The last sighs of Cadieux
seemed 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,
Claude Beauharnais, La Corne St. Luc, and others, who had heard of
the lady's departure and came to bid her adieu.
La Corne raised much mirth by his allusions to the Iroquois. The
secret was 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
pealed out a good late hour before they took final leave of their
hospitable hostess, with mutual good wishes and adieus, which with
some of them were never repeated. Le Gardeur was no little touched
and comforted by so much sympathy and kindness. He shook the
Bourgeois affectionately by the hand, inviting him to come up to
Tilly. It was noticed and remembered that this evening Le Gardeur
clung filially, as it were, to the father of Pierre, and the
farewell he gave him was tender, almost solemn, in a sort of sadness
that left an impress upon all minds.
Pages:
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513