le Gardeur felt her hand tighten upon his. He comprehendedthe involuntary sign, drew her to him, kissed her, and left the topicwithout pressing it further; leaving it in the most formidable shape totake deep root in the silent meditations of Amelie.
The rest of the day passed in such sunshine as Amelie could throw overher brother. Her soft influence retained him at home: she refreshed himwith her conversation and sympathy, drew from him the pitiful story ofhis love and its bitter ending. She knew the relief of disburdening hissurcharged heart; and to none but his sister, from whom he had never hada secret until this episode in his life, would he have spoken a word ofhis heart's trouble.
Numerous were the visitors to-day at the hospitable mansion of the Ladyde Tilly; but Le Gardeur would see none of them except Pierre Philibert,who rode over as soon as he was relieved from his military attendance atthe Castle of St. Louis.
Le Gardeur received Pierre with an effusion of gratefulaffection--touching, because real. His handsome face, so like Amelie's,was peculiarly so when it expressed the emotions habitual to her;and the pleasure both felt in the presence of Pierre brought outresemblances that flashed fresh on the quick, observant eye of Pierre.
The afternoon was spent in conversation of that kind which gives andtakes with mutual delight. Le Gardeur seemed more his old self again inthe company of Pierre; Amelie was charmed at the visible influenceof Pierre over him, and a hope sprang up in her bosom that the littleartifice of beguiling Le Gardeur to Tilly in the companionship of Pierremight be the means of thwarting those adverse influences which weredragging him to destruction.
If Pierre Philibert grew more animated in the presence of those brighteyes, which were at once appreciative and sympathizing, Amelie drank inthe conversation of Pierre as one drinks the wine of a favorite vintage.If her heart grew a little intoxicated, what the wonder? Furtivelyas she glanced at the manly countenance of Pierre, she saw in it thereflection of his noble mind and independent spirit; and remembering theinjunction of Le Gardeur,--for, woman-like, she sought a support out ofherself to justify a foregone conclusion,--she thought that if Pierreasked her she could be content to share his lot, and her greatesthappiness would be to live in the possession of his love.
Pierre Philibert took his departure early from the house of the Ladyde Tilly, to make his preparations for leaving the city next day. Hisfather was aware of his project, and approved of it.
The toils of the day were over in the house of the Chien d'Or. TheBourgeois took his hat and sword and went out for a walk upon the cape,where a cool breeze came up fresh from the broad river. It was just theturn of tide. The full, brimming waters, reflecting here and therea star, began to sparkle under the clear moon that rose slowly andmajestically over the hills of the south shore.
The Bourgeois sat down on the low wall of the terrace to enjoy thefreshness and beauty of the scene which, although he had seen it ahundred times before, never looked lovelier, he thought, than thisevening. He was very happy in his silent thoughts over his son's returnhome; and the general respect paid him on the day of his fete had beenmore felt, perhaps, by the Bourgeois than by Pierre himself.
As he indulged in these meditations, a well-known voice suddenlyaccosted him. He turned and was cordially greeted by the Count de laGalissoniere and Herr Kalm, who had sauntered through the garden of theCastle and directed their steps towards the cape with intention to callupon the Lady de Tilly and pay their respects to her before she left thecity.
The Bourgeois, learning their intentions, said he would accompanythem, as he too owed a debt of courtesy to the noble lady and her nieceAmelie, which he would discharge at the same time.
The three gentlemen walked gravely on, in pleasant conversation. Theclearness of the moonlit night threw the beautiful landscape, with itsstrongly accentuated features, into contrasts of light and shade towhich the pencil of Rembrandt alone could have done justice. Herr Kalmwas enthusiastic in his admiration,--moonlight over Drachenfels on theRhine, or the midnight sun peering over the Gulf of Bothnia, remindedhim of something similar, but of nothing so grand on the whole as thematchless scene visible from Cape Diamond--worthy of
its name.
