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New Yark 14609 USA '■a^ (716) 482 -0300 -Phone ^S ('16) 268 - 5989 - Fax 7-' 7o Jrom REDOXEN OFBONVAL BY ^CharksGDR^erts it^/i r" -V t^ Company Newibrk IjTsEiTIlJLJI Copyright, igot. By Small, Maynaru Jic Company P ^ g a OCPublished, October, igo8 RED OXEN OF BONVAL RED OXEN OF BONVAL ^O it is merely to these good beasts, then," said Mad- emoiselle mock- ingly, " that I owe the honor of this visit from the much-occu- pied Captain denning I And I had been flattering myself 1 Mais — 'tis ever so with us poor maids. Monsieur 1 We cannot be permitted to cherish our pretty delusions, — .-.o, not even so long as that 1 " And she gave a daring little snip of her little brown thumb and slim forefinger. It was nothing so pronounced as a snap, of course ; yet it was one of those things which only the right woman can RED OXEN OF BONVAL do in the right way, and which are all wrong if wrong by a hair's-breadth. * As she spoke, her small dark head to one side, she gazed at me straight in the eyes, laugh- ingly, wickedly, in a manner tl'.at was both a challenge and an inhibition. It was indeed, a dare to all gallant protestation ; but, at the same time, there was something which forbade that one should ever dream of taking up the little glove so recklessly thrown down. This had ever been Jeanne c'e Bonval's way, indeed, dur- ing those two brief weeks of the preceding winter which she had spent in Halifax, with half of the officers of the garrison sighing vainly at her small, disdainful feet. Not one of us but had 8 RED OXEN OF BONVAL been held always at tantalizing distance, piqued by a sweet and dangerous raillery. If there were one for whom her wit as- sumed less keen an edge than was its wont, that one, I thought, was myself ; and I was not alone in this suspicion. Yet never, even with the courage of this thought in my heart, had I dared put things to the test, lest raw haste should bungle my hopes. Of love or wooing, or of aught more intimate than the cere- monious compliment, I had suf- fered not my lips to say one word, waiting till that aloof and imperious spirit which I felt, rather than saw, lurking behind her challenging audacity, should have been lulled to sleep. Now, therefore, when she made sport of the business RED OXEN OF BONVAL which had brought me to her home on the St. Croix, where :he lived a remote yet busy life with her widowed and ailing mother, she had me, as of old, at her mercy. My unready wits and my most unready French held me silent, as of old ; but I took heart to let my eyes speak, with a plainness that could need no interpreter. For just an instant her own eyes softened and dropped, while a faint rose tinged the clear brown of her cheek. The one tiny foot, in its moccasin of whitened deerskin and dyed quill-work, tapped the floor nervously, and she met my gaze again with a look that carried the old inhibi- tion with full force. Evidently she thought I was going to speak too boldly, — going to lO RED OXEN OF BONVAL take the dare, and tell the truth which she knew was burning on my tongue, — for she spoke again hastily, yet in the same mocking, provocative vein. •' Oh, no truly," she cried, shaking her head, and flashing her white teeth between her scarlet lips, " I would not that one of you so honest English should do violence to his hon- esty by flattering a poor country maid. Yet our Frenchmen say nice things to us, and we know they do not mean them, and we are pleased all the same. They would say that they came to lay their devoted services at my feet and that the Governor's business was but an incident. Is it not so. Monsieur > But you would not so flatter me. Oh, no ; though you must know that I II RED OXEN OF BONVAL have no one here to make me compliments, except my dear, dear mother, who is nigh blind and cannot see me, and old Tamin, my overseer, who is equally blind because he loves me so. But, never mind," — she went on, suddenly changing her tone, and speaking with reminiscence in her voice, " it is pleasant to have a visitor from Halifax even if it be but the Gov- ernor's business that brings him. Let us then talk of the Gov- ernor's business, and the cattle." " Indeed, Mademoiselle," I began, having had time to fashion my phrases in the unfamiliar tongue, "duty has but opened for me the door of desire, and now " "That is very nice!" she cried, clapping her hands and 12 RED OXE.N OF BONVAL wickedly interrupting. "Now do I begin to believe that tiiert still are kings and courts in the wide, far world, and stately dames, and minuets, and patches. I had begun to fear that I was, perhaps, after all, the peasant girl you seemed to think me, (she, with the blood of the de la Tours and the de Razillys in her veins!) or an Indian maid, in these moccasins." And she half thrust out the little foot, and quickly drew it back beneath the white homespun petticoat. " What if all that gay life, the lights, and the glitter, and the music, and the dancing, and the courtly compliments that sound so pretty and mean so little, were just a dream, Monsieur 1 Soiiietimes I think it so, here alone on the farm, with just and Tamin, and old Annette in 1„H i' '"' '"*^ '^^ ^"'^kens and the cows to talk to." " The place which is blessed by your presence, Mademoi- selle,-the life which has you to adorn it.