Who wants
peace yet? It would ruin the King's friends in the Colony." Des
Meloises looked as statesmanlike as he could when delivering this
dictum.
"Ruin the King's friends! Who are they, Des Meloises?" asked
Poulariez, with a look of well-assumed surprise.
"Why, the associates of the Grand Company, to be sure! What other
friends has the King got in New France?"
"Really! I thought he had the Regiment of Bearn for a number of
them--to say nothing of the honest people of the Colony," replied
Poulariez, impatiently.
"The Honnetes Gens, you mean!" exclaimed Des Meloises. "Well,
Poulariez, all I have to say is that if this Colony is to be kept up
for the sake of a lot of shopkeepers, wood-choppers, cobblers, and
farmers, the sooner the King hands it over to the devil or the
English the better!"
Poulariex looked indignant enough; but from the others a loud laugh
followed this sally.
The Chevalier des Meloises pulled out his watch. "I must be gone to
the Palace," said he. "I dare say Cadet, Varin, and Penisault will
have balanced the ledgers by this time, and the Intendant, who is
the devil for business on such occasions, will have settled the
dividends for the quarter--the only part of the business I care
about.
Pages:
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387