Part 12 (1/2)

Vesper's brain immediately turned an abrupt somersault in a descent from the sky to earth. ”What did you say, mother?”

”Merely that the blacksmith wishes to marry our landlady. It will be an excellent match for her. Don't you think so?”

”In some respects,--yes.”

”She is too young, and too handsome, to remain a widow. Celina says that she has had a great many admirers, but she has never seemed to fancy any one but the blacksmith. She went for a drive with him last Sunday evening. You know that is the time young Acadiens call on the girls they admire. You see them walking by, or driving in their buggies. If a girl's _fiance_ did not call on her that evening she would throw him over--There she is now with your beef tea,” and Mrs. Nimmo admiringly watched Rose coming from the kitchen and carefully guarding a dainty china cup in her hand.

Vesper got up and took it from her. ”Don't you think it is nonsense for me to be drinking this every morning?” he asked.

Rose looked up at him as he stood, tall, keen-eyed, interested, and waiting for her answer. ”What does madame, your mother, say?” she asked, indicating Mrs. Nimmo, by a pretty gesture.

”His mother says,” remarked Mrs. Nimmo, indulgently, ”that her son should take any dose, no matter how disagreeable, if it has for its object the good of his health.”

Vesper glanced sharply at her, then poured the last few drops of his tea on the ground.

”Ah,” said Mrs. Rose, anxiously, ”I feared that I had not put in enough salt. Now I know.”

”It was perfect,” said Vesper. ”I am only offering a libation to those pansies,” and he inclined his dark head towards Narcisse, who was seated cross-legged in the hammock.

Rose took the cup, smiled innocently and angelically on her child and the young man and his mother, and returned to the house.

Agapit presently came hurrying by the fence. ”Ah, that is good!” he exclaimed, when he saw Vesper sauntering to and fro; ”do you not think you could essay a walk to the wharf?”

”Yes,” said Vesper, while his mother anxiously looked up from her work.

”Then come,--let me have the honor of escorting you,” and Agapit showed his big white teeth in an ecstatic smile.

Vesper extended a hand to Narcisse, and, lifting his cap to his mother, went slowly down the lane to the road.

Agapit could scarcely contain his delight. He grinned broadly at every one they met, tried to accommodate his pace to Vesper's, kept forgetting and striding ahead, and finally, cramming his hands in his pockets, fell behind and muttered, ”I feel as if I had known you a hundred years.”

”You didn't feel that way six weeks ago,” said Vesper, good-humoredly.

”I blush for it,--I am ashamed, but can you blame me? Since days of long ago, Acadiens have been so much maligned. You do not find that we are worse than others?”

”Well, I think you would have been a pretty ticklish fellow to have handled at the time of the expulsion.”

”Our dear Lord knew better than to bring me into the world then,” said Agapit, navely. ”I should have urged the Acadiens to take up arms.

There were enough of them to kill those devilish English.”

”Do all the Acadiens hate the English as much as you do?”

”_I_ hate the English?” cried Agapit. ”How grossly you deceive yourself!”

”What do you mean then by that strong language?”

Agapit threw himself into an excited att.i.tude. ”Let you dare--you youthful, proud young republic,--to insult our Canadian flag. You would see where stands Agapit LeNoir! England is the greatest nation in the world,” and proudly swelling out his breast, he swept his glance over the majestic Bay before them.

”Yes, barring the United States of America.”