"But no, dear. That was a foolish plan, a species of insanity, I think, a madness that came upon me. We will spend the honeymoon here, if you consent; and after that we will make our home in St. Placide. It will be a modest home at the first, but it will be the beginning of great things. There is only one obstacle, one danger; but we will not think of that. Nothing shall come between us any more, Gabrielle." "Obstacle, Jean? Danger? I cannot think of any. But wait. Do you know why I came here? I had quite forgotten. Can you guess?" "Gabrielle, I had not thought of it. Strange, too, that you should find your way to Lac Desir, so far from home. But you were nearly lost in the end." "No, not lost, Jean, for you found me; and I, I found myself. Not lost at all, Jean Baptiste Giroux. But how did I arrive in the first place? Guess!" "How can I? You did not know the way. No one knows it but Michel and I. Now I see. It was Michel who showed you the way, came with you. Where is he, then?" "Good guess, Jean. You are not so stupid, after all. Michel and my father are down there at Lac des Isles, not five miles away. That explains my early visit, as you see." "Perfectly. It is the best way to come. You take the old road to Lac des Isles, and then you follow the valley right up to this place. An easy way, Gabrielle, and yet you missed it. It is to laugh." "No, indeed, I did not miss it on the way up, and if I missed it on the way back it was your fault, Jean. It was cruel of you to torment me like that." "True, Gabrielle, and I am glad of it. If I had let you go alone you would have been lost." "Not at all, Monsieur Giroux. I should have gone back to the happy Ursulines, to Mother Sainte Anne, and all the dear sisters, who would have received me with open arms. And I should not have said a single prayer for you, not one." "No matter, Gabrielle. Now that I have you I shall have the benefit of your prayers as well; shall I not, dear?" "No. Yes. I don’t know. You will need them, without doubt; for you are a great sinner, Jean." "How so, Gabrielle?" "You broke the heart of that good girl, Blanchette." "No, Gabrielle; not intentionally, at least. Moreover, I think that the heart of that young lady is not so very fragile." "What do you know about it, stupid man? It was broken indeed, but now it is mended again--completely." "Mended?" "Yes, and she is to marry Pamphile Lareau." "Pamphile is dead, Gabrielle." "No, Jean. He is alive and almost well. For a time it was thought that he would die, but Blanchette brought him back to life, with the aid of the good God. That is what I came to tell you. We thought that you would like to know." "Thank God!" said Jean. "And thank you, too, Gabrielle. Now there is not a cloud in the sky. What a day, this--the best day of my life! And you came to tell me the good news." "Yes, and to have a little outing, a little fresh air and exercise--after the convent, you know."