"Your Excellency," he said, with dramatic effect, "a man has come craving
immediate audience with you. He says that his news cannot wait, and, in
order to secure entrance at once to your presence, he has given me the
purport of it. He is here now."
A tall figure in a black robe, the face thin and austere, walked boldly
into the room. Mighty was the power of Holy Church in the colonies of
France and Spain and this priest who expected torture and death some day
feared neither Bernardo Galvez nor anybody else.
"Father Montigny!" exclaimed every one of the five and, "Father Montigny!"
repeated Francisco Alvarez and Braxton Wyatt. Bernardo Galvez rose from
his chair and saluted the priest courteously. He knew him well.
"What is this business, so urgent in its nature, Father," said the
Governor General.
"I came to Beaulieu when Captain Alvarez had set the bully upon this
youth," said Father Montigny, pointing to Paul.
"I have already acknowledged my fault there," exclaimed Alvarez. "It was
an impulse! Need I be accused of it again?"
Father Montigny turned his gaze upon Alvarez, and the Captain, bold as he
was, feared it more than that of Bernardo Galvez.
"That is but a preamble," continued the priest, the Governor General not
noticing the interruption, "but it caused me to take especial notice of
what might be occurring in Louisiana at the furthest limits of settlement.
Pages:
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328