“Perhaps you would like to skate in that direction with Mr. Armour?”
Miss Delavigne did care to do so, after a deliberate survey of Mr. Armour’s face, and Major Heathcote went smilingly in search of his wife and refreshments.
Through the faltering moonlight they skated, rapidly skirting the dusky shore where one comfortable residence succeeded another; all standing in grounds trending down to the inlet of the sea.
Keeping close to the trees, they struck across to the opposite side, where on tiny Melville Island is perched the house of the keeper of the prison, dominating the prison itself, a long, low red building situated close to the Arm on the shores of a tiny cove.
This cove Armour skated slowly around, holding Vivienne by the hand and confiding to her reminiscences of boyish days hoarded for many years in his own breast. She listened with great attentiveness, understanding well, in the quiet intensity of her love for him, what a relief it was for his over-burdened mind to have at last found one being in the world to whom its secrets could be partly confided. That she did not have his whole confidence she knew well, but she was willing to bide her time.
At last he stopped, and looked searchingly at her. “Tu as les yeux fatigués,” he murmured in the French that it was such a pleasure to her to hear him speak, and he guided her to a fallen tree that lay near the old prison. They sat down on it and he again scanned her face.
“You are quiet and pale,” he said uneasily. “Is there anything the matter with you?”
“Not now,” she said softly. “What is this round thing that you have in your pocket? Ah, a bun,” and taking it out she began to eat it, offering him an occasional currant.
Armour sat beside her laughing and talking happily, and at intervals lapsing into the serious by a discussion of the history of the prison, among whose captives had been some American officers taken in the war of 1812.
Vivienne listened silently but appreciatively to him till a low sob of wind and a few flying snowflakes warned her that they must hasten home.