The Lane That Had No Turning, Complete

all that. He was making a tour of the Province, but it was obvious that he had gone out of his way to visit Pontiac, for there were disquieting rumours in the air concerning the loyalty of the distr

resolutions; with the result that the new-born ardour in the minds of the simple habi

im? Had he not left his little fortune to the parish? and had he not also left twenty thousand francs for the musical education of Madelinette Lajeunesse, the daughter of the village forgeron, to learn singing of the best masters in Paris? Pontiac's wrong-doings had brought it more profit than penalty, more praise than punishment: for,

ould have worn a crown of thorns, but it flaunted a crown of roses. A most unreasonable good fortune seemed to pursue it. It had been led to expect that its new Seigneur would be an Englishman, one George Fournel, to

that. He captivated Madelinette Lajeunesse. In spite of her years in Paris-severe, studious years, which shut out the social world and the temptations of Bohemian life-Madelinette retained a strange simplicity of heart and mind, a desperate love for her old home which wo

discovery. A heritage of his fathers, which had skipped two gene

months, but had not done so. The surgical operation performed upon him was unsuccessful; the strange growth increased. Sensitive, fearful, and morose, he would not go to Europe to be known as the hunchback husband of Lajeunesse, the great singer. He dreaded the hour when Madelinette and he sh

our dearer or exacted homage more persistently than did Louis Racine in the Seigneury of Pontiac. Coincident with the increase of these futile extravagances was the increase of his fanatical patriotism, which at last found vent in seditious writings, agitations, the purchase of rifles, incitement t

recalled to them so acutely the foolish demonstration which had ended in the death of Valmond; that the people had turned from the exasperated Seign

Louis Racine sat in the great Seigneurial chair, returned from the gates of death. As he had come home from the futile public meeting, galloping through the streets and out upon the Seigneury road in the dusk, his horse had shied upon a bridge, where misc

scarlet, a glint of white plumes crossed his line of vision, disappeared, then again came into view, and horses' hoofs rang out on the hard road below. He started to h

ifles too-and let old Fashode wear his medal! See that Lucre is not filthy-ha! ha! very good. I must let the Governor hear that. Quick-quick, Havel. They are entering the grounds. Let the Manor bell be rung, and every one mustered. He shall see that to be a Seigneur is not an empty honour. I am something in

ing fast in the grounds. Presently the door was thrown open and Havel announced the Governor. Louis Racine got t

o state visit, but a friendly call to offer congratulat

ouis Racine's deformity, of which he had not known-Pontiac kept its troubles to itself-sta

oulders-that saved me. If I had fallen on my head I should have been killed, no doubt. My shoul

missed the Seigneur's loyal public welcome. But I am happy," he continued, with smooth deliberation, "to have it here in

r Excellency," said Louis Racine, nervousness passing fr

ll the fact to her Majesty's Government in the report I shall make upon my tour of the province. I have a feel

ferred. Veiled as it was, it was still patent as the sun. Spots of colour shot into the Seigneur's cheeks. An honour from the young English Queen-that woul

s of honour to the famous singer, the wife of a notable French subject, who, while passion

had here shown him the way of escape. But he had said one thing that drove Louis Racine mad. He had given him unknown information about his own wife. Louis did not know that Madelinette had been received by the Queen,

ot heed it; he was scarcely aware of it. If it touched his understandin

hoarse acrid voice-"you speak of loyalty to us whose lives for

Louis!

died on his lips, his eyes stared at the o

s! Lo

chair. Every eye in the room was now turned towards the door. As it opened, the Seigneur san

ou

the assembled company, ran forward to

Governor turned away his head. Every person in the room did the same. For as

er her face. He felt the lightning-like silence, he knew that s

face, but there was a strange brightness in her eyes, a new p

enough, Louis. You

room. "Permit me to welcome you to your native land again, Madame," he said. "You have w

and with one hand claspin

d has given me: I am lady of the Manor

ity entered into him. He stood up beside his wife, as she turned an

" he said, in a tone that jarred. "The barony is two hundred years ol

stively, for he was here to make peace, and in the presence of this man, wh

" said the Seigneur harshly. "And yet we

. All at once she had had to order her life anew, to replace old thoughts by new ones. "We honour and obey the rulers of our land, and fly the English flag, and welcome the English G

, the storm passing from his face, however. "Havel, Tardi

sses, followed by Tardif loaded with cake

front door he stopped surprised, for a guard of honour

rs are these

pany, your Excelle

in an even tone, but with a black look in

arony of Pontiac," a

ng. "It is French uniform of the time of Louis Quin

ith a frosty smile. "The compromise of the centuries-hein?" he added to the Cure, who, with the Avocat, was now looking on with some trepidation. "I

re's face was greatly troubled. The

, your Excellency," he said,

said the Governor, smiling enigmatically. He c

eciate the simple honours done me here. Your arriva

ething in reply, and a moment afterwards the Governor, his suite, and the crowd were gone; and the men-at-arms-the f

led herself to the painful fact. She had shown no surprise, no shrinking. There had been only the one lightning instant in which he had felt a kind of suspension of her breath and being, but when he had looked her in the face, she was composed and smiling. After all h

on his arm. He turned and

she did not, as had been her wont, put them on his shoulders. He did not feel her s

re!" he said, as he

ty miles since daylight." She disengaged herself. "I am going to sleep now," she added.

e flung herself on her b

cried, and sobbed and