“That I would neither meet, nor communicate with you until our arrival at Fort St. Louis.”
My eyes fell before his earnest gaze, and I felt my limbs tremble.
“Mon Dieu! Why? There was some special cause?”
“Yes, Monsieur––listen. Do not believe this is my thought, yet I must tell you the truth. Hugo Chevet was found dead, murdered, at St. Ignace. ’Twas the morning of our departure, and your boat had already gone. Cassion accused you of the crime, as some of the men saw you coming from the direction where the body was found late at night, and others reported that you two had quarreled the evening before. Cassion would have tried you offhand, using his 222 authority as commander of the expedition, but promised not to file charges until we reached St. Louis, if I made pledge––’twas then I gave him my word.”
De Artigny straightened up, the expression on his face one of profound astonishment.
“He––he accused me,” he asked, “of murder to win your promise?”
“No, Monsieur; he believed the charge true, and I pledged myself to assure you a fair trial.”
“Then you believed also that I was guilty of the foul crime?”
I caught my breath, yet there was nothing for me to do but give him a frank answer.
“I––I have given no testimony, Monsieur,” I faltered, “but I––I saw you in the moonlight bending over Chevet’s dead body.”