to come and respire one instant under the window of his queen! What a difference between him and that John de Ganay, whose assiduities importune me! Besides, what can the Marquis de la Roche think of him? he seems to me not a loyal Catholic, the Burgundian. I cease to think of him, after I have made the sign of the cross, and he always finds some pretext for not being present at the holy sacrifice of the mass. On the contrary, Bertrand never fails to be present. Every Sunday, disguised as a serf, I see him piously humbled in a corner of the village church, where I go regularly since the death of our worthy chaplain. ** To come this evening, what imprudence! Would that I could warn him! Impossible, Addresse is too seriously wounded! What resource then! Would that I knew where he is! ** And that equerry who is strolling incessantly on the ramparts, telling the Marquis de la Roche to double the guards, because that—because that-Bad plan, bad plan; my uncle would suspect at once. What fatality! Some magician has made a charm, that's sure. ** I must implore the aid of my merciful patroness!"

Having formed this design, the devoted young lady ran to kneel before her crucifix. While thus prostrated, William de la Roche entered, without interrupting her. Not wishing to trouble her meditations, he was about to retire, for the rigid guardian was far from suspecting that it was a mundane thought a thought of a disobedient lover, which thus absorbed the attention of his ward; but suddenly the latter exclaimed:

"Oh, thank you, thank you, happy patroness, you have granted my petitions; he is saved!”

"Who is this ?" asked the marquis.

"Monseigneur de la Roche," stammered Laura. "Well, dear child, is it thus you receive your uncle, after an absence of two months ?"

"Pardon, pardon," said Laura, blushing. "I"

"You did not expect me, naughty girl," replied William, tenderly kissing her forehead. "But, thank heaven, we have returned safe and sound, and all is ready for our approaching departure !"

"Your approaching departure!"

"Ah, my friend, you tremble because I take with me the object of your thoughts! John de Ganay will accompany me to New France. There, do not grieve, my Laura; do not lower your eyes to conceal your affliction. I promise to return him to you in a year, at most."

"But what, mademoiselle ?" said he, sitting down and taking her on his knee.

"But

"Since I promise to return him to you, you are not going to be jealous of your old uncle. The separation will fortify you both, and you will like me all the better for having kept you asunder some time. You will pass your widowhood under the abbess of the monastery of Blois."

"But, uncle," said the young lady, who recovered by degrees from her emotion, "have you not told me that you had deferred the project of founding a colony at New France ?"

"Ah!" replied the marquis, smiling, "it is less my project of colonization than the colonist, whom I take with me, that calls forth this insidious question."

"You have then obtained yonr letters-patent ?" said she, with an agitation which escaped the attention of her interlocutor.

"Better still," replied he, "I have escaped the trap which had been set for me by the Duke de Mercœur."

Laura started.

"Dear child," said De la Roche, pressing her affectionately to his bosom; "you will pardon me for leaving you, but the voice of God speaks to my conscience-I must go. A new Peter the Hermit, I bear the banner of the Roman Church in the midst of infidels, and soon the opposite shores of the Atlantic will ring with the praises of the AllPowerful. Courage, my daughter! Offer your soul to God, this will aid you to support this trial."

Laura was sensible. Brought up by William de la Roche, who had spoiled her, she cherished him as a father. If the long expeditions of her guardian had never frightened her, at that epoch of civil wars, the idea of a voyage across the Ocean to countries supposed to be much more distant than they really were-this idea, we say, could not fail to make her sad. She burst into tears. Persuaded that these tears had his equerry for their object much more than himself, William tried to console her with caresses. Then, imagining that he supplied a sovereign balm for the grief of his niece, he said, when withdrawing:

"Never mind, my child; dry your tears. You will be betrothed before we embark."

As soon as he had left the room, Laura tapped three times on a gong with a silver wand. Her waiting-maid, a young, courteous, and handsome Picardian appeared.

"Luzette, who is the sergeant of the guard at the gate of the chateau ?" The abigail turned her eye with a knowing air and replied:

"It is Goliath !"

"Go down to the office, and tell the butler not to forget his post to-night. You understand me!"

"Mademoiselle will be obeyed," said Luzette, bowing. "Ah, I am indisposed-I will not go to supper!" Luzette made a second bow and retired.

"By this means," exclaimed the niece of the marquis, "perhaps I may succeed in securing his safety."

CHAPTER V.

THE TROUBADOUR.

"COME, Sergeant Goliath, another glass of that generous cider with which we have been gratified by the noble Laura de Kerskoën.”

"Fill up, fill up, Hare-Ear, for by the good day my tongue is as dry as charcoal, and my stomach resounds like an empty barrel."

"A brave demoiselle is our young lady of the manor!" added Hare-Ear, filling a wooden porringer, which he handed to the sergeant.

"By my life, you speak truly," replied the latter; "a brave demoiselle, without doubt!" He raised the goblet to his lips but suddenly he stopped, and cocked his ear. "What's the matter, Goliath? It would seem that you hear something."

"Surely I do, by jingo I hear. Don't you hear ?"