Part 15 (1/2)

”An official notification?”

”Not official!--No, sir, unofficial! ultra-official, contra-official, pseud-official! See, read it!”

He picked up and handed over the objectionable letter, which was headed with the stamp of the Attorney-General's Office:--”Dear Sir,--You are requested to grant Mr. Cletus Libergent the use of the Circuit Court edifice and rooms, which are in your charge, for whatever purpose he may desire, for the s.p.a.ce of three weeks from the present date.”

T. OUAOUARON, Attorney-General.

Chrysler smiled to Zotique. Could a Government that openly granted the public buildings to partisans pretend to a sense of right or dignity?

As to the effects of the Cure's second vow, they remain matter for narration to come.

CHAPTER XX.

CHEZ NOUS.

”Bonjour le maitre et la maitresse Et tous les gens de la maison.”

--THE GUIGNOLEE CAROL.

The crimson and gold of sunset were stained richly across the west.

Chrysler was walking leisurely out in the country. A mile from Dormilliere, a white stone farm-house stood forward near the road. In front, across the highway, the low cliff swelled out into the stump of a headland, which bore spreading on its gra.s.sy top three mighty and venerable oaks.

Chrysler, pondering as was his wont upon this and everything, noting the surges of color in the sky, the clear view, the procession of odd-looking homesteads down the road; their narrow fields running back indefinitely; the resting flocks and herds; here a group of thatched-roof barns, and there a wayside cross; pa.s.sed along and mused on the peace of life in this prairie country, and the goodness of the Almighty to His children of every tongue.

The strains of a violin in the farm-house struck his ear. Someone was fiddling the well-known sprightly air, ”Vive la Canadienne:”

”Long live the fair Canadian girl, With her sweet, tender eyes.”

The house was a large cottage, having around its door a slender gallery, at whose side went down a stair. Its chimnies were stout, and walls thick, its roof pitched very steep and clipped off short at the eaves; a garden of lilac-bushes and shrubs, some of which pressed their dark green against its spotless white-wash, surrounding it in front and on one side, while on the other lay the barn-yard, with a large wooden cross in its centre, protected by a railing. Two hundred years ago such houses were built in Brittany.

Chrysler's glances took in with curiosity the tiny window up in the gable, the quaint-cut iron bars of the cellar openings, the small-paned sashes of the four front windows.

Above the door, was the rude-cut inscription:

A DIEU LA GLOIRE J.B.

1768.

The fiddler drew his attention particularly, however, to the people on the gallery. There was one at least whom he had seen before. A _cavalier_ of much s.h.i.+rt-front and large mouth, and on whose make-up, Nature had printed ”BAR-TENDER” in capitals--in short the ”Spoon” of Zotique's reception--was sitting on the bal.u.s.trade of the little gallery, making courts.h.i.+p over the shoulder of a dark-eyed maid, whose mother--a square-waisted archetype of her--stood in the door.

Paterfamilias sat on the top step with his back to Chrysler, barring the stair rather awkwardly with his legs. A second young man slender, and dressed in a frock coat of black broad-cloth, and silk hat, and with face pale, but of undiscourageable obserfulness, though without doubt repulsed by the father's att.i.tude from a front attack on the position, was taking the three steps in the garden necessary to bring him alongside the gallery. And, un.o.bserved, down beside her dress, the maiden's fair hand was dropping him a sprig of lilac.

Within, the grandfather bent crooked over his violin.

Our traveller halted, there was a whisper, and the music stopped.

”Salut, Monsieur,” cried the householder, stumbling down the steps and hurrying half-way across the garden, where he took up a position, ”Monsieur is tired. Will he honour my roof? All here is yours, and I and my family are at your service. Enter, Monsieur.”

A dramatic gesture of humility recalled at once the man in blue homespun, who had addressed the crowd at Zotique's.