The Forge in the Forest Read online

  Chapter VII

  The Commander is Embarrassed

  Next day we set out at a good hour, and came without further adventureto Chignecto. Having landed, amid a little swarm of fishing-boats, wethen went straight to de Ramezay's headquarters, leaving Beaudry at thewharf among his cronies. We crossed a strip of dyked marsh, whereonwere many sleek Acadian cattle cropping the rich aftermath, andascended the gentle slope of the uplands. Amid a few scattered cabinswere ranged the tents of the soldiers. Camp fires and sheaves ofstacked muskets gave the bright scene a warlike countenance. Higher upthe hill stood a white cottage, larger than the rest, its door paintedred, with green panels; and from a staff on its gable, blown outbravely by the wind which ever sweeps those Fundy marshlands, flappedthe white banner with the Lilies of France.

  The sentry who challenged us at the foot of the slope knew me,--hadonce fought under me in a border skirmish,--and, saluting with greatrespect, summoned a guard to conduct us to headquarters. As we climbedthe last dusty rise and turned in, past the long well-sweep and twogaunt, steeple-like Lombardy poplars, to the yard before the cottage,the door opened and the commander himself stood before us. His facelit up gladly as I stepped forward to greet him, and with great warmthhe sprang to embrace me.

  "My dear Briart!" he cried. "I have long expected you!"

  "I am but just returned to Acadie, my dear friend," said I, with noless warmth than he had evinced, "or you would surely have seen me hereto greet you on your coming. But the King's service kept me on theRichelieu!"

  "And even your restless activity, my Jean, cannot put you in two placesat once," said he, as he turned with an air of courteous inquiry to mycompanions. Perceiving at once by his dress that Tamin was a habitant,his eyes rested upon Marc.

  "My son Marc, Monsieur de Ramezay," said I.

  The two bowed, Marc very respectfully, as became a young man onpresentation to a distinguished officer, but de Ramezay with a suddenand most noticeable coldness. At this I flushed with anger, but themoment was not one for explanations. I restrained myself; and turningto Tamin, I said in an altered tone:--

  "And this, de Ramezay, is my good friend and faithful follower, TaminViolet, of Canard parish, who desires to enlist for service under you.More of him, and all to his credit, I will tell you by and by. Imerely commend him to you now as brave, capable, and a good shot!"

  "I have ever need of such!" said de Ramezay, quickly. "As yourecommend him, he shall serve in Monsieur de Ville d'Avray's company,which forms my own guard."

  Summoning an orderly, he gave directions to this effect. As Taminturned to depart with the orderly, both Marc and I stepped up to himand wrung his hands, and thanked him many times for the courage andcraft which had saved Marc's life as well as the honour of our family.

  "We'll see you again to-night or in the morning, my Tamin," said Marc.

  "And tell you how goes my talk with the commander," added I, quietly.

  "And for the boat we wrecked," continued Marc, "why, of course, wewon't remain in your debt for a small thing like that; though for thegreat matter, and for your love, we are always your debtors gladly!"

  "And in the King's uniform," said I, cutting short Tamin's attemptedprotestations, "even the Black Abbe will not try to molest you."

  I turned again to de Ramezay, who was waiting a few paces aside, andsaid, with a courtesy that was something formal after the warmth of ourfirst greeting:--

  "Your pardon, de Ramezay! But Tamin has gone through much with us andfor us. And now, my son and I would crave an undisturbed conversationwith you."

  At once, and without a word, he conducted us into his private room,where he invited us to be seated. As we complied, he himself remainedstanding, with every sign of embarrassment in his frank and fearlesscountenance. I had ever liked him well. Good cause to like him,indeed, I had in my heart, for I had once stood over his body in afrontier skirmish, and saved his scalp from the knives of theOnondagas. But now my anger was hot against him, for it was plain tome that he had lent ear to some slanders against Marc. For a second ortwo there was a silence, then Marc sprang to his feet.

  "Perhaps if I stand," said he, coldly, "Monsieur de Ramezay will do usthe honour of sitting."

  De Ramezay's erect figure--a very soldierly and imposing figure it wasin its uniform of white and gold--straightened itself haughtily for aninstant. Then he began, but with a stammering tongue:--

  "I bitterly regret--it grieves me,--it pains me to even hint it,--" andhe kept his eyes upon the floor as he spoke,--"but your son, my dearfriend, is accused--"

  Here I broke in upon him, springing to my feet.

  "Stop!" said I, sternly.

  He looked at me with a face of sorrowful inquiry, into which a tinge ofanger rose slowly.

  "Remember," I continued, "that whatever accusation or imputation youmake now, I shall require you to prove beyond a peradventure,--or tomake good with your sword against mine! My son is the victim of a vileconspiracy. He is--"

  "Then he _is_ loyal, you say, to France?" interrupted de Ramezay,eagerly.

  "I say," said I, in a voice of steel, "that he has done nothing thathis father, a soldier of France, should blush to tell,--nothing that anhonest gentleman should not do." My voice softened a little as Inoticed the change in his countenance. "And oh, Ramezay," I continued,"had any man an hour ago told me that _you_ would condemn a son of mineunheard,--that you, on the mere word of a false priest or his wretchedtools, would have believed that a son of Jean de Mer could be atraitor, I would have driven the words down his throat for a black lie,a slander on my friend!"

