“Assuredly, Mademoiselle,” I said, “but I have known him longer than you, and I tell you that in a month he will not wish to come back.”

Hippolyte gave a grunt of approval to this plain speech.  Suzanne exclaimed, but before Nick could answer footsteps were heard in the path and Lenoir himself, perspiring, panting, exhausted, appeared in the midst of us.

“Suzanne!” he cried, “Suzanne!” And turning to Nick, he added quite simply, “So, Monsieur, you did not run off with her, after all?”

“There was no place to run, Monsieur,” answered Nick.

“Praise be to God for that!” said the miller, heartily, “there is some advantage in living in the wilderness, when everything is said.”

“I shall come back and try, Monsieur,” said Nick.

The miller raised his hands.

“I assure you that he will not, Monsieur,” I put in.

He thanked me profusely, and suddenly an idea seemed to strike him.

“There is the priest,” he cried; “Monsieur le cure retires late.  There is the priest, Monsieur.”

There was an awkward silence, broken at length by an exclamation from Gaspard.  Colonel Chouteau turned his back, and I saw his shoulders heave.  All eyes were on Nick, but the rascal did not seem at all perturbed.

“Monsieur,” he said, bowing, “marriage is a serious thing, and not to be entered into lightly.  I thank you from my heart, but I am bound now with Mr. Ritchie on an errand of such importance that I must make a sacrifice of my own interests and affairs to his.”

“If Mr. Temple wishes—­” I began, with malicious delight.  But Nick took me by the shoulder.

“My dear Davy,” he said, giving me a vicious kick, “I could not think of it.  I will go with you at once.  Adieu, Mademoiselle,” said he, bending over Suzanne’s unresisting hand.  “Adieu, Messieurs, and I thank you for your great interest in me.” (This to Gaspard and Hippolyte.)

“And now, Monsieur Gratiot, I have already presumed too much on your patience.  I will follow you, Monsieur.”

We left them, Lenoir, Suzanne, and her two suitors, standing at the pond, and made our way through the path in the forest.  It was not until we reached the road and had begun to climb out of the valley that the silence was broken between us.

“Monsieur,” said Colonel Chouteau, slyly, “do you have many such escapes?”

“It might have been closer,” said Nick.

“Closer?” ejaculated the Colonel.

“Assuredly,” said Nick, “to the extent of abducting Monsieur le cure.  As for you, Davy,” he added, between his teeth, “I mean to get even with you.”