Lady de Tilly received her visitors with the gracious courtesy habitualto her. She especially appreciated the visit from the Bourgeois, who sorarely honored the houses of his friends by his welcome presence. Asfor His Excellency, she remarked, smiling, it was his official duty torepresent the politeness of France to the ladies of the Colony, whileHerr Kalm, representing the science of Europe, ought to be honored inevery house he chose to visit,--she certainly esteemed the honor of hispresence in her own.
Amelie made her appearance in the drawing-room, and while the visitorsstayed exerted herself to the utmost to please and interest them bytaking a ready and sympathetic part in their conversation. Her quickand cultivated intellect enabled her to do so to the delight, and evensurprise, of the three grave, learned gentlemen. She lacked neitherinformation nor opinions of her own, while her speech, soft and womanly,gave a delicacy to her free yet modest utterances that made her, intheir recollections of her in the future, a standard of comparison,--ameasure of female perfections.
Le Gardeur, learning who were in the house, came down after a while tothank the Governor, the Bourgeois, and Herr Kalm for the honor of theirvisit. He exerted himself by a desperate effort to be conversable,--notvery successfully, however; for had not Amelie watched him with deepestsympathy and adroitly filled the breaks in his remarks, he would havefailed to pass himself creditably before the Governor. As it was, LeGardeur contented himself with following the flow of conversation whichwelled up copiously from the lips of the rest of the company.
After a while came in Felix Baudoin in his full livery, reserved forspecial occasions, and announced to his lady that tea was served. Thegentlemen were invited to partake of what was then a novelty in NewFrance. The Bourgeois, in the course of the new traffic with China thathad lately sprung up in consequence of the discovery of ginseng in NewFrance, had imported some chests of tea, which the Lady de Tilly, withinstinctive perception of its utility, adopted at once as the beverageof polite society. As yet, however, it was only to be seen upon thetables of the refined and the affluent.
A fine service of porcelain of Chinese make adorned her table, pleasingthe fancy with its grotesque pictures,--then so new, now so familiar tous all. The Chinese garden and summer-house, the fruit-laden trees,and river with overhanging willows; the rustic bridge with the threelong-robed figures passing over it; the boat floating upon the water andthe doves flying in the perspectiveless sky--who does not remember themall?
Lady de Tilly, like a true gentlewoman, prized her china, and thoughtkindly of the mild, industrious race who had furnished her tea-tablewith such an elegant equipage.
It was no disparagement to the Lady de Tilly that she had not readEnglish poets who sang the praise of tea: English poets were in thosedays an unknown quantity in French education, and especially in NewFrance until after the conquest. But Wolfe opened the great world ofEnglish poetry to Canada as he recited Gray's Elegy with its propheticline,--
"The paths of glory lead but to the grave,"
as he floated down the St. Lawrence in that still autumnal night toland his forces and scale by stealth the fatal Heights of Abraham, whosepossession led to the conquest of the city and his own heroic death,then it was the two glorious streams of modern thought and literatureunited in New France, where they have run side by side to this day,--intime to be united in one grand flood stream of Canadian literature.
The Bourgeois Philibert had exported largely to China the newlydiscovered ginseng, for which at first the people of the flowerykingdom paid, in their sycee silver, ounce for ounce. And his Cantonesecorrespondent esteemed himself doubly fortunate when he was enabledto export his choicest teas to New France in exchange for the preciousroot.
Amelie listened to an eager conversation between the Governor and HerrKalm, started by the latter on the nature, culture, and use of thetea-plant,--they would be trite opinions now,--with many daringspeculations on the ultimate conquest of the tea-cup over the wine-cup."It would inaugurate the third beatitude!" exclaimed the philosopher,pressing together the tips of the fingers of both hands, "and the 'meekwould inherit the earth;'" so soon as the use of tea became universal,mankind would grow milder, as their blood was purified from the fieryproducts of the still and the wine-press! The life of man would beprolonged and made more valuable.
"What has given China four thousand of years of existence?" asked HerrKaim, abruptly, of the Count.
The Count could not tell, unless it were that the nation was deadalready in all that regarded the higher life of national existence,--hadbecome mummified, in fact,--and did not know it.
