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Father Piret was a Parisian, and a gentleman; nothing less would suit these far-away sheep in the wilderness! Jeannette Leblanc had all the pride of her class; the Irish saloon-keeper with his shining tall hat, the loud-talking mate of the lake schooner, the trim sentinel pacing the fort walls, were nothing to her, and this somewhat incongruous hauteur gave her the air of a little princess.
'Baptiste not love me? He love me more than boat and silver dollar, more than all the world! And I love him; I die for him! Allez-vous-en, traitre! Rodney had grown white; he stood before her, motionless, with fixed eyes. 'Jeannette, I said in French, 'perhaps you do not understand. Dr. Prescott asks you to marry him; Father Piret shall marry you, and all your friends shall come. Dr.
'You must not think, Mrs. Corlyne, that we islanders do not appreciate Father Piret, said the little woman, who belonged to one of the old island families, descendants of a chief factor of the fur trade. 'There has been some feeling lately against the Catholics 'Roman Catholics, my dear, I said with Anglican particularity. 'But we all love and respect the dear old man as a father.
There was a savor of the camp, a savor of the Paris cafe, and a savor of originality; and often, wearied with the dishes prepared by my half-breeds, I have come over to the island to dine with Jacques, for the old soldier was proud of his skill, and liked an appreciative guest And I But it is not my story to tell. 'O Father Piret, if you could but 'Thanks, madame.
Rodney looked bewildered a moment, then his face cleared; 'Oh! a child engagement? That is one of your customs, I know. But never fear; Father Piret will absolve you from all that. Baptiste shall have a fine new boat; he will let you off for a handful of silver pieces. Do not think of that, Jeannette, but come to me 'Je vous abhorre; Je vous deteste, cried the girl with fury as he approached.
During those long hours, when the next moment might have brough death, this old man and I were together; and when at last the cold dawn came, and the disabled steamer slowly ploughed through the angry water around the point, and showed us Mackinac in the distance, we discovered that the island was a mutual friend, and that we knew each other, at least by name; for the silver-haired priest was Father Piret, the hermit of the Chenaux.
The presence of the Indian mother, the common room, were like silent protests. 'Marry, ejaculated Jeannette. 'Yes, love' said the surgeon, ardently. 'It is quite true; Father Piret shall marry us. I will exchange into another regiment, or, if necessary, I will resign. Do you understand what I am saying, Jeannette? See! I give you my hand, in token that it is true.
After a time my little hostess came out on to the piazza, and we all talked together of the island and its past. 'My boat is waiting, said Father Piret at length; 'the wind is fair, and I must return to the Chenaux to-night. This near departure is my excuse for coming twice in one day to see you, madame. 'Stay over, my dear sir, I urged. 'I too shall leave in another day.
'When I first came to the island, said Father Piret, 'this was the residence par excellence. The old house was brave with green and white paint then; it had candelabra on its high mantles, brass andirons on its many hearthstones, curtains for all its little windows, and carpets for all its uneven floors. Much cooking went on, and smoke curled up from all these outside chimneys.
'It was an odd, affectionate animal, said Father Piret, dropping unconsciously into a French idiom to express his meaning. 'The little sprig had been kept as a talisman, and no saintly relic was ever more honored; the Emperor had touched it! 'Grenadier Jacques made one of the ill-fated Russian army, and, although wounded and suffering, he still endured until the capture of Paris.
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