Page:Gilbert Parker--The Lane that had No Turning.djvu/23

Rh your Excellency," said Louis Racine, nervousness passing from his voice and a curious, hard look coming into his face.

The Governor was determined not to see the double-meaning. "It is a privilege to hear you say so. I shall recall the fact to Her Majesty's Government in the report I shall make upon my tour of the province. I have a feeling that the Queen's pleasure in the devotion of her distinguished French subjects may take some concrete forms."

The Governor's suite looked at each other significantly, for never before in his journeys had His Excellency hinted so strongly that an honour might be conferred. Veiled as it was, it was still patent as the sun. Spots of colour shot into the Seigneur's cheeks. An honour from the young English Queen!—That would mate with Madelinette's fame. After all, it was only his due. He suddenly found it hard to be consistent. His mind was in a whirl. The Governor continued—

"It must have given you great pleasure to know that at Windsor Her Majesty has given tokens of honour to the famous singer, the wife of a notable French subject, who, while passionately eager to keep alive French sentiment, has, as we believe, a deep loyalty to England."

The Governor had said too much. He had thought to give the Seigneur an opportunity to recede from his seditious position there and then, and to win his future loyalty. M. Racine's situation had peril; and the Governor had here shown him the way of escape. But he had said one thing that drove Louis Racine mad. He had given him unknown information about his own wife. Louis did not know that Madelinette had been received by the Queen, or that she had received "tokens