About the middle of the forenoon, as Menard was looking over his orders, memorizing them in case of accident to the papers, he was found by Major Provost’s orderly, who said that the Commandant wished to see him at once.
The Major was busy with the engineers in another room, but he left them.
“Menard,” he said abruptly, “I’ve got to ask you to do me a favour. If I could see any way out of it––”
“I will do anything I can.”
“Thank you. I suppose you know the Marquis de St. Denis?”
“Slightly.”
“Well, I shan’t take time to give you the whole story. St. Denis has the seignory six leagues to the east. You may know that he went into debt to invest in La Salle’s colonizing scheme in Louisiana. St. Denis was in France at the time, and had great faith in La Salle. Of course, now that La Salle has not been heard from, and the debts are all past due without even a rumour of success to make them good––you can imagine the rest. The seignory has been seized. St. Denis has nothing.” 35
“Has he a family?” asked Menard.
“A daughter. His wife is dead. He came here after you left last night, and again this morning. We are old friends, and I have been trying to help him. He is going to sail to-day on Le Fourgon for Paris to see what he can save from the wreck. My house is crowded with the officers who are here planning the campaign; but St. Denis has a cousin living at Frontenac, Captain la Grange, and we’ve got to get Valerie there somehow. Do you think it will be safe?”
“It’s a hard trip, you know; but it’s safe enough.”