XXIII. At Gaspereau Lower Ford 161 XXIV. “If you love me, leave me” 168 XXV. Over Gaspereau Ridge 177 XXVI. The Chapel Prison 182 XXVII. Dead Days and Withered Dreams 191 XXVIII. The Ships of her Exile 200 XXIX. The Hour of her Desolation 208 XXX. A Woman’s Privilege 218 XXXI. Young Will and Old Wisdom 229 XXXII. Aboard the “Good Hope” 238 XXXIII. The Divine Right of Queens 246 XXXIV. The Soul’s Supremer Sense 254 XXXV. The Court in the Cabin 260 XXXVI. Sword and Silk 268 XXXVII. Fire in Ice 279 XXXVIII. Of Long Felicity Brief Word 285 A Sister to Evangeline Chapter I Paul Grande’s Home-coming to Grand Pré “R_evenant à la Belle Acadie_”—the words sang themselves over and over in my brain, but I could get no further than that one line, try as I might. I felt that it was the beginning of a song which, if only I could imprison it in my rhyme, would stick in the hearts of our men of Acadie, and live upon their lips, and be sung at every camp and hearth fire, as “_À la Claire Fontaine_” is sung by the _voyageurs_ of the St. Lawrence. At last I perceived, however, that the poem was living itself out at that moment in my heart, and did not then need the half-futile expression that words at best can give. But I did put it into words at a later day, when at last I found myself able to set it apart and view it with clear eyes; and you shall judge, maybe, when I come to put my verses into print, whether I succeeded in making the words rhyme fairly and the volatile syllables march at measured pace. The art of verse has never been much practised among us Acadians, and it is a matter of some pride to me that I, a busy soldier, now here at Grand Pré and anon at Mackinaw or Natchez, taking in my hand my life more often than a pen, should have mastered even the rudiments of an art so lofty and exacting. So, for awhile, “Home again to Acadie the Fair” was all that I could say. It was surely enough. I had come over from Piziquid afoot, by the upper trail, and now, having crossed the Gaspereau where it narrows just above tide-water, I had come out upon the spacious brow of the hill that overlooks Grand Pré village.