eh, what do you think, Lucy--or something, 'hein?'"

She said nothing, but rocked her body to and fro.

"Why did you not make known the marriage with Shon?"

"He was to have told it to-night," she said.

There was silence for a moment, then a thought flashed into his eyes, and
he rejoined with a jarring laugh, "Well, I will play a game to-night,
Lucy Rives; such a game that Pretty Pierre will never be forgotten in the
Pipi Valley--a beautiful game, just for two. And the other who will
play--the wife of Francois Rives shall see if she will wait; but she must
be patient, more patient than her husband was ten years ago."

"What will you do--tell me, what will you do?"

"I will play a game of cards--just one magnificent game; and the cards
shall settle it. All shall be quite fair, as when you and I played in
the little house by the Chaudiere--at first, Lucy,--before I was a
devil."

Was this peculiar softness to his last tones assumed or real? She looked
at him inquiringly; but he moved away to the window, and stood gazing
down the hillside towards the town below. His eyes smarted.

"I will die," she said to herself in whispers--"I will die." A minute
passed, and then Pierre turned and said to her: "Lucy, he is coming up
the hill. Listen. If you tell him that I have seen you, I will shoot
him on sight, dead. You would save him, for a little, for an hour or