-that place and that ■fe, in court or in country, are the best," I answered fervently, emboldened by the seriousness of her concluding words. Then with hasty return of prudence I changed my tone. "The fact 's I only reached Fort Piziquid th.s very noon. Scanting to the "most such time as waf need! ful for my toilet, I took a fresh horse and rode straight hither, lam sure that the Governor, elf"^ '" '"'P««i«nt man him^ self, would have thought my haste much keener than any RED OXEN OP BONVAL urgency in my business might seem to call for I " "Ah, Monsieur," said she, wit'i affected seriousness, "be- lieve me, you do not know what need there may be of haste in this matter of the cattle which your Governor is so solicitous to possess. You do not know what peril may threaten these good beasts, to which I am so indebted for the pleasure of this visit from Captain denning 1 But, Monsieur must excuse me if I leave him for a few mo- ments, while I go to tell my mother of his coming, and learn if she feels strong enough this afternoon to see him. Then, if it please you, we will consider more minutely this business of the Governor's 1 " As she moved across the IS r;h.te cat which I had nof be- fore observed dropped from a shelf and, routed after her like. "7""'!'"»0"'%.iikeacrea- ";e of the woods, with a mo- "ad belonged to her in the ball- -rns of Halifax. She flash 'd "Pon me one radiant yet half floufng glance, and disjppea^d ' j'°od staring after her, eyes «nd heart alike filled witkfhe delectable vision. If I had been in love with Jeanne de Bonval in Hal,7ax Etc^^^Sed^r^^ ^""''"- patch ,nT. "^equirement of £!^!lL!:lP^:r^f|;andprecisi^ RED OXEN OF BONVAL of ceremony, I was tenfold more in love with her now. Beauti- ful indeed had she seemed to me then, above all other women ; but she was tenfold more beauti- ful now, from the dainty white- moccasined feet and slender ankles to the black, rebellious waves of her thick hair, whose strange iridescences of bronze and purple should never have been desecrated by powder, un- less as a merciful provision that other women might not die of envy. One curl, not over long, came down beside her small, half-hidden ear, with an air of having escaped the pins that should have held it. Her face, tanned to the clearest and most velvet brown, had that subtle modelling which only genera- tions of fine breeding can con- I I i 1 1 il KHD OXEW OP BO WVAL fer,-and the like teal of her ancestors was to be discerned in her slim fingers with their rosy oral nails. But the resist- less enchantment of her face ap- peared to dwell in her eyes and in her mouth.-^jyes of alternate I'ght and shadow, mystery and revelation,— mouth upon whose scarlet curves mirth and sadness came and went, childishness and womanliness replaced each other at a thought. She wore the short skirt of homespun linen most in use among the country girls of Acadia, but undyed, and bleached to a creamy whiteness, with white sleeves puffed at the shoulders, and a bodice of some soft blue stuff marvelously be- coming. And my whole soul went out to her, kissing the places on the floor whe re the i8 RED OXEN OF BONVa' little moccasined feet had stepped. It is permitted, in- deed, for the soul to do what in the body, — and especially a body six feet tall and broad in proportion, — might look ridicu- lous. But was it not, forsooth, almost ridiculous that I should stand in this way with my eyes glued to the door through which My Lady had disappeared > "Would this fetch her?" 1 asked myself, with a half laugh under my breath ; and I turned to speed the moments by gazing out upon the fair prospect under the window. A fair prospect indeed 1 The old manor house of the de Bonvals was on the sunward slope of the uplands, overlooking the rich dyke-meadows of the St. Croix stream. On either 19 RED OXEN OF BONVAL ! , ! ill! side were apple-orchards, hiding the barns ind outbuildings ; and one tal' lombardy poplar, straight and stiff as a church steeple, stood guard at each side of the open space which led up to the front door. This open space was a garden, given over to currant bushes, — beds of pinks and marigolds, scarlet- lychnis and love-lies-bleeding, tangles of red and yellow roses, and thickets of tall blue lark- spur. Along the foot of the garden a hedge of lilac shrubs ; then the road ; then the wide dyke-lands, level, golden green, and dotted with small red cattle pasturing on the aftermath. Beyond the winding lines of the dyke wound the river, now placid and golden at full tide, and then, at the other side of 20 RBD OXEN OF BONVAL the tawny flood, more meadows, bordered by dark green hills of spruce and fir. A strong and sweet landscape this, I thought ; tranquil, yet not tame, and visited by change twice daily, when the huge tides emptying themselves down past Piziquid and forth under the black front of <^'omidon,.left bare the gaping channels of copper red. So lovely a scene, and one set so deep in her