"Not at all!" replied Herr Kalm. "It is the constant use of thelife-giving infusion of tea that has saved China! Tea soothes thenerves; it clears the blood, expels vapors from the brain, and restoresthe fountain of life to pristine activity. Ergo, it prolongs theexistence of both men and nations, and has made China the most antiquenation in the world."
Herr Kalm was a devotee to the tea-cup; he drank it strong to excite hisflagging spirits, weak to quiet them down. He took Bohea with hisfacts, and Hyson with his fancy, and mixed them to secure the necessaryafflatus to write his books of science and travel. Upon Hyson he wouldhave attempted the Iliad, upon Bohea he would undertake to square thecircle, discover perpetual motion, or reform the German philosophy.
The professor was in a jovial mood, and gambolled away gracefully asa Finland horse under a pack-saddle laden with the learning of a dozenstudents of Abo, travelling home for the holidays.
"We are fortunate in being able to procure our tea in exchange forour useless ginseng," remarked the Lady de Tilly, as she handed theprofessor a tiny plate of the leaves, as was the fashion of the day.After drinking the tea, the infused leaves were regarded as quite afashionable delicacy. Except for the fashion, it had not been perhapsconsidered a delicacy at all.
The observation of the Lady de Tilly set the professor off on anotherbranch of the subject. "He had observed," he said, "the careless methodsof preparing the ginseng in New France, and predicted a speedy end ofthe traffic, unless it were prepared to suit the fancy of the fastidiousChinese."
"That is true, Herr Kalm," replied the Governor, "but our Indianswho gather it are bad managers. Our friend Philibert, who opened thislucrative trade, is alone capable of ensuring its continuance. It is amine of wealth to New France, if rightly developed. How much made youlast year by ginseng, Philibert?"
"I can scarcely answer," replied the Bourgeois, hesitating a momentto mention what might seem like egotism; "but the half million Icontributed towards the war in defence of Acadia was wholly the productof my export of ginseng to China."
"I know it was! and God bless you for it, Philibert!" exclaimed theGovernor with emotion, as he grasped the hand of the patriotic merchant.
"If we have preserved New France this year, it was through your timelyhelp in Acadia. The King's treasury was exhausted," continued theGovernor, looking at Herr Kalm, "and ruin imminent, when the noblemerchant of the Chien d'Or fed, clothed, and paid the King's troops fortwo months before the taking of Grand Pre from the enemy!"
"No great thing in that, your Excellency," replied the Bourgeois, whohated compliments to himself. "If those who have do not give, how canyou get from those who have not? You may lay some of it to the accountof Pierre too,--he was in Acadia, you know, Governor." A flash of honestpride passed over the usually sedate features of the Bourgeois at themention of his son.
Le Gardeur looked at his sister. She knew instinctively that histhoughts put into words would say, "He is worthy to be your father,Amelie!" She blushed with a secret pleasure, but spoke not. The music inher heart was without words yet; but one day it would fill the universewith harmony for her.
The Governor noticed the sudden reticence, and half surmising the cause,remarked playfully, "The Iroquois will hardly dare approach Tilly withsuch a garrison as Pierre Philibert and Le Gardeur, and with you,my Lady de Tilly, as commandant, and you, Mademoiselle Amelie, asaide-de-camp!"
"To be sure! your Excellency," replied the Lady de Tilly. "The womenof Tilly have worn swords and kept the old house before now!" she addedplayfully, alluding to a celebrated defence of the chateau by a formerlady of the Manor at the head of a body of her censitaires; "and dependupon it, we shall neither give up Tilly nor Le Gardeur either, towhatever savages claim them, be they red or white!"
The lady's allusion to his late associates did not offend Le Gardeur,whose honest nature despised their conduct, while he liked theircompany. They all understood her, and laughed. The Governor's loyaltyto the King's commission prevented his speaking his thoughts. He onlyremarked, "Le Gardeur and Pierre Philibert will be under your orders,my Lady, and my orders are that they are not to return to the city untilall dangers of the Iroquois are over."
