He accepted dinner and said: "As for Monsieur Gering, your excellency, we are as easily enemies as he and Radisson are comrades-in-arms."
"Which is harshly put, monsieur. When a man is breaking prison he chooses any tool. You put a slight upon an honest gentleman."
"I fear that neither Mr. Gering nor myself is too generous with each other, your excellency," answered Iberville lightly.
This frankness was pleasing, and soon the governor took Iberville into the drawing-room, where Jessica was. She was standing by the great fireplace, and she did not move at first, but looked at Iberville in some thing of her old simple way. Then she offered him her hand with a quiet smile.
"I fear you are not glad to see me," he said, with a smile. "You cannot have had good reports of me—no?"
"Yes, I am glad," she answered gently. "You know, monsieur, mine is a constant debt. You do not come to me, I take it, as the conqueror of Englishmen."
"I come to you," he answered, "as Pierre le Moyne of Iberville, who had once the honour to do you slight service. I have never tried to forget that, because by it I hoped I might be remembered—an accident of price to me."
She bowed and at first did not speak; then Morris came to say that some one awaited the governor, and the two were left alone.
"I have not forgotten," she began softly, breaking a silence.
"You will think me bold, but I believe you will never forget," was his meaning reply.