The Governor was determined not to see the double meaning. “It is a privilege to hear you say so. I shall recall the fact to her Majesty’s Government in the report I shall make upon my tour of the province. I have a feeling that the Queen’s pleasure in the devotion of her distinguished French subjects may take some concrete form.”
The Governor’s suite looked at each other significantly, for never before in his journeys had his Excellency hinted so strongly that an honour might be conferred. Veiled as it was, it was still patent as the sun. Spots of colour shot into the Seigneur’s cheeks. An honour from the young English Queen—that would mate with Madelinette’s fame. After all, it was only his due. He suddenly found it hard to be consistent. His mind was in a whirl. The Governor continued:
“It must have given you great pleasure to know that at Windsor her Majesty has given tokens of honour to the famous singer, the wife of a notable French subject, who, while passionately eager to keep alive French sentiment, has, as we believe, a deep loyalty to England.”
The Governor had said too much. He had thought to give the Seigneur an opportunity to recede from his seditious position there and then, and to win his future loyalty. M. Racine’s situation had peril, and the Governor had here shown him the way of escape. But he had said one thing that drove Louis Racine mad. He had given him unknown information about his own wife. Louis did not know that Madelinette had been received by the Queen, or that she had received “tokens of honour.” Wild with resentment, he saw in the Governor’s words a consideration for himself based only on the fact that he was the husband of the great singer. He trembled to his feet.
At that moment there was a cheering outside—great cheering—but he did not heed it; he was scarcely aware of it. If it touched his understanding at all, it only meant to him a demonstration in honour of the Governor.
“Loyalty to the flag of England, your Excellency!” he said, in a hoarse acrid voice—“you speak of loyalty to us whose lives for two centuries—” He paused, for he heard a voice calling his name.
“Louis! Louis! Louis!”
The fierce words he had been about to utter died on his lips, his eyes stared at the open window, bewildered and even frightened.
“Louis! Louis!”
Now the voice was inside the house. He stood trembling, both hands grasping the arms of the chair. Every eye in the room was now turned towards the door. As it opened, the Seigneur sank back in the chair, a look of helpless misery, touched by a fierce pride, covering his face.