"All right, your Excellency!" exclaimed Le Gardeur. "I shall obey myaunt." He was acute enough to see through their kindly scheming forhis welfare; but his good nature and thorough devotion to his aunt andsister, and his affectionate friendship for Pierre, made him yield tothe project without a qualm of regret. Le Gardeur was assailable on manysides,--a fault in his character--or a weakness--which, at any rate,sometimes offered a lever to move him in directions opposite to themalign influences of Bigot and his associates.
The company rose from the tea-table and moved to the drawing-room, whereconversation, music, and a few games of cards whiled away a couple ofhours very pleasantly.
Amelie sang exquisitely. The Governor was an excellent musician, andaccompanied her. His voice, a powerful tenor, had been strengthenedby many a conflict with old Boreas on the high seas, and made soft andflexible by his manifold sympathies with all that is kindly and good andtrue in human nature.
A song of wonderful pathos and beauty had just been brought down fromthe wilds of the Ottawa, and become universally sung in New France. Avoyageur flying from a band of Iroquois had found a hiding-place on arocky islet in the middle of the Sept Chutes. He concealed himself fromhis foes, but could not escape, and in the end died of starvation andsleeplessness. The dying man peeled off the white bark of the birch, andwith the juice of berries wrote upon it his death song, which was foundlong after by the side of his remains. His grave is now a marked spoton the Ottawa. La Complainte de Cadieux had seized the imagination ofAmelie. She sang it exquisitely, and to-night needed no pressing todo so, for her heart was full of the new song, composed under suchcircumstances of woe. Intense was the sympathy of the company, as shebegan:
"'Petit rocher de la haute montagne, Je viens finir ici cette campagne! Ah! doux echos, entendez mes soupirs! En languissant je vais bientot--mourir.'"
There were no dry eyes as she concluded. The last sighs of Cadieuxseemed to expire on her lips:
"'Rossignole, va dire a ma maitresse, A mes enfans, qu'un adieu je leur laisse, Que j'ai garde mon amour et ma foi, Et desormais faut renoncer a moi.'"
A few more friends of the family dropped in--Coulon de Villiers, ClaudeBeauharnais, La Corne St. Luc, and others, who had heard of the lady'sdeparture and came to bid her adieu.
La Corne raised much mirth by his allusions to the Iroquois. The secretwas plainly no secret to him. "I hope to get their scalps," said he,"when you have done with them and they with you, Le Gardeur!"
The evening passed on pleasantly, and the clock of the Recollets pealedout a good late hour before they took final leave of their hospitablehostess, with mutual good wishes and adieus, which with some of themwere never repeated. Le Gardeur was no little touched and comforted byso much sympathy and kindness. He shook the Bourgeois affectionatelyby the hand, inviting him to come up to Tilly. It was noticed andremembered that this evening Le Gardeur clung filially, as it were, tothe father of Pierre, and the farewell he gave him was tender, almostsolemn, in a sort of sadness that left an impress upon all minds. "TellPierre--but indeed, he knows we start early," said Le Gardeur, "and thecanoes will be waiting on the Batture an hour after sunrise.
The Bourgeois knew in a general way the position of Le Gardeur, andsympathized deeply with him. "Keep your heart up, my boy!" said heon leaving. "Remember the proverb,--never forget it for a moment, LeGardeur: Ce que Dieu garde est bien garde!"
"Good-by, Sieur Philibert!" replied he, still holding him by the hand."I would fain be permitted to regard you as a father, since Pierre isall of a brother to me!"
"I will be a father, and a loving one too, if you will permit me, LeGardeur," said the Bourgeois, touched by the appeal. "When you returnto the city, come home with Pierre. At the Golden Dog, as well as atBelmont, there will be ever welcome for Pierre's friend as for Pierre'sself."
The guests then took their departure.
The preparations for the journey home were all made, and the householdretired to rest, all glad to return to Tilly. Even Felix Baudoin feltlike a boy going back on a holiday. His mind was surcharged with theendless things he had gathered up, ready to pour into the sympathizingear of Barbara Sanschagrin; and the servants and censitaires wereequally eager to return to relate their adventures in the capital whensummoned on the King's corvee to build the walls of Quebec.