But what of Frederick and Madeline de Haldimar?
From the statement you have given, they must have been
liberated by the young Ottawa before he came to me; yet,
what could have induced them to have taken a course of
flight so opposite to that which promised their only
chance of safety?"
"Heaven only knows," returned Captain Blessington. "I
fear they have again been recaptured by the savages; in
which case their doom is scarcely doubtful; unless,
indeed, our prisoner of last night be given up in exchange
for them."
"Then will their liberty be purchased at a terrible
price," remarked the baronet. "Will you believe,
Blessington, that that man, whose enmity to our colonel
seems almost devilish, was once an officer in this very
regiment?"
"You astonish me, Valletort.--Impossible! and yet it
has always been apparent to me they were once associates."
"I heard him relate his history only last night to Clara,
whom he had the audacity to sully with proposals to become
his bride," pursued the baronet. "His tale was a most
extraordinary one. He narrated it, however, only up to
the period when the life of De Haldimar was attempted by
him at Quebec.
Pages:
762
763
764
765
766
767
768
769
770
771
772
773
774
775
776
777
778
779
780
781
782
783
784
785
786