Terrible as is his crime, he never committed it out of malice
aforethought. He has been himself the victim of some hellish plot,--
for a plot there has been. This has been no chance melee, Count,"
exclaimed La Corne St. Luc impetuously.
"It looks like a chance melee, but I suspect more than appears on
the surface," replied the Governor. "The removal of the Bourgeois
decapitates the party of the Honnetes Gens, does it not?"
"Gospel is not more true! The Bourgeois was the only merchant in
New France capable of meeting their monopoly and fighting them with
their own weapons. Bigot and the Grand Company will have everything
their own way now."
"Besides, there was the old feud of the Golden Dog," continued the
Governor. "Bigot took its allusion to the Cardinal as a personal
insult to himself, did he not, La Corne?"
"Yes; and Bigot knew he deserved it equally with his Eminence, whose
arch-tool he had been," replied La Corne. "By God! I believe Bigot
has been at the bottom of this plot. It would be worthy of his
craft."
"These are points to be considered, La Corne.
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