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Updated: June 24, 2025
Having heard all, and questioned of the matter minutely, he rose and shook Pierre by the hand, thanking him in few words, indeed, but in a voice that spoke his emotion. Then he poured out his gratitude to Lecorbeau and his wife for their goodness, to this child of their foes; and little by little he gathered the Acadian's feelings toward the English, and the part he had played throughout.
As the three sped rapidly across the marsh, Antoine Lecorbeau said significantly to his son: "Do you see how these English spare our people? They haven't fired a single big gun, yet with the metal on board their ships they could knock those breastworks and the men behind them into splinters. They could batter down the dike, and let the tide right in on them."
"The English do certainly show to rather the better advantage," interposed Lecorbeau; but the old sergeant hastened to answer, in a tone of sober grief: "You must'nt judge la belle France by the men she has been sending out to Canada and Acadie these late years, my Pierre. These are the creatures of Bigot, the notorious. It is he and they that are dragging our honor in the dust!"
"What for?" inquired his mother persistently. But Lecorbeau interposed. "Pierre is as tall as his father," he said, smiling at the youth. "See how broad his shoulders are. Is he not old enough, anxious mother, to be out alone after dark?" The good woman, assenting, gazed at her son proudly.
Vergor had set fire to the chapel, and to all the houses of Beausejour that might shelter an approach to the ramparts. "Alas," cried the unhappy mother Lecorbeau to the children about her, "we are once more homeless, without a roof to shelter us!" and she and all the women broke into loud lamentations.
The abbe, as Lecorbeau intended, quite failed to catch the double meaning in this speech, which he interpreted in accordance with his own feelings. Like many another unscrupulous deceiver, Le Loutre was himself not difficult to deceive.
To be sure, there was money sent from Quebec for payment of the laborers; but the authorities of Beausejour having Le Loutre to depend upon, found it more satisfactory to put this money in their own pockets. With his customary foresight, Antoine Lecorbeau had promptly evinced his willingness to take part in the building.
"Pierre shall do nothing of the sort, whether he wants to or not," interrupted Lecorbeau, with sharp emphasis. "I wouldn't fight under him!" ejaculated the boy, with a ring of scorn in his voice. The old sergeant shrugged his shoulders. "O, very well," said he. "I'm of the same way of thinking myself. But all your people are not so particular. Look now, over at the dike.
Some half dozen reckless characters declared at once in the abbe's favor, and set out across the marsh to welcome him and offer their aid. A few more, a very few, set themselves reluctantly to follow the example of Antoine Lecorbeau, who bore a great name in the village for his wise counsels.
The household was in a bustle getting things once more to rights; and a group of children played chattering about the low, red, ocher-washed door. As the lieutenant approached, Lecorbeau came forth to meet and greet him.
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