The Seats Of The Mighty, Complete

rn the bread and oven too! If only they were

and another threatened. The streets were full of people, and thousands of excited p

calm's infantry as they came on. Where were Bigot's men? There was a handful-one company-drawn up before La Friponne, idly leaning on their muskets, seeing the gre

trick of Bigot's?" s

eat steps when two gates at the right suddenly swung open, and a carriage rolled out swiftly and dashed down into the crowd. I recognized the coachman first-Bigot's, an old one-eyed soldier of surpassing nerve, and devo

-to the end of a shameless pillage. But no hand was raised to do the deed. The roar of voices subsided-he waited for it-and silence was broken only by the crackle of the burning building, t

think to frighten me. Who do you think I am?-a Bostonnais or an Englishman? You-revolutionists! T'sh! You are wild dogs without a leader. You want one that you can trust; you want no coward, but one who fears you not at your wildest. Well, I will be your leader. I do not fear you, and I do not love you, for how have you deserved my love? By ingratitude and aspersion? Who has the King's fav

what I had meant to give you in our hour of danger, when those English came. I made you suff

the deep dramatic scheme. He had withheld the news of the victory that he might announce it when it would most turn to his own glory. Perhaps he had not counted on t

ns, and, pitying your trouble, divide among you at the smallest pri

hts above called out shrilly, "What l

, a red robe hanging on her, her hair free over her shoulders, her finger p

ven for your insolence and folly. His most Christian Majesty is triumphant upon the Ohio. The English have been killed in thou

nother and another. There was a great commotion, and many ran to Bigot's

e urged, adding, with a sneer, "and forget

om the Heights above came the woman's voice a

aitor!" she cried. "Beware of Fran

flew open, and out came squad after squad of soldiers. In a moment, they, with the people, were busy carrying water to pour upon th

and listening to the cheers of the people. At last

he petticoats? He knows the trick of cup and saucer. Between the sip and click he sucked in secrets fr

I would not only wear, but use one, you

n Moray. They do that i

ere's quiet, y

sh days, had a shrewish Gascon wife, whom he took leave to send to

you shall have your chance to drink with Francois Bigot. Now, if you dare, when we have drunk to the fir

"I have still some stomach and a wrist. I will drink to cock

g's sake, Doltaire; he must have bonbons for it. Well, see: if your sword and

tent that I should be shut away in the citadel, and no more. There was a deeper game playing. I give them their due: the trap was skillful, and in those times,

, they must hold me tight here till I had been tried, nor permit me to escape. But I was sick of doing n

d, and in a moment the great doors opened, and he had passed inside to applause, though here and there among the crowd was heard a hiss, for the Scarlet Woman had made an impression. The I

Bigot, and then a fever, bringing a kind of madness:

the tales of his early life in France, and to the later tale of a humble love, and of the home which he was fitting up for his Mathilde, a peasant girl of much beauty, I was told, but whom I had never seen. I remembered at that moment, as he stood in the crowd looking at me, the piles of linen which he had bought at Ste. Anne de Beaupre, and the silver pitcher which his grandfather had got from the Duc de Valois for an act of merit. Many a time we had discussed the pitcher and the deed, and fingered the linen, now talking in F

some clue if I had known that he had been crouched behind the Intendant's carriage while I was being bidden to

ers-one to Governor Dinwiddie, one to George Washington, and one to my partner in Virginia, telling them my fresh misfortunes, and begging them to send me money, which, however useless in my captivity, would be important in my fight for life and freedom. I did not write intimately of my state, for I was not sure my letters would ever pass outside Quebec. There were only two men I could trust to do th

ted to my star and to my innocence to convince my judges; and begging her, if she could, to send me a line at the citadel. I told her I knew

ltaire. To the soldier on duty, whom I did not notice at first, I now offered a pipe and a glass

y at all, he said abruptly, "If

not think what he m

girl in scarlet had come sooner-eh?" I as

nt, too, maybe

and de

eful of tobacco. He looke

he would have had hi

to get m

ron and lock of steel-who knows the rest! B

e-of the fine linen from Ste. Anne de Beaupre and the silver pitcher for the wedding wine. I saw,

stayed with Bigot,"

go hunting bones-mais, non! Hol

her up now? She's dangerous to h

Governor is the great man, and Montcalm, aho! son of Mahomet! You shall see. Now they dance to Bigot's whistling; he will lock her safe enough to-morrow, 'less some on

tcalm's soldiers?" I aske

ilitia!" He raised his thumb to his nose, and spread out his fingers. Again light dawned on me. He wa

fellow to fetch me Voban! There was yet an

hat I wished Voban to bear a letter for me to the Seigneur Duvarney's. At tha

in Bigot's pay he would understand the Seigneur's relations with the Governor. And a woman in the case with a soldier-that would count for somet

to an end with a voiceless aho! I gave him another tumbler of wine. Before he took it, he made a wide mouth a

swered. "I'll tie a pretty knot i

ng, what saltpetre is he! And the ma'm'selle-excellent, excellent; and a face, such a face, and a seat like lee

u fetch Voba

gainst the supper to

s peasant openness hid, I saw, great shrewdness and intelligence-an admirable man for Vaudreuil's purpose, as admirable for mine. I knew well that if I had tried to bribe him he woul

pointed in soul and body when one sups w

ime, for he has no soul. No, by Sainte Helois! The good God didn't make him. The devil laug

for Voban-now?"

hed and put the tumbler on a shelf, then turned and

e's this English captain can't go to supper without Voban's shears to snip him. Go fetch hi

at once started away. Then he shut the door, and turned to me again, and sai

an hour,

and then he smoked

ard footsteps outside; then came

said. "M'sieu' is a

," and I handed four: hers, and those to Governo

er-I have not yet mentioned his name-Gabord, did no

ipping out his shears, tossing his cap aside,

ling, and he was clipping softly at me as Do

night!" Vob

rison," said I. "Rem

if I can." This he said in my ear

go to prison curled and musked by Voban. VOBAN-a name from the cou

th the cure's

, and replied lazily, "I did not say 'Who called y

ould you have, monsieur? The citadel has be

ban. "Turn round, my Voban," he said. "Voban-

ters! I was ready to seize them-but would that save them? Twice, thrice, the finger prodded Voban's breast, as if to ad

e poor Mathilde's fate. Something strange and devilish

into a nest of

he Scarlet Wom

ry, pleased Doltaire, and he laughed. "Who would have thought our Voban had such w

A few minutes passed so, in which the pealing of bells, the shouting of th

rd the Benedictus chanted in the Church of the Recollets as we passe

om our enemies, and from th

ay from the crowd, I saw a solitary cloaked figure. The

of the hands of our enemies,

d corner came in a high, m

ness and in the shadow of death, and to

er, I saw it

rned and begged a momen

Intendant, all in one night-a liberal taste, m

d I went over to her and said, "Madem

to her brain some little sprite out of t

God forgot them, and the devil came. I am the Scarlet Woman,"

ong the stars to hers. I took her hand and held it,

much noticed in Quebec, and Voban had, no doubt, pointed me out to her. Light leapt from her black eye, and the

y will not kill you: they will keep you till the ring of fire grows in your head, and then you will make your scarlet robe, and go out, but you will never find It-n

l. If Alixe and her mother at the Manor could but care for her, I thought. But alas! w

sh! she shall own all I have-except the scarlet robe. She showed me where the May-apples grew. Go,"-she pushed me gently away-"go to your prison, and pray to God. But you can not kill Francois Bigot, he is a devil." Then she thrust into my hands a little wooden cross, which she took from many others

instant, and then, turning, stole soft

ery brought me

the addled; now for the bo