Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: III. THE KING'S DEMOISELLE. ETRAYINGr in her face some disposition to pry into the customs of the New World, Claire inquired: " What is this marriage market like, reverend mother ?" " It is too much like an unholy fair," answered Mother Mary of the Incarnation, with mild severity. " The gallants stalk about and gaze when they should be closing contracts. The girls clatter with their tongues; they seem not to know what a charm lies in silence." Mademoiselle Laval stood up and closed her cloak. "With your permission, reverend mother, I will walk through the fair with you." " Not you, mademoiselle!" "Why not?" " You are not here to select a husband. The holy cloister is thy shelter. Common soldiers and peasant farmers are not the sights for thee to meet." "Reverend mother, I must inure myself to the rough aspect of things in New France, for it is probable I am tossed here to stay. You and Madame Bourdon gaze upon these evil things, and my poor Louise is exposed to them." " I do not say they are evil. I only say they are not befitting thee." " Dear and reverend mother," urged Claire, with a cajoling lift of the chin and a cooing of the voice which had been effective with other abbesses, " when the nausea was so great on shipboard and poor Louise nursed me so well, I did not think to turn my back on her iu her most trying ordeal." " We will say nothing more, mademoiselle," replied Mother Mary, shaking her black-bound head. " Without orders from his reverence the vicar, I should never think of taking thee into the marriage market." She went directly away with Louise Bibelot. As Louise left the door she cast back a keen look of distress at her mistress. It was merely her protest against the snapping of the last shred which bound her to France. But Claire ...