I came to warn the man, Marchand,
for if Dennis kills him, then they will hang Dennis. Do you not see?
This is a country of law. I saw that Dennis had the madness in his
brain, and so I left him again in the evening of the day I found him, and
came here--it is a long way. Yesterday, M'sieu' Marchand laughed at me
when I warned him. He said he could take care of himself. But such men
as Dennis stop at nothing; there will be killing, if M'sieu' stays here."
"You will go back to Dennis?" asked Fleda gently. "Some other woman
will make him happy when he forgets me," was the cheerless, grey reply.
The old man got up and, coming over, laid a hand upon her shoulder.
"Where did you think of going from here?" he asked.
"Anywhere--I don't know," was the reply.
"Is there no work here for her?" he asked, turning to Madame Bulteel.
"Yes, plenty," was the reply. "And room also?" he asked again.
"Was ever a tent too full, when the lost traveller stumbled into camp in
the old days?" rejoined Fleda. The woman trembled to her feet, a glad
look in her eyes. "I ought to go, but I am tired and I will gladly
stay," she said and swayed against the table.
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