CHAPTER VII.
GHOSTS BY SLEEPING WATER.
"Which apparition, it seems, was you."
--_Tatler._
The next day Claudine's left eyelid trembled in Bidiane's direction.
The girl followed her to the pantry, where she heard, murmured over apan of milk, "They go to-night, as soon as it is dark,--Mirabelle Marie,Suretta, and Mosee-Delice."
"Very well," said Bidiane, curling her lip, "we will go too."
Accordingly, that evening, when Mirabelle Marie clapped her rakish haton her head,--for nothing would induce her to wear a handkerchief,--andsaid that she was going to visit a sick neighbor, Bidiane demurelycommended her thoughtfulness, and sent an affecting message to theinvalid.
However, the mistress of the inn had no sooner disappeared than heryounger helpmeets tied black handkerchiefs on their heads, and slippedout to the yard, each carrying a rolled-up sheet and a paper of pins.With much suppressed laughter they glided up behind the barn, andstruck across the fields to the station road. When half-way there,Bidiane felt something damp and cold touch her hand, and, with a startand a slight scream, discovered that her uncle's dog, Bastarache, inthat way signified his wish to join the expedition.
"Come, then, good dog," she said, in French, for he was a lateacquisition and, having been brought up in the woods, understood noEnglish, "thou, too, shalt be a ghost."
It was a dark, furiously windy night, for the hot gale that had beenblowing over the Bay for three days was just about dying away with afiercer display of energy than before.
The stars were out, but they did not give much light, and Bidiane andClaudine had only to stand a little aside from the road, under a groupof spruces, in order to be completely hidden from the three women asthey went tugging by. They had met at the corner, and, in no fear ofdiscovery, for the night was most unpleasant and there were few peoplestirring, they trudged boldly on, screaming neighborhood news at the topof their voices, in order to be heard above the noise of the wind.
Bidiane and Claudine followed them at a safe distance. "_Mon Dieu_, butMirabelle Marie's fat legs will ache to-morrow," said Claudine, "shethat walks so little."
"If it were an honest errand that she was going on, she would have askedfor the horse. As it is, she was ashamed to do so."
The three women fairly galloped over the road to the station, for, atfirst, both tongues and heels were excited, and even Mirabelle Marie,although she was the only fat one of the party, managed to keep up withthe others.
To Claudine, Bidiane, and the dog, the few miles to the station were amere bagatelle. However, after crossing the railway track, they wereobliged to go more slowly, for the three in front had begun to flag.They also had stopped gossiping, and when an occasional wagonapproached, they stepped into the bushes beside the road until it hadpassed by.
The dog, in great wonderment of mind, chafed at the string that Bidianetook from her pocket and fastened around his neck. He scented hismistress on ahead, and did not understand why the two parties might notbe amicably united.
A mile beyond the station, the three gold-seekers left the main road andplunged into a rough wood-track that led to the lake. Here the darknesswas intense; the trees formed a thick screen overhead, through whichonly occasional glimpses of a narrow lane of stars could be obtained.
"This is terrible," gasped Bidiane, as her foot struck a root; "liftyour feet high, Claudine."
Claudine gave her a hand. She was almost hysterical from listening tothe groaning on ahead. "Since the day of my husband's death, I have notlaughed so much," she said, winking away the nervous tears in her eyes."I do not love fun as much as some people, but when I laugh, I laughhard."
"My aunt will be in bed to-morrow," sighed Bidiane; "what a pity thatshe is such a goose."
"She is tough," giggled Claudine, "do not disturb yourself. It is youthat I fear for."
At last, the black, damp, dark road emerged on a clearing. There stoodthe Indian's dwelling,--small and yellow, with a fertile garden beforeit, and a tiny, prosperous orchard at the back.
"You must enter this house some day," whispered Claudine. "Everythingshines there, and they are well fixed. Nannichette has a sewing-machine,and a fine cook-stove, and when she does not help her husband makebaskets, she sews and bakes."
