Page:Gilbert Parker--The Lane that had No Turning.djvu/109

Rh of hushed suggestion, he told Medallion the romance of P'tite Louison. And each of the brothers at different times during the next fortnight did the same, differing scarcely at all in details or choice of phrase or meaning, and not at all in general facts and essentials. But each, as he ended, made a different exclamation.

"Voilà! so sad, so wonderful! She keeps the ring—dear P'tite Louison!" said Florian, the eldest.

"Alors! she gives him a legacy in her will! Sweet P'tite Louison," said Octave.

"Mais! the governor and the archbishop admire her—P'tite Louison!" said Felix, nodding confidently at Aledallion.

"Bien! you should see the linen and the petticoats!" said Isidore, the humorous one of the family. "He was great—she was an angel—P'tite Louison!"

"Attends! what love! what history! what passion!—the perfect P'tite Louison!" cried Emile, the youngest, the most sentimental. "Ah, Molière!" he added, as if calling on the master to rise and sing the glories of this daughter of romance.

Isidore's tale was after this fashion:

"I ver' well remember the first of it; and the last of it—who can tell? He was an actor—oh, so droll, that! Tall, ver' smart, and he play in theatre at Montreal. It is in the winter. P'tite Louison visit Montreal. She walk past the theatre and, as she go by, she slip on the snow and fall. Out from a door with a jomp come M'sieu' Hadrian, and pick her up. And when he see the purty face of P'tite Louison, his eyes go all afire and he clasp her hand to his breast.

"‘Mademoiselle! Mademoiselle!' he say, 'we must meet again!'

"She thank him, and hurry away quick. Next day