He accepted dinner and said: "As for Monsieur Gering, your excellency,
we are as easily enemies as he and Radisson are comrades-in-arms."
"Which is harshly put, monsieur. When a man is breaking prison he
chooses any tool. You put a slight upon an honest gentleman."
"I fear that neither Mr. Gering nor myself is too generous with each
other, your excellency," answered Iberville lightly.
This frankness was pleasing, and soon the governor took Iberville into
the drawing-room, where Jessica was. She was standing by the great
fireplace, and she did not move at first, but looked at Iberville in some
thing of her old simple way. Then she offered him her hand with a quiet
smile.
"I fear you are not glad to see me," he said, with a smile. "You cannot
have had good reports of me--no?"
"Yes, I am glad," she answered gently. "You know, monsieur, mine is a
constant debt. You do not come to me, I take it, as the conqueror of
Englishmen."
"I come to you," he answered, "as Pierre le Moyne of Iberville, who had
once the honour to do you slight service. I have never tried to forget
that, because by it I hoped I might be remembered--an accident of price
to me."
She bowed and at first did not speak; then Morris came to say that some
one awaited the governor, and the two were left alone.
"I have not forgotten," she began softly, breaking a silence.
"You will think me bold, but I believe you will never forget," was his
meaning reply.
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