Part 9 (2/2)
Though, for that matter, it seems to be headquarters for fur traders. A handsome fellow, too. Why has he not the pride of the French?”
”Such marriages are a disgrace to the nation,” said Madame Fleury, severely.
”And that recalls to my mind,--” St. Armand paused with a retrospective smile, thinking of the compliment his little friend had paid him,--”to inquire if you know anything about a child who lives not far from the lower citadel, in the care of an Indian woman. Her name is Jeanne Angelot.”
The girls glanced at each other with a little curl of the lip as St.
Armand's eyes wandered around.
”My father met her at the flag-raising and was charmed with her eyes and her ignorance,” said Laurent, rather flippantly.
”If I were going to become a citizen of Detroit I should interest myself in this subject of education. It is sinful to allow so many young people to grow up in ignorance,” declared the elder St. Armand.
”Most of our girls of the better cla.s.s are sent to Montreal or Quebec,”
exclaimed Madame Fleury. ”The English have governesses. And there is the Recollet school; there may be places outside the stockade.”
Monsieur Fleury shook his head uncertainly. ”Angelot, Angelot,” he repeated. ”I do not know the name.”
”Father Gilbert or Father Rameau might know. Are these Angelots Catholics?”
”There is only one little girl.”
”Oh!” a light broke over Madame's face. ”I think I can recall an event.
Husband, you know the little child the Bellestres had?”
”I do not remember,” shaking his head.
”It was found queerly. They had a slave who became its nurse. The Bellestres were Huguenots, but Madame had a leaning toward the Church and the child was baptized. Madame Bellestre, who was a lovely woman, deferred to her husband until she was dying, when Father Rameau was sent for and she acknowledged that she died in the holy faith. There was some talk about the child, but M. Bellestre claimed it and cares for it.
Under the English reign, you know, the good fathers had not so much authority.”
”Where can I find this Father Rameau?”
”At the house beside the church. It is headquarters for the priests who come and go. A delightful old man is the father, though I could wish at times he would exercise a little more authority and make a stand for our rights. I sometimes fear we shall be quite pushed to the wall.”
St. Armand had come of a long line of Huguenots more than one of whom had suffered for his faith. He was a liberal now, studying up religion from many points, but he was too gallant to discuss it with a lady and his hostess.
The young people were getting restive. It was just the night for delightful canoeing on the river and it had been broached in the afternoon. Marie the maid, quite a superior woman, was often intrusted with this kind of companions.h.i.+p. Before they were ready to start a young neighbor came in who joined them.
Monsieur Fleury invited his guest to an end porch shaded by a profusion of vines, notable among them the sweetbrier, that gave out a fragrant incense on the night air. Even here they could catch sounds of the music from the river parties, for the violin and a young French habitan were almost inseparable.
”Nay,” he replied, ”though a quiet smoke tempts the self-indulgent side of my nature. But I want to see the priest. I am curiously interested in this child.”
”There were some whispers about her, Monsieur, that one does not mention before young people. One was that she had Indian blood in her veins, and--” here Madame Fleury lowered her voice almost to a whisper,--”and that Madame Bellestre, who was very much of the _haute n.o.blesse_, should be so ready to take in a strange child, and that M. Bellestre should keep his sort of guardians.h.i.+p over her and provide for her. Some of the talk comes back to me. There have been many questionable things done we older people know.”
St. Armand gave an a.s.senting nod. Then he asked himself what there was about the child that should interest one so much, recalling her pretty eager compliment that he resembled a king, or her vague idea of one.
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