He rode onward, more than ever impatient
of delay, and not till he passed a cluster of elm trees which
reminded him of an adventure of his youth, did the sudden heat pass
away, caused by the thought of the threatened invasion.
Under these trees he remembered that he and his school companion, Le
Gardeur de Repentigny, had once taken refuge during a violent storm.
The tree they stood under was shattered by a thunderbolt. They were
both stunned for a few minutes, and knew they had had a narrow
escape from death. Neither of them ever forgot it.
A train of thoughts never long absent from the mind of Philibert
started up vividly at the sight of these trees. His memory flew
back to Le Gardeur and the Manor House of Tilly, and the fair young
girl who captivated his boyish fancy and filled his youth with
dreams of glorious achievements to win her smiles and do her honor.
Among a thousand pictures of her hung up in his mind and secretly
worshipped he loved that which presented her likeness on that day
when he saved her brother's life and she kissed him in a passion of
joy and gratitude, vowing she would pray for him to the end of her
life.
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