Lord and Lady Vaulabel withdrew early from the ball that evening, and accompanying them to Government House went a very white and unnaturally composed girl. Upon reaching their own apartments, the two distinguished people sat down near the young girl, whom they were treating with a kind and exquisite consideration, which at the same time consoled and surprised her in her perturbed state of mind.
Their first endeavor was to draw her thoughts away from her unhappy lover, whose pale set face they knew was haunting her.
“Lady Vaulabel tells me,” began his excellency, “that she was about to explain to you the mutual obligations that the founders of our respective families were able to render to each other.”
“Yes, your excellency, she was.”
“I will explain to you the way in which it came about,” said Lord Vaulabel with a lightness of manner that would seem to belong rather to the early time of the morning than to the late hours of a fatiguing day. “In 1515, at the battle of Marignan, Roland de la Vaulabelle went to the assistance of a young foot-soldier, the son of a merchant of Orléans, who was grievously wounded and was trying to escape, and rescued him at the risk of his own life. For this and other deeds of valor he was made chevalier after the battle had been renewed and won the following day.”
Lord Vaulabel paused, and Vivienne murmured with pale lips that she remembered reading of the battle in the history of France.
“Then you know all about the court of Francis I.,” pursued Lord Vaulabel, "the roi des gentilshommes, who spent the money of his subjects with a free hand. De la Vaulabelle shared in the extravagance of the court, and when King Francis, after his sojourn in Italy, became impressed by the marvels of the Renaissance, de la Vaulabelle took part in his admiration and ordered some of the Italian architects who had followed the king to France to build him a château in the new style of architecture. To do this he was obliged to raise a loan, and applied to the elder Delavigne, who had been full of gratitude for his rescue of his son. Delavigne advanced him the money, the château was built, and for more than one hundred years, until Guillaume Delavigne came out to assist in founding Montreal, there was much kindness between the two families. The Delavignes[Delavignes] continued to lend money to the de la Vaulabelles, and the de la Vaulabelles continued to be powerful friends to the Delavignes, protecting them from the rapacity of some of the noblesse, who might have oppressed them."
There was a short pause. Vivienne had taken in the meaning of his words, but found herself unable to make any remark. Lord Vaulabel flashed a quick glance at his wife, as if he were seeking advice.
With a sweet warning smile, Lady Vaulabel slightly shook her head and looked at the girl’s pallid face.
“Miss Delavigne,” said his excellency kindly, “the Vaulabels do not forget. I often linger over the romantic records of the days of old; the chivalrous feats of the men of my family I do not consider any more self-sacrificing than the patient help that the Delavignes often gave them at great inconvenience to themselves. You will therefore understand my motive when I say that I should be very glad to do something for you—to relieve any anxiety that you may have.”