The Inn at the Red Oak | Page 7

had addressed
themselves to the various good things that black Deborah had provided.
The native Johnny cakes, made of meal ground by their own windmill,
the Marquis professed to find particularly tempting.
Despite Mrs. Frost's questions, despite his own voluble replies,
Monsieur de Boisdhyver gave no hint, that there was any deeper reason
for his seeking exile at the Inn of the Red Oak than that he desired rest
and quiet and had been assured that he would find them there. And who
had so complimented their simple abode of hospitality?
"Ah, madame," he murmured, lifting his tiny hands, "so many!"
"But I fear, monsieur," replied his hostess, "that you, who are
accustomed to the luxuries of a splendid city like Paris, to so many
things of which we read, will find little to interest and amuse you in our
remote countryside."
"As for interest, madame," the Marquis protested, "there are the
beauties of nature, your so delightful household, my few books, my
writing; and for amusement, I have my violin;--I so love to play. You
will not mind?--perhaps, enjoy it?"
"Indeed yes," said Mrs. Frost. "Dan, too, is a fiddler after a fashion; and
as for Nancy, she has a passion for music, and dreams away many an
evening while my son plays his old tunes."

"Ah, yes," said the Marquis, "Mademoiselle Nancy, I have not the
pleasure to see her this morning?"
"No," replied Mrs. Frost, flushing a trifle at the recollection of why
Nancy was not present, "she is somewhat indisposed--a mere trifle.
You will see her later in the day. But, monsieur, you should have come
to us in the spring or the summer, for then the country is truly beautiful;
now, with these snow-bound roads, when not even the stagecoach
passes, we are indeed lonely and remote."
"It is that," insisted the Marquis, "which so charms me. When one is
old and when one has lived a life too occupied, it is this peace, this
quiet, this remoteness one desires. To walk a little, to sit by your so
marvellously warm fires, to look upon your beautiful country, cest
bou!"
He held her for a moment with his piercing little eyes, a faint smile
upon his lips, as though to say that it was impossible he should be
convinced that he had not found precisely what he was seeking, and
insisting, as it were, that his hostess take his words as the compliment
they were designed to be.
Before she had time to reply, he had turned to Dan. "What a fine
harbour you have, Monsieur Frost," he said, pointing through the
window toward the Cove, separated from the river and the sea by the
great curve of Strathsey Neck, its blue waters sparkling now in the light
of the morning sun.
"Yes," replied Dan, glancing out upon the well-known shoreline, "it is a
good harbour, though nothing, of course, to compare with a Port. But
it's seldom that we see a ship at anchor here, now."
"There is, however," inquired the Marquis with interest, "anchorage for
a vessel, a large vessel?"
"Yes, indeed," Tom interrupted, "in the old days when my father had
his ships plying between Havana and the Port, he would often have
them anchor in the Cove for convenience in lading them with corn from

the farm."
"And they were large ships?"
"Full-rigged, sir; many of 'em, and drawing eight feet at least."
"Eh bien! And the old Inn, madame, it dates, your son tells me, from
1693?"
"We think so, sir, though I have no positive knowledge of its existence
before 1750. My husband purchased the place in '94, and it had then
been a hostelry for some years, certainly from the middle of the century.
But we have made many additions. Danny dear, perhaps it will interest
the Marquis if you should take him over the house. We are proud of our
old inn, sir."
"And with reason, madame. If monsieur will, I shall be charmed."
"I will leave you then with my son. Give me your arm, Dan, to the
parlour. Unfortunately, Monsieur le Marquis, affliction has crippled me
and I spend the day in my chair in the blue parlour. I shall be so pleased,
if you will come and chat with me. Tommy, you will be staying to
dinner with us?"
"Thank you, Mrs. Frost, but I must get to the Port for the day. Mother
and Father are leaving by the afternoon stage, if it gets through. They
are going to spend the winter in Coventry. But I shall be back to-night
as I have promised Dan to spend that time with him."
"We shall be glad to have you, as you know."
Soon after Mrs. Frost had left the breakfast-room and Tom had started
forth with