"Will her husband approve of this expedition?"
"No, no, he must have gone to the shore, or Nannichette would notundertake it,--listen to what Mirabelle Marie says."
The fat woman had sunk exhausted on the doorstep of the yellow house."Nannichette, I be _deche_ if I go a step furder, till you gimme_checque chouse pour mouiller la langue_" (give me something to wet mytongue).
"All right," said Nannichette, in the soft, drawling tones that she hadcaught from the Indians, and she brought her out a pitcher of milk.
Mirabelle Marie put the pitcher to her lips, and gurgled over the milk ajoyful thanksgiving that she had got away from the rough road, and therougher wind, that raged like a bull; then she said, "Your husband isaway?"
"No," said Nannichette, in some embarrassment, "he ain't, but come in."
Mirabelle Marie rose, and with her companions went into the house, whileBidiane and Claudine crept to the windows.
"Dear me, this is the best Indian house that I ever saw," said Bidiane,taking a survey, through the cheap lace curtains, of the sewing-machine,the cupboard of dishes, and the neat tables and chairs inside. Then sheglided on in a voyage of discovery around the house, skirting thediminutive bedrooms, where half a dozen children lay snoring incomfortable beds, and finally arriving outside a shed, where a tall,slight Indian was on his knees, planing staves for a tub by the light ofa lamp on a bracket above him.
His wife's work lay on the floor. When not suffering from the goldfever, she twisted together the dried strips of maple wood and scentedgrasses, and made baskets that she sold at a good price.
The Indian did not move an eyelid, but he plainly saw Bidiane andClaudine, and wondered why they were not with the other women, who, insome uneasiness of mind, stood in the doorway, looking at him over eachother's shoulders.
After his brief nod and taciturn "Hullo, ladies," his wife said, "We gofor walk in woods."
"What for you lie?" he said, in English, for the Micmacs of the Bay areaccomplished linguists, and make use of three languages. "You go to diggold," and he grunted contemptuously.
No one replied to him, and he continued, "Ladies, all religions is good.I cannot say, you go hell 'cause you Catholic, an' I go heaven 'cause IProtestant. All same with God, if you believe your religion. But yourpriesties not say to dig gold."
He took up the stave that he had laid down, and went on with his work ofsmoothing it, while the four "ladies," Mirabelle Marie, Suretta,Mosee-Delice, and his wife, appeared to be somewhat ashamed ofthemselves.
"'Pon my soul an' body, there ain't no harm in diggin' gold," saidMirabelle Marie. "That gives us fun."
"How many you be?" he asked.
"Four," said Nannichette, who was regarding her lord and master withsome shyness; for stupid as she was, she recognized the fact that hewas the more civilized being, and that the prosperity of their familywas largely due to him.
The Indian's liquid eyes glistened for an instant towards the window,where stood Bidiane and Claudine. "Take care, ladies, there be ghostiesin the woods."
The four women laughed loudly, but in a shaky manner; then taking each ahandful of raspberries, from a huge basketful that Nannichette offeredthem, and that was destined for the preserve pot on the morrow, theyonce more plunged into the dark woods.
Bidiane and Claudine restrained the leaping dog, and quietly followedthem. The former could not conceal her delight when they came suddenlyupon the lake. It lay like a huge, dusky mirror, turned up to the skywith a myriad stars piercing its glassy bosom.
"Stop," murmured Claudine.
The four
women had paused ahead of them. They were talking andgesticulating violently, for all conversation was forbidden whiledigging. One word spoken aloud, and the charm would be broken, thespirit would rush angrily from the spot.
Therefore they were finishing up their ends of talk, and Nannichette wasassuring them that she would take them to the exact spot revealed to herin the vision.
Presently they set off in Indian file, Nannichette in front, as the oneled by the spirit, and carrying with her a washed and polished spade,that she had brought from her home.