love, — was there any hope that I should prevail with her to leave it for a home in the raw little city of Halifax, yet noisy with the hammers of the builders? Well, I was re- solved, — and here I renewed my resolution, — that upon this visit I would put my fate to the test, if Mademoiselle's eyes would but for an instant refrain from 21 I'S! li! RED OXEN OF BONVAL routing my courage ; and I blessed the small red cattle there at their pasturing, that they had been the means of procuring to me this long craved opportunity. For all her raillery, Mademoi- selle Jeanne must have well known how tied to my post I was at Halifax, how sorely I had been chafing at my fetters, and how only the urgent need of provisions for the garrison could induce the Governor to send me on so long a journey at a time when he had daily need of my services. Noiseless, as I have said, were her feet, like a moth's wing in the twilight of the honeysuckles ; but I felt her coming, and turned with leaping heart to find her at my shoulder. "My mother," said she. 22 RED OXEN OF BONVAL "begs that you will stay and sup with us, Monsieur." I bowed my glad assent, but before I could speak she went on in her quick way •* And we have now just time to talk of this business of the Governor's upon which you are so zealous. He desires, you say, to purchase these good beasts of mine yonder, for the garrison ? '' " Yes, Mademoiselle I " It was better I thought to get the business done with, and clean set aside, that she might have one weapon the less wherewith to put me off from weightier matters. " He bids me convey to you his profoundest con- sideration, and to express the hope that you will again honor Halifax with your presence this coming winter. He bids me 23 REsD OXEN OF BONVAL v say, also, that he knows how to value the friendliness of a de Bonval, and begs that you will ask him a price something higher than the best that you could hope to obtain elsewhere 1 " " But you, Monsieur," she answered, lookingat me gravely, " you must surely know that it is not possible for me to sell provision to your garrison 1 " Here it was again, the bar- rier that confronted us at every turn when dealing with the Acadians ; and it moved me deeply to find that even Mad- emoiselle de Bonval was not an exception. At once 1 became the eager advocate of our cause, identifying it with my own pri- vate interest. Her refusal seemed to put her farther off, out of my reach, behind ambi- 24 S.ED OXEN OF BONVAL tions, sympathies, purposes which were alien and remote. In arguing the Governor's case I was indeed pleading my own. " But, Mademoiselle, we have hoped so much from your friend- ship," I urgea, too fervently for a mere matter of fat cattle. " Everywhere, the Acadians re- fuse to sell us the food which we have a right to purchase, offering the best prices for what we might take at our own price ; and we have reason to know that all the time, in spite of the law against it and the risk of severe punishment, they are selling these same things which we so much need to our enemies at Louisbourg, and for a paltry price. But you. Mademoi- selle, — we have hoped and be- lieved that you were one of 25 RED OXKN OF BONVAL ourselves, and would set these ponr habitants an example. Oh, surely you are one of us, are you not, Mademoiselle?" She had listened with gravity in her great eyes, but now the old mockery leaped into them, and she laughed, with her head on one side. " How eloquent you can be, Monsieur, on a matter of busi- ness, — you who are wont to be so silent when I would hear pretty speeches 1 " My face fell, as I realized how much in earnest I had been, — and seemingly on a mere question of fat cattle I My heart [grew hot, and my face grew red at the thought. Then, of a sudden I understood my own fervor. Looking deep into her eyes I said : 26 RED OXEN OF BONVAL ese " It was because I was jeal- )h, ous, — I am mad with jealousy, ^ou if you have interests and dreams which I cannot share, if you rity have any part in life that sepa- the rates you from my love ! " And m, forgetting all about Kings and, ;ad C.vernors, and garrisons, I seized her hand and pressed it be. fiercely to ray lips. si- On the instant, however, and be before my lips could half realize ear their own ecstasy, the little hand was dexterously extricated. A :ed slight flush crept into Mademoi- lad selle's face, and her eyes fell. ere She didn't seem offended; but Vly there was the faintest tinge of ice austerity in her voice — the old en, effective inhibition, — as she my said : ep " I can honestly commend your zeal to the Governor, Mon- 27 RED OXEN OF BONVAL li^ ! il I it I sieur. And as for this friend- ship of mine, which you would make so important that the Governor should give heed to it, indeed, Monsieur, insignifi- cant as it is, it is loyal. I am English at heart. When we de Bonvals swore allegiance to the English Throne we did it with our hearts as well as with our lips. And most gladly, now, would I meet the demand of your Governor. But surely you must understand that I cannot— because / dare not I " "Dare not?" I cried, with amazed indignation that any one should have power to coerce or make her afraid. " Can you keep a garrison here at Bonval.