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Could any man in the possession of his senses go to those lengths? The Captain's conduct was simply incomprehensible. Pondering these questions, Percy decided on returning to his place by the Doctor's chair. "Of one thing I am certain, at any rate," he thought to himself. "I'll see the whole imposture out before I leave the house!" He took Doctor Lagarde's hand.
"I congratulate you, sir," he said, with his easy humor, as he passed the visitor who had become possessed of his card. "Number Fourteen seems to be a luckier number in your keeping than it was in mine." As he spoke, he took Doctor Lagarde's disengaged hand. The instant they touched each other the sleeper started. His voice rose; his face flushed. "You are the man!" he exclaimed.
"Draw your chair nearer to him," she resumed, "and take his hand. You may speak freely in making your inquiries. Nothing that happens in this room goes out of it." With those words she returned to her place, in the corner behind her son's chair. The visitor took Doctor Lagarde's hand.
Our destination, Lagarde's store, was a stoutly-built log house standing quite by itself, and near a lonely trail that led into the wilderness. It had been erected a few years before, and served the Northwest people for a small trading post until they constructed larger ones.
One thing only made me uneasy, and that was supping with the duc de Richelieu, who had seen me before at madame de Lagarde's; but the idea that he would not remember me gave me renewed courage. On so important an occasion, comte Jean did not forget to repeat his instructions over again. These are nearly his words, for I think I learnt them by heart.
But my duty is clear all the same, and I intend to act promptly. Not through Walker and the colonists, though; we must strike direct from the fort. Let me see; Lagarde's store is eight miles from here six north of the settlement. There is no time to lose, for it is past midnight. The messenger has not gone, Stirling?" "No, sir; he is waiting," replied the clerk.
The end of it was not to come for many a long day yet. WHILE the consultation at Doctor Lagarde's was still fresh in the memory of the persons present at it, Chance or Destiny, occupied in sowing the seeds for the harvest of the future, discovered as one of its fit instruments a retired military officer named Major Mulvany.
"I have lost the first freshness of youth," he used to say, with pathetic resignation, "and I see myself revived, as it were, in Percy. Naturally I like Percy." About three weeks after the memorable evening at Doctor Lagarde's, the two friends encountered each other on the steps of a club. "Have you got anything to do to-night?" asked the Major.
Before us was a spacious clearing, fifty yards across which stood Lagarde's store. Smoke was pouring from the chimney and a ray of light was visible under one of the shuttered windows; but not a sound could be heard, and not a moving object could be seen on the white snow crust. "It's all right," said Boyd.
Have you thought any more of our evening at Doctor Lagarde's?" he asked, abruptly changing the subject. "I hardly know," said Percy, still under the impression of the formidable warning which he had just received. "Let me jog your memory," the other continued. "You went on with the consultation by yourself, after I had left the Doctor's house.
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