The King's Warrant: A Story of Old and New France

  CHAPTER V.

  Six weary and trying months indeed to most of the personages who figurein this narrative were those which came to an end with the close ofMay, 1759. Even the Baron de Valricour, who always made the best ofeverything, had grown heartily tired of the forced inaction incidentalto the long Canadian winter, when he received a despatch fromhead-quarters relieving him of his command at Sorel and instructing himto take up a responsible post at Quebec. The despatch was accompaniedby a private communication from Montcalm himself, one part of which ranas follows:--

  "For these measures, my good old friend and comrade, as well as for anyothers which may suggest themselves to you, I confidently rely on yourwell-known zeal and experience. The crisis is indeed a grave one. Wehave as yet no certainty of any very material aid from France to enableus to carry on the next campaign, which I have reason to know that Pittintends to prosecute with greater energy than ever. His plan is agrand one, comprising an attack against Niagara, an invasion on thewhole line of Lakes George and Champlain, and a combined naval andmilitary expedition against Quebec. The capture of Louisburg and FortsFrontenac and Duquesne last year have given the enemy the command bothof the upper and lower lines of water communication, and a great holdover us on the north and west, whilst the support of a population ofnearly four hundred thousand in the English American states gives thema formidable advantage in the south. Although some of the states arenot a little dissatisfied at the cost entailed on them both in men andmoney, most of them are evidently ready to make any sacrifices requiredof them. New France, on the other hand, gives to us but a populationof some sixty thousand to draw upon, and of those considered capable ofbearing arms we can reckon on only a small proportion as available.This is a grave disadvantage indeed, where the necessity of carryingall regular troops across the Atlantic makes both sides so largelydependent on their colonial militia, whilst the great conference heldby the English with the Indians last autumn has deprived us of the aidof many tribes formerly friendly to us. The situation, however, is notwithout some favourable features. It is easy enough to sit down anddraw great plans, but quite another thing to carry them out within thefew months which our summer here affords, and in a country where thedistances are so great and the natural obstacles so many and soserious. Amherst is still far from ready, and I doubt his being beforeTiconderoga much sooner than the end of July. Desertion, too, isalready rife among his troops, and I foresee that it will become stillmore so. Bourlemaque will have some four thousand good effectives, sothat, apart from the possibility of our repeating the success we gainedlast year, I think we shall not see Amherst on the St. Lawrence beforewinter sets in again. The fate of this campaign will be decided, notat Niagara or Ticonderoga, but at Quebec."

  The baron had read so far with much interest, but calmly and quietlyenough. As he went on reading, however, he became more excited, and atlast started up with an exclamation of mingled pleasure and surprise.He was about to quit the apartment, when an orderly came in andinformed him that a young person was without and desired urgently tospeak with him: "Who is it?" said he. "I am particularly engaged justnow." Whilst he was still speaking a female entered the room, and theorderly, after a moment's hesitation, retired and left them alone.

  "Who are you, and what do you want?" inquired the commandant sharply."I cannot attend to you now."

  But instead of making any reply the intruder flung herself on her kneesbefore him, sobbing convulsively and evidently in great agitation; thenas she raised her head the baron stepped back, exclaiming, "Is itpossible! Surely it is Marguerite?"

  "Yes, it is I," said she, clasping her hands, and looking up to himwith streaming eyes. "I cannot bear it longer. Since I left thisplace I have had no peace. How could I, knowing as I did that I hadleft one who had risked all for me, to suffer such a dreadful fate? Icould not have been so wicked, but for the hope, stronger than all, ofagain seeing one I loved so dearly; but I have been rightly punished.Alas! I shall never see him more; but even if it were not so, I couldnot endure the terrible remorse that my selfishness has caused me. Youwho have been so kind and noble-hearted will help me to bear my lot. Ihave come to give myself up; you will not--you may not refuse me."

  He raised her up and embraced her tenderly, but for a minute or two hecould not speak for emotion. "My dear, dear child," said he at length,"you have indeed shown yourself the worthy daughter of a most noblefather, and Heaven will reward you for this high-minded and generousact. Nay, I rejoice to say that it has already found its reward.Listen to this," and then, as she stood wondering before him, he readto her the concluding part of Montcalm's letter, which ran thus:

  "With regard to a more private matter, I rejoice most heartily that myefforts have at last been attended with success. If it has not alreadyreached you, you will shortly receive from Paris an order cancellingthe _lettre de cachet_ under which your prisoners Godefroid andGabrielle have been detained. I can sympathise with you in thepleasure this will give you as regards the latter; as to the supposedGodefroid of course it matters little beyond the fact that the realobject of our solicitude, wherever he may be, is released from theterrible ban involved in the now cancelled warrant. Although manymonths have elapsed without his making his appearance, I cannot buthope that he is safe, as I may now mention to you in confidence that Isent him, accompanied by the guide Boulanger, to Fort Duquesne in theautumn, and under the peculiar circumstances many things might occur toprolong his absence."

  Well might Isidore's young wife fall once more upon her knees to pourout her grateful heart in thanksgiving for tidings which changed hersorrow and despair into joy and hope. Her guardian left her thusengaged whilst he sought out Amoahmeh and communicated to her not onlythe news of her freedom, but that which seemed to touch her far moredeeply, Marguerite's surrender of herself for the purpose of settingher deliverer free.

  The two friends were soon locked in each other's arms, and the baronleaving them together went forth to make the needful arrangements forrelinquishing his post and proceeding with them to Quebec.

  Tailpiece to Chapter V]

  Headpiece to Chapter VI]