jewels and merry company."

"The merriest company for us at present, monsieur, are the men of our
honest garrison. If Edelwald, who came so lately, complains not of this
New World life, I should endure it merrily enough. And you know I seldom
now wear the jewels belonging to our house. Our chief jewel is buried in
the ground."

She thought of a short grave wrapped in fogs near Fort St. John; of fair
curls and sweet childish limbs, and a mouth shouting to send echoes
through the river gorge; of scamperings on the flags of the hall; and of
the erect and princely carriage of that diminutive presence the men had
called "my little lord."

"But it is better for the boy that he died, Marie," murmured La Tour.
"He has no part in these times. He might have survived us to see his
inheritance stripped from him."

They were silent until Marie said, "You have a long march before you
to-morrow, monsieur."

"Yes; we ought to throw ourselves into these mangers," said La Tour.

One wall was lined with bunks like those in the outer room. In the lower
row travelers' preparations were already made for sleeping.

"I am yet of the mind, monsieur," observed Marie, "that you should have
made this journey entirely by sea."

"It would cost me too much in time to round Cape Sable twice. Nicholas