>" she asked. "Shall I show my loyalty by letting this house of my fathe -j 28 ~ RED OXEN OF BONVAL be burned down, over the head of my sick mother?" I was thunderstruck. I could not have believed that any peril was imminent to her from our enemies; here on the St. Croix within five miles of the Piziquid fort. Yet I knew well enough that these were no idle words of hers. Her sincerity was above question ; and she was not the stuff of which hysterical alarmists are fashioned. But before I could make question of the danger I was favored by fortune with a most unexpected enlightening. " But, Mademoi- selle " — I was beginning to stam- mer, when old Tamin, her factor, came in hastily, following upon his knock before she had time to biU him enter. " Your pardon," he cried, hat 29 RED OXEN OF BONVAL : fii ■• m in hand and bowing low, " but Fatiier La Game and some of his red flock are close at hand. It were well that Monsieur the Englishman were hidden at once. I have buried his saddle in the hay and turned his horse out to pasture 1 " So this was the notorious partisan priest, La Game, con- demned by his church, feared by the Acadians, hated Ly us English with a fiery hate, who came now so inopportunely to spoil my wooing I Hide from him and his crew? My bjood boiled, as I laid hands on the pistols in my belt. " Hide from those vermin?" I exclaimed. Then I saw that Mademoiselle's face had gone white to the lips; and I hesi- tated. " You must, indeed you 3° RED OXEN OF BONVAL must," she cried, seizing me by the arm and trying to lead me toward a small door in a corner of the room. "They will be too many. You will be killed— and— scalped." I felt|her trembling. But I refused to obey her. "I have my weapons 1" I protested obstinately. " Would you have me leave you unpro- tected ? " She stopped and became sud- denly calm. ■' I am in no danger, — unless frolh your presence I " she said firmly. " Will you do as I wish ? Or will you force me to see you murdered before my eyes ? " Then her c Im forsook her again "Oh, madness ! Are you mad?" she cried 31 RED OXEN OP BONVAL wildly. " Don't you love me? Come I Come I " " I love you," said I quietly, following her to the door. She opened it. I stepped into the scented darkness of a closet, where soft, feminine stuffs hung on pegs. She closed the door, and I heard her turn the key. What did I care whether hiding was dignified or not ? She had shown her heart in that swift and desperate moment, and I was drunk with happiness. Yes, indeed, I would hide as stealthily as a wood-mouse, if she wished it. That there might be(" no risk of noise from my heavy boots, I lay down on a heap of furs, close to the door, — and found that I could see out into the room through a crack in the panel- ing just on a level with my eyes. 3* RED OXEN OP BONVAL Barely had I disposed myself so as best to use this advantage, when I heard a man's voice, strong and hoarse, at the other side of the room, and then the low music of Mademoiselle Jeanne's welcome. But they were too far off for me to catch anything that was said. Pres- ently, however, they drew nearer to my hiding-place, and their words reached my ear with a distinctness almost startling. I understood this to be a piece of My Lady's strategy, that I might be entertained, and in- formed, in my prison; and I blessed her for it. " I am advised, my Daugh- ter," La Game's harsh voice was saying, "that your hus- bandry has greatly prospered this year." 33 RED OXEN OF BONVAL III "The saints, have, indeed, favored me far beyond my r>oor deserts," answered Mademoi- selle in deferential tones. " You have grain in garner, beyond your necessities, I am told ; and fatted oxen, ready for market, is it not so } " " My barley is not yet threshed. Father," was the re- spectful reply. (Scarce did I recognize my imperious mistress in this attitude of strange hu- mility.) " And I have ten ar- pents of buckwheat on the up- lands, not yet ripe for the sickle. As for my oxen, they are what you see yonder on the after- math, — not large, but well nourished." " It is touching them that I would speak with you, my Daughter. Beyond admonish- 34 RED OXEN OF BONVAL ing you that you hold faithful to the cause of France, who will yet return to her own, and rule once more over all this land of Acadia now groaning under the English usurper, — beyond ad- monishing you thus, which is doubtless unnecessary, I have no time for the civilities of my more fortunate and more courtly brethren. Yet, it is perhaps given me to serve the cause of France in no common manner ! " (Here there came into his voice a note of fanatical zeal, and I felt that the fellow, however bloody, was sincere.) " Verily, my Daughter, these weak and self-seeking people, these Acadi- ans, had long ago yielded their heavy necks to the English yoke, but for me I " " I have observed, indeed, 35 RED OXEN OF BONVAL Father," answered Mademoi- selle, sweetly humoring this outburst, "that your power is very great among our people." " Not my power, my Daugh- ter, not mine," he protested, in