  De Ramezay was silent for a moment, his eyes fixed upon the floor.Then he lifted his head.

  "I was wrong. Forgive me, my friend!" said he, very simply. "I seeclearly that I ought to have held the teller of those tales insuspicion, knowing of him what I do know. And now, since you give meyour word the tales are false, they are false. Pardon me, I beg ofyou, Monsieur!" he added, turning to Marc and holding out his hand.

  Marc bowed very low, but appeared not to see the hand.

  "If you have heard, Monsieur de Ramezay," said he, "that, before it wasmade plain that France would seek to recover Acadie out of Englishhands, I, a mere boy, urged my fellow Acadians to accept the rule ingood faith;--if you have heard that I then urged them not to be misledto their own undoing by an unscrupulous and merciless intriguer whodisgraces his priestly office;--if you have heard that, since then, Ihave cursed bitterly the corruption at Quebec which is threatening NewFrance with instant ruin,--you have heard but truly!"

  De Ramezay bit his lips and flushed slightly. Marc was not making thesituation easier; but I could scarce blame him. Our host, however,motioned us to our seats, taking his own chair immediately that he sawus seated. For my own part, my anger was quite assuaged. I hastenedto clear the atmosphere.

  "Let me tell you the whole story, Ramezay," said I, "and you willunderstand. But first let me say that my son is wholly devoted to thecause of France. His former friendly intercourse with the English, aboyish matter, he brought to an utter end when the war came this way."

  "And let me say," interrupted de Ramezay, manfully striving to amendhis error, "that when one whom I need not name was filling my ear withmatter not creditable to a young man named Marc de Mer, it did not comeat all to my mind--and can you wonder?--that the person so spoken ofwas a son of my Briart, of the man who had so perilled his own life tosave mine! I thought your son was but a child. It was thus that theaccusations were allowed to stick in my mind,--which I do most heartilyrepent of! And for which I again crave pardon!"

  "I beg of you, Monsieur, that you will think no more of it!" said Marc,heartily, being by this quite appeased.

  Then with some particularity I told our story,--not omitting Marc'svisit to his little Puritan at Annapolis, whereat de Ramezay smiled,and seemed to understand something which had before been dark to him.When the Black Abbe came upon the scene (I had none of our host'sreluctance
to mention the Abbe's name!) de Ramezay's brows gatheredgloomily. But he heard the tale through with breathless attention upto the point of our landing at Chignecto.

  "And now, right glad am I that you are here," he exclaimed, stretchingout a hand to each of us. The frank welcome that illuminated thestrong lines of his face left no more shadow of anger in our hearts.

  "And here are the Abbe's precious documents!" said I, fetching forththe packet.

  De Ramezay examined both letters with the utmost care.

  "The reward," he said presently, with a dry smile, "is on a scale thatsavours of Quebec rather more than of thrifty New England. When Bostonholds the purse-strings, information is bought cheaper than that! Asfor the signature, it is passable. But I fear it would scarce satisfyMaster Apthorp!"

  "I thought as much," said I, "though I have seen Mascarene's signaturebut once."

  De Ramezay fingered the paper, and held it up to the light.

  "But a point which will interest you particularly, Monsieur," hecontinued, addressing Marc, "is the fact that this paper was made inFrance!"

  "It is gratifying to know that, Monsieur!" replied Marc, with hisvanishing smile.

  "It would be embarrassing to some people," said de Ramezay, "if theyknew we were aware of it. But I may say here frankly that they mustnot know it. You will readily understand that my hands are somethingless than free. As things go now at Quebec, there are methods usedwhich I cannot look upon with favour, and which I must therefore seemnot to see. I am forced to use the tools which are placed in my hands.This priest of whom you speak is a power in Acadie. He is thought tobe indispensable to our cause. He will do the things that, alas, haveto be done, but which no one else will do. And I believe he does loveFrance,--he is surely sincere in that. But he rests very heavily,methinks, on the conscience of his good bishop at Quebec, who, but forthe powers that interfere, would call him to a sharp account. I tellyou all this so that you will see why I must not charge the Abbe withthis villany of his. I am compelled to seem ignorant of it."

  I assured him that I apprehended the straits in which he found himself,and would be content if he would merely give the Abbe to understandthat Marc was not to be meddled with.

  "Of course," said Marc, at this point, "I wish to enter active service,with Father; and I shall therefore be, for the most part, beyond thegood Abbe's reach. But we have business at Grand Pre and Canard thatwill hold us there a week or thereabouts; and it is annoying to walk inthe hourly peril of being tomahawked and scalped for a spy!"

  "I'll undertake to secure you in this regard," laughed de Ramezay; "andin return, perchance I may count on your support when I move againstAnnapolis, as my purpose is to do ere many weeks!"

  "Assuredly!" said Marc, "if my father have made for me no other plans!"And he turned to me for my word in the matter.

  As it chanced, this was exactly as I had purposed, which I made at onceto appear. It was presently agreed, therefore, that we should tarrysome days at Chignecto, returning thereafter to despatch our affairs athome and await de Ramezay's summons. As the Commander's guests we werelodged in his own quarters, and Tamin was detailed to act as ourorderly. The good Beaudry, with his good boat, was sent home notempty-handed to his goodwife near Shulie, with instructions to comeagain for us in five days. And Tamin, having now no more need of it,sent back to Madame Beaudry, with best compliments, her knitted cap ofred wool.