“You are bold, Monsieur,” said Madame Drucour, with a little smile.

“You know Quebec, Madame?”

“Very well.  It is there that I purpose going with my husband when the exchange is completed which gives him his liberty.  I have relatives there, and I go to be with them when duty may call my husband elsewhere.  If you come to Quebec, Monsieur, we may perchance meet again.”

“It will be something happy to look forward to.”

“There is always joy in feeling that the foe we fight is a noble and generous one.  I shall tell in Quebec how the English General, though stern in his terms of capitulation, refused to me nothing that I asked when once the town was given up, and how generously he and all his officers showed themselves, and in especial one—­Brigadier Wolfe!”

The young man bowed at the compliment.

“And I, on my side, shall know that if Madame Drucour is within the walls of Quebec, no garrison can fail to be gallant and devoted.  Such an example before their eyes would put heart and heroism into the most faint hearted.”

A very sincere liking grew up between Madame Drucour and her guests before Wolfe was on his legs again, and able to return to his quarters amongst his men.  Indeed, his happiest hours were spent in the company of that lady, for there was much to vex and try him when in the camp.

There was to be no move upon Quebec that season and Wolfe chafed rather bitterly at the decision, and wrote to General Amherst in stronger terms than most subordinate officers would have ventured to do.  He even spoke of throwing up the service, if nothing were to be done at such a critical time; but the General would not hear of losing so valuable an officer, and indeed, in spite of the irritability sometimes engendered by his ill-health, Wolfe was too much the soldier at heart ever to abandon his calling.

It was, however, rather hard to one of his ardent and chivalrous temperament, eager for the great blow to be struck against Quebec, to be deputed to harry and destroy a number of little fishing settlements along the Gulf of St. Lawrence—­which measure he considered a needless severity, and hated accordingly.  It was a relief to him to know that Pitt, having heard of his severe bout of illness after the taking of Louisbourg, had summoned him back to England to recruit his health.

“When we have finished our great exploit of robbing fishermen of their nets and burning their huts, we will to England again, Julian; and you will come with me, my trusty comrade and friend.  If we are spreading the terror of England’s name here, we are not adding to her laurels.  Let me remain at home till there be real warfare to accomplish, and then let me come out again.  This task is odious and sickening to me.  Were it not that another might show more harshness and barbarity over it, I would e’en decline the mission.”

Humphrey had already left Louisbourg for Philadelphia and the western frontier; but Julian had elected to remain with Wolfe, who had come to depend upon him in no small measure.  There was something in the temperaments of the two men which made them congenial one to the other.  Wolfe’s restless irritability was soothed by Julian’s quiet calmness, and there was in both men a strain of ardent patriotism and self devotion which gave them sympathies in common.