“No; not again. We shall have an escort to Frontenac.” He paused; then added in uncertain voice, “but perhaps––if Mademoiselle––”
She looked up at him. He went on:
“I will watch to-night, and to-morrow night, and once again––then there will be no need: we shall be at Frontenac. Yes, I will watch; I will myself keep guard, that Mademoiselle may sleep safely and deep, as she slept at the Long 380 Lake and in the forests of the Cayugas. And perhaps, while she is sleeping, and the lake lies still, I may dream again as I did then––I will carry on our story to the end, and then––”
He could not say more; he could not look at her. Even at the rustle of her skirt, as she sank to the beach and sat gazing up at him, he did not turn. He was looking dully at the last bright cloud tip, sinking slowly from his sight.
“Frontenac lies there,” he said. “I told them I should bring you there. It has been a longer road than we thought,––it has been a harder road,––and they have said that I broke my trust. Perhaps they were not wrong––I would have broken it––once. But we shall be there in three days. I will keep my promise to the chiefs; and we––we shall not meet again. It will be better. But I shall keep watch, to-night and twice again. That will be all.”
He looked down, and at sight of the mute figure his face softened.
“Forgive me––I should not have spoken. It has been a mad dream––the waking is hard. When I saw you standing here to-night, I knew that I had no right to come––and still I came. I have called myself a soldier”––his voice was weary––“see, this is what is done to soldiers 381 such as I.” One frayed strip of an epaulet yet hung from his shoulder. He tore it off and threw it out into the lake. A little splash, and it was gone. “Good-night, Mademoiselle,––good-night.”
He turned away. The maid leaned forward and called. Her voice would not come. She called again and again. Then he heard, for he stood motionless.
“M’sieu!”
He came back slowly, and stood waiting. She was leaning back on her hands. Her hair had fallen over her face, and she shook it back, gazing up and trying to speak.