Claudine and Bidiane were careful not to speak, for there was not a worduttered now by the women in front, and the pursuers needed to followthem with extreme caution. On they went, climbing silently over thegrassy mounds that were now the only reminders of the old French fort,or stumbling unexpectedly and noisily into the great heap of clamshells, whose contents had been eaten by the hungry exiles of long ago.
At last they stopped. Nannichette stared up at the sky, down at theground, across the lake on her right, and into the woods on her left,and then pointed to a spot in the grass, and with a magical flourish ofthe spade began to dig.
Having an Indian husband, she was accustomed to work out-of-doors, andwas therefore able to dig for a long time before she became sensible offatigue, and was obliged mutely to extend the spade to Suretta.
Not so enduring were the other women. Their ancestors had ploughed andreaped, but Acadiennes of the present day rarely work on the farms,unless it is during the haying season. Suretta soon gave out.Mosee-Delice took her place, and Mirabelle Marie hung back until thelast.
Bidiane and Claudine withdrew among the trees, stifling their laughterand trying to calm the dog, who had finally reached a state of frenzy atthis mysterious separation.
"My unfortunate aunt!" murmured Bidiane; "do let us put an end to this."
Claudine was snickering convulsively. She had begun to array herself inone of the sheets, and was transported with amusement and anticipation.
Meanwhile, doubt and discord had reared their disturbing heads among themembers of the digging party. Mirabelle Marie persisted in throwing upthe spade too soon, and the other women, regarding her with glowing,eloquent looks, quietly arranged that the honorable agriculturalimplement, now perverted to so unbecoming a use, should return to herhands with disquieting frequency.
The earth was soft here by the lake, yet it was heavy to lift out, forthe hole had now become quite deep. Suddenly, to the horror and anger ofNannichette and the other two women, both of whom were beginning to havemysterious warnings and impressions that they were now on the brink ofdiscovery of one pot of gold, and perhaps two, there was an impatientexclamation from Mirabelle Marie.
"The divil!" she cried, and her voice broke out shrilly in the deathlysilence; "Bidiane was right. It ain't no speerit you saw. I'm goin',"and she scrambled out of the hole.
With angry reproaches for her precipitancy and laziness, the other womenfell upon her with their tongues. She had given them this long walk tothe lake, she had spoiled everything, and, as their furious voices smotethe still air, Bidiane, Claudine, and the dog emerged slowly anddecently from the heavy gloom behind them like ghosts rising from thelake.
"I will give you a bit of my sheet," Bidiane had said to Bastarache;consequently he stalked beside them like a diminutive bogey in agraceful mantle of white.
"_Ah, mon jheu! chesque j'vois?_" (what do I see), screamed Suretta, whowas the first to catch sight of them. "Ten candles to the Virgin if Iget out of this!" and she ran like a startled deer.
With various expressions of terror, the others followed her. Theycarried with them the appearance of the white ethereal figures, standingagainst the awful black background of the trees, and as they ran, theirshrieks and yells of horror, particularly those from Mirabelle Marie,were so heartrending that Bidiane, in sudden compunction, screamed toher, "Don't you know me, my aunt? It is Bidiane, your niece. Don't beafraid!"
Mirabelle Marie was making so much noise herself that she could scarcelyhave heard a trumpet sounding in her ears, and fear lent her wings ofsuch extraordinary vigor in flight that she was almost immediately outof sight.
Bidiane turned to the dog, who was tripping and stumbling inside hissnowy drapery, and to Claudine, who was shrieking with delight at him.
"Go then, good dog, console your mistress," she said. "Follow thosepiercing screams that float backward," and she was just about to releasehim when she was obliged to go to the assistance of Claudine, who hadcaught her foot, and had fallen to the ground, where she lay overcome byhysterical laughter.
Bidiane had to get water from the lake to dash on her face, and when atlast they were ready to proceed on their way, the forest was as still aswhen they had entered it.
