but the knight errant Fortunatus had alone won your favor, and would
receive your hand! The brave Colonel! I could see he winced at
this. His steel cuirass was not invulnerable. I drew blood, which
is more than you would have dared to do, Amelie! But I discovered
the truth hidden in his heart. He is in love with you, Amelie de
Repentigny!"

"Mad girl! How could you? How dare you speak so of me? What must
Colonel Philibert think?"

"Think? He thinks you must be the most perfect of your sex! Why,
his mind was made up about you, Amelie, before he said a word to me.
Indeed, he only just wanted to enjoy the supernal pleasure of
hearing me sing the praises of Amelie De Repentigny to the tune
composed by himself."

"Which you seem to have done, Angelique!"

"As musically as Mere St. Borgia when singing vespers in the
Ursulines," was Angelique's flippant reply.

Amelie knew how useless it was to expostulate. She swallowed her
mingled pleasure and vexation salt with tears she could not help.
She changed the subject by a violent wrench, and asked Angelique
when she had last seen Le Gardeur.

"At the Intendant's levee the other day. How like you he is, too,
only less amiable!"

Angelique did not respond readily to her friend's question about her