But at the bottom
of the street she turned round to look at Dennis. His hat was still in
his hand, and he swung it round his head, crying, "A Dieu, Madame!"
"A Dieu!" said the squaw, and she held up the tabby-striped _arums_.
Very mingled feelings seemed to have been working in Alister's mind, but
his respect for the fruits of education was stronger even than his
sense of propriety. He forgot to scold Dennis for his unseemly
familiarity with a stranger, he was so anxious to know in what language
he had been speaking.
"French," said Dennis. "There seems to be a French mission somewhere
near here. She's a good Catholic too, but she has a mighty queer accent,
and awful feet!"
"It's a grand thing to speak with other tongues!" said Alister.
"If ye want to learn French, I'll teach ye all I can," said Dennis.
"Sh--sh! No kindness whatever. I wish we mayn't have idle time for any
amount of philology!"
At the top of the hill we parted for a time, and went our ways. Alister
to look up his relation, I to buy stationery and stamps for our letters
home, and Dennis to convert his gold ring into the currency of the
colony.
Pages:
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154