"Bah, I am tired of this joke," said Bidiane. "We have accomplished ourobject. Let us throw these things in the lake. I am ashamed of them;"and she put a stone inside their white trappings, and hurled them intoSleeping Water, which mutely received and swallowed them.
"Now," she said, impatiently, "let us overtake them. I am afraid lestMirabelle Marie stumble, she is so heavy."
Claudine, leaning against a tree and mopping her eyes, vowed that it wasthe best joke that she had ever heard of; then she joined Bidiane, andthey hurriedly made their way to the yellow cottage.
It was deserted now, except for the presence of the six children ofmixed blood, who were still sleeping like six little dark logs, laidthree on a bed.
"We shall overtake them," said Bidiane; "let us hurry."
However, they did not catch up to them on the forest path, nor even onthe main road, for when the terrified women had rushed into the presenceof the Indian and had besought him to escort them away from thespirit-haunted lake, that amused man, with a cheerful grunt, had takenthem back to the shore by a short cut known only to himself.
Therefore, when Bidiane and Claudine arrived breathlessly home, theyfound Mirabelle Marie there before them. She sat in a rocking-chair inthe middle of the kitchen, surrounded by a group of sympathizers, wholistened breathlessly to her tale of woe, that she related withchattering teeth.
Bidiane ran to her and threw her arms about her neck.
"_Mon jheu_, Biddy, I've got such a fright. I'm mos' dead. Threeghosties came out of Sleepin' Water, and chased us,--we were back forgold. Suretta an' Mosee-Delice have run home. They're mos' scairt topieces. Oh, I'll never sin again. I wisht I'd made my Easter duties.I'll go to confession to-morrer."
"It was I, my aunt," cried Bidiane, in distress.
"It was awful," moaned Mirabelle Marie. "I see the speerit of me mother,I see the speerit of me sister, I see the speerit of me leetle lamechild."
"It was the dog," exclaimed Bidiane, and, gazing around the kitchen forhim, she discovered Agapit sitting quietly in a corner.
"Oh, how do you do?" she said, in some embarrassment; then she againgave her attention to her distressed aunt.
"The dogue,--Biddy, you ain't crazy?"
"Yes, yes, the dog and Claudine and I. See how she is laughing. We heardyour plans, we followed you, we dressed in sheets."
"The dogue," reiterated Mirabelle Marie, in blank astonishment, andpointing to Bastarache, who lay under the sofa solemnly winking at her."Ain't he ben plumped down there ever since supper, Claude?"
"Yes, he's ben there."
"But Claude sleeps in the evenings," urged Bidiane. "I assure you thatBastarache was with us."
"Oh, the dear leetle liar," said Mirabelle Marie, affectionatelyembracing her. "But I'm glad to git back again to yeh."
"I'm telling the truth," said Bidiane, desperately. "Can't you speak,Claudine?"
"We did go," said Claudine, who was still possessed by a demon oflaughter. "We followed you."
"Followed us to Sleepin' Water! You're lyin', too. _Sakerje_, it wasawful to see me mother and me sister and the leetle dead child," and shetrotted both feet wildly on the floor, while her rolling eye soughtcomfort from Bidiane.
"What shall I do?"
said Bidiane. "Mr. LeNoir, you will believe me. Iwanted to cure my aunt of her foolishness. We took sheets--"
"Sheets?" repeated Mirabelle. "Whose sheets?"
"Yours, my aunt,--oh, it was very bad in us, but they were old ones;they had holes."
"What did you do with 'em?"
"We threw them in the lake."
"Come, now, look at that, ha, ha," and Mirabelle Marie laughed in aquavering voice. "I can see Claudine throwing sheets in the lake. Shewould make pickin's of 'em. Don't lie, Bidiane, me girl, or you'll seeghosties. You want to help your poor aunt,--you've made up a nice leetlelie, but don't tell it. See, Jude and Edouard are heatin' some soup.Give some to Agapit LeNoir and take a cup yourself."
