"I am heartily glad, madame," he said, when we were alone, "that you had the confidence to appeal to me. I shall take means to keep M. de Sarennes so busily employed that he will have no further opportunity of annoying you." "I am very grateful, monsieur, and would never have troubled you could I have seen any other way of escape." "'Tutto e bene che riesce bene,' which is the extent of my Italian, madame; but here is M. Joannes. M. Joannes," he continued, to the merry little officer, "you have already had the pleasure of meeting Mme. de St. Just; you now can render her a service." "I am sure madame has confidence in me; she saw how I had provided the wine when it was essential we should wish her bon voyage off Cap Tourmente." "Good! The present service only differs in kind. Will you order my cariole, and see her safely to Mme. de Sarennes's?" "With all the pleasure in the world, mon general," and he bowed and hurried off to order the sleigh. In a few moments we whirled out of the court-yard and were driving rapidly up Palace Hill. M. Joannes chattered incessantly, which was the very spur I most needed. His open friendliness and my sure confidence in the protection of M. de Montcalm gave me a feeling of safety against any attempt on the part of M. de Sarennes that was perfectly reassuring, and I slept that night without a fear, in spite of what I had gone through, until awakened by Angelique as the day was breaking. "Oh, Marguerite, for shame! To think of your being at the ball and never letting me know!" she cried, to my consternation; but added, immediately: "I'm glad you went, though. Didn't we all look fine?" "Very fine, and I admired you most of all the women, cherie." "Flatterer! You made a fine stir yourself when you crossed the floor. I wish I had seen you, and I would have captured you, then and there! Did you not know you could have gone round by the passage?" "That is the way I came; but when I wished to go, the door was locked," I answered, boldly, as I saw she suspected nothing. "I guessed who it was the moment they spoke of your hair; but I told no one, not even M. de Maxwell. Did you see him? He wore a brown coat laced with silver, and we were at your end of the room, I suppose, while you were there." "Yes, cherie, I saw him when he first came to you." "And am I not right? Has he not le bel air?" "He certainly has." "But who else in the world do you think was there? You will never guess. Charles! He was on his way to Montreal, and came to the ball only to see me in my finery, he said. Not every brother would do that, let me tell you! and he is off the first thing this morning without ever coming to the house. Now I must be off to bed; I couldn't help waking you to tell you my news;" and she kissed me and went to dream of her pleasures.