They made a procession into her chamber, Angelique and Peggy carrying candles, the grand-nephew and grand-niece ready for a conflict. Waters booming against the house, and already making river coves of familiar rooms, were scarcely more to be dreaded than the obstinate will of a creature as small as a child. Angelique lifted a ruffle of tante-gra'mere's nightcap and whispered in her ear. She stirred, and struck out with one hand, encountering the candle flame. That brought her upright, staring with indignant black eyes at the conclave. "Dear tante-gra'mere, we are in danger. There is a great overflow of the rivers." The autocrat felt for her whip in its accustomed place, and armed herself with it. "Pardon us for disturbing you, tante-gra'mere," said her grand-nephew, "but I am obliged to carry you into the attic." "Is the sun up?" cried the little voice. "The water is, madame," answered Peggy. "If you wait for the sun, tante-gra'mere," urged her grand-nephew's wife, "you will drown here." "Do you tell me I will drown in my own bed? I will not drown. Where is Wachique?" "She is carrying your chairs into the attic, tante-gra'mere." "My chairs gone to the attic in my lifetime? And who has claimed my dower chest and my linen?" "All your things are safely removed except this bedstead, madame," declared Angelique's mother. "They were set down more carefully than my china." "How long have I been asleep?" "Only a few hours, tante-gra'mere. It is early in the night." Her withered face was quite wrathful. "The water is all over the floor, madame. We are standing to our ankles. In a few minutes we shall be standing to our knees. Look at it. Do you hear the roaring and the wash outside? Kaskaskia is under water, and the people have to climb to the roofs." The aged woman always listened incredulously to Peggy. She now craned over the side of the bed, and examined for herself streams like quicksilver slipping along the dark boards. "Why did you not do something to prevent this, instead of coming in here to break my rest?" she inquired. Captain Saucier extended his hands to lift her, but she lay down again, holding the whip bolt upright. "If I go to the attic, Captain Saucier, my bed goes with me." "There is not time to move it." "And there is such a beautiful bed up there, quite ready, with all your cushions." "My bed goes with me," repeated tante-gra'mere. "There will soon be water enough to carry it," remarked Peggy, "if it will float."