" Jean stood up,
politely doffing his red tuque to the gentlemen. Le Gardeur stooped
from his horse to grasp his hand, for Jean had been an old servitor
at Tilly, and the young seigneur was too noble-minded and polite to
omit a kindly notice of even the humblest of his acquaintance.
"Had a busy day, Jean, with the old ferry?" asked Le Gardeur,
cheerily.
"No, your Honor, but yesterday I think half the country-side crossed
over to the city on the King's corvee. The men went to work, and
the women followed to look after them, ha! ha!" Jean winked
provokingly at Babet, who took him up sharply.
"And why should not the women go after the men? I trow men are not
so plentiful in New France as they used to be before this weary war
began. It well behooves the women to take good care of all that are
left."
"That is true as the Sunday sermon," remarked Jean. "Why, it was
only the other day I heard that great foreign gentleman, who is the
guest of His Excellency the Governor, say, sitting in this very
boat, that 'there are at this time four women to every man in New
France!' If that is true, Babet,--and you know he said it, for you
were angry enough,--a man is a prize indeed, in New France, and
women are plenty as eggs at Easter!"
"The foreign gentleman had much assurance to say it, even if it were
true: he were much better employed picking up weeds and putting them
in his book!" exclaimed Babet, hotly.
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