Mrs. Macleod laughed outright at that, and Jamie and I joined her; we could not help it. The mere inflection of Mr. Ewart's voice, told us he had succumbed on the way over to our omniscient One. I saw that, quiet as he was, he had a keen sense of humor. "Yes," he continued, "Cale made my acquaintance on the platform, and half way on the road he took occasion to give me some information concerning my household." "Oh, I know that too," I said, "for Cale confided to me immediately on his arrival that, to use his own expression, he could n't get in a 'word edgewise', on account of the rapidity with which you and Peter were carrying on a conversation in French. I think he is jealous of every tongue but his own." "We had better compare notes, Miss Farrell. I concluded that Cale was a firm friend of yours from his remarks." "What did he say? Do tell me." "I will--if you 'll agree to tell me his comments on my talk with Pierre. I believe Pierre's words fell over themselves, he had so much to tell me." "Hear--hear!" This from Jamie. "I agree; tell me, please." "I think it was just before we entered the river road--" "I know it was, for he told me so," I said, enjoying the fun. "Oh, he did! Well, perhaps you will be so good as to tell me, if he told you what he told me you told him?" "You would n't ask that if you knew Cale," said Jamie, shaking his head dubiously. "No, he did n't," I said. "Cale is a genuine Yankee. What did he say?" "You hear that, Ewart? What did I tell you?" "Oh, you've been telling, too, have you, Jamie Macleod? He gave me to understand that it was he who brought you from the steamboat to the house; that you were born in New York; that you had been in the Public Library of that city; that in consequence what you did n't know about books was, in his estimation, not worth knowing; that you were just as handy with hammer and tacks as you were with books, and that you had been 'fixin' up' the old manor till it shone. I gathered further, that he expected me to be properly appreciative of the benefits conferred upon me in this matter. As, up to that time, I had heard nothing of your arrival in Richelieu-en-Bas, and as my friend here, Doctor Rugvie, was likewise in the dark in regard to your personality, you may imagine our curiosity; in fact, he wanted to rouse it, and took the best way to do it." "He can do that," said Mrs. Macleod, smiling at this description of Cale's powers; "but he rarely satisfies us in regard to himself. Of course, Jamie and I respect his reticence, but I should like to know if he has been married. He is such a character! I should like to know more of his life." "I must take a good look at him to-morrow," said the Doctor, filling his pipe.