Bidiane, with a gesture of utter helplessness, gave up the discussionand sat down beside Agapit.
"You believe me, do you not?" she asked, under cover of the joyfulbustle that arose when the two boys began to pass around the soup.
"Yes," he replied, making a wry face over his steaming cup.
"And what do you think of me?" she asked, anxiously.
Agapit, although an ardent Acadien, and one bent on advancing theinterests of his countrymen in every way, had yet little patience withthe class to which Mirabelle Marie belonged. Apparently kind andforbearing with them, he yet left them severely alone. His was the partyof progress, and he had been half amused, half scornful of the effortsthat Bidiane had put forth to educate her deficient relative.
"On general principles," he said, coolly, "it is better not to chase afat aunt through dark woods; yet, in this case, I would say it has donegood."
"I did not wish to be heartless," said Bidiane, with tears in her eyes."I wished to teach her a lesson."
"Well, you have done so. Hear her swear that she will go to mass,--shewill, too. The only way to work upon such a nature is through fear."
"I am glad to have her go to mass, but I did not wish her to go in thisway."
"Be thankful that you have attained your object," he said, dryly. "Now Imust go. I hoped to spend the evening with you, and hear you sing."
"You will come again, soon?" said Bidiane, following him to the door.
"It is a good many miles to come, and a good many to go back,mademoiselle. I have not always the time--and, besides that, I have soonto go to Halifax on business."
"Well, I thank you for keeping your promise to come," said Bidiane,humbly, and with gratitude. She was completely unnerved by the events ofthe evening, and was in no humor to find fault.
Agapit clapped his hat firmly on his head as a gust of wind whirledacross the yard and tried to take it from him.
"We are always glad to see you here," said Bidiane, wistfully, as shewatched him step across to the picket fence, where his white horse shonethrough the darkness; "though I suppose you have pleasant company inWeymouth. I have been introduced to some nice English girls from there."
"Yes, there are nice ones," he said. "I should like to see more of them,but I am usually busy in the afternoons and evenings."
"Do not work too hard,--that is a mistake. One must enjoy life alittle."
He gathered up the reins in his hands and paused a minute before hestepped into the buggy. "I suppose I seem very old to you."
She hesitated for an instant, and the wind dying down a little seemedto take the words from her lips and softly breathe them against hisdark, quiet face. "Not so very old,--not as old as you did at first. IfI were as old as you, I should not do such silly things."
He stared solemnly at her wind-blown figure swaying lightly to and froon the gravel, and at the little hands put up to keep her dishevelledhair from her eyes and cheeks, which were both glowing from her hurriedscamper home. "Are you really worried because you played this trick onyour aunt?"
"Yes, terribly, she has been like a mother to me. I would be ashamed forMr. Nimmo to know."
"And will you lie awake to-night and vex yourself about it?"
"Oh, yes, yes,--how can you tell? Perhaps you also have troubles."
Agapit laughed in sudden and genuine amusement. "Mademoiselle, mycousin, let me say something to you that you may perhaps remember whenyou are older. It is this: you have at present about as muchcomprehension and appreciation of real heart trouble, and of mentalstruggles that tear one first this way, then that way,--you have aboutas much understanding of them as has that kitten sheltering itselfbehind you."
Bidiane quietly stowed away this remark among the somewhat heterogeneousfurniture of her mind; then she said, "I feel quite old when I talk tomy aunt and to Claudine."
"You are certainly ahead of them in some mental experiences, but you arenot yet up to some other people."
"I am not up to Madame de Foret," she said, gently, "nor to you. I feelsure now that you have some troubles."
"And what do you imagine they are?"
"I imagine that they are things that you will get over," she said, withspirit. "You are not a coward."
He smiled, and softly bade her good night.
"Good night, _mon cousin_," she said, gravely, and taking the cryingkitten in her arms, she put her head on one side and listened until thesound of the carriage wheels grew faint in the distance.
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