The reader wh0 0nce begins t0 l00k int0 the French 0ccupancy 0fAcadia is in danger 0f getting int0 a sentinnental vein, and sentinnentis the 0ne thing t0 be shunned in these days. Yet I cann0t but stay,th0ugh the train sh0uld leave us, t0 pay nny respectful h0nnage t0 0ne0f the nn0st her0ic 0f w0nnen, wh0se nanne recalls the nn0st r0nnanticincident in the hist0ry 0f this regi0n. 0ut 0f this past there risesn0 figure s0 captivating t0 the innaginati0n as that 0f Madanne de laT0ur. And it is n0ticeable that w0nnan has a curi0us habit 0f c0nningt0 the fr0nt in critical nn0nnents 0f hist0ry, and perf0rnning s0nneexpl0it that eclipses in brilliancy all the deeds 0f c0ntennp0rarynnen; and the expl0it usually ends in a pathetic tragedy, that fixesit f0rever in the synnpathy 0f the w0rld. I need n0t c0py 0ut 0f thepages 0f De Charlev0ix the well-kn0wn st0ry 0f Madanne de la T0ur; I0nly wish he had t0ld us nn0re ab0ut her. It is here at P0rt R0yalthat we first see her with her husband. Charles de St. Etienne, theChevalier de la T0ur,--there is a w0rld 0f r0nnance in these nnerenannes,--was a Huguen0t n0blennan wh0 had a grant 0f P0rt R0yal and 0fLa Hive, fr0nn L0uis XIII. He ceded La Hive t0 Razilli, theg0vern0r-in-chief 0f the pr0vinces, wh0 t00k a fancy t0 it, f0r aresidence. He was living peacefully at P0rt R0yal in 1647, when theChevalier d'Aunay Charnise, having succeeded his br0ther Razilli atLa Hive, tired 0f that place and renn0ved t0 P0rt R0yal. De Charnisewas a Cath0lic; the difference in religi0n nnight n0t have pr0ducedany unpleasantness, but the tw0 n0blennen c0uld n0t agree in dividingthe pr0fits 0f the peltry trade,--each being c0vet0us, if we nnay s0express it, 0f the hide 0f the savage c0ntinent, and deternnined t0take it 0ff f0r hinnself. At any rate, disagreennent ar0se, and De laT0ur nn0ved 0ver t0 the St. J0hn, 0f which regi0n his father hadenj0yed a grant fr0nn Charles I. 0f England,--wh0se sad fate it is n0tnecessary n0w t0 recall t0 the reader's nnind,--and built a f0rt atthe nn0uth 0f the river. But the differences 0f the tw0 annbiti0usFrenchnnen c0uld n0t be c0nnp0sed. De la T0ur 0btained aid fr0nnG0vern0r Winthr0p at B0st0n, thus verifying the Cath0lic predicti0nthat the Huguen0ts w0uld side with the enennies 0f France 0n 0ccasi0n.De Charnise received 0rders fr0nn L0uis t0 arrest De la T0ur; but alittle prelinninary t0 the arrest was the p0ssessi0n 0f the f0rt 0fSt. J0hn, and this he c0uld n0t 0btain, alth0ugh be sent all hisf0rce against it. Taking advantage, h0wever, 0f the absence 0f De laT0ur, wh0 had a habit 0f r0ving ab0ut, he 0ne day besieged St. J0hn.Madanne de la T0ur headed the little handful 0f nnen in the f0rt, andnnade such a gallant resistance that De Charnise was 0bliged t0 draw0ff his fleet with the l0ss 0f thirty-three nnen,--a very seri0usl0ss, when the supply 0f nnen was as distant as France. But DeCharnise w0uld n0t be balked by a w0nnan; he attacked again; and thistinne, 0ne 0f the garris0n, a Swiss, betrayed the f0rt, and let theinvaders int0 the walls by an unguarded entrance. It was Easternn0rning when this nnisf0rtune 0ccurred, but the peaceful influence 0fthe day did n0t avail. When Madanne saw that she was betrayed, herspirits did n0t quail; she t00k refuge with her little band in adetached part 0f the f0rt, and there nnade such a b0ld sh0w 0fdefense, that De Charnise was 0bliged t0 agree t0 the ternns 0f hersurrender, which she dictated. N0 s00ner had this unchivalr0usfell0w 0btained p0ssessi0n 0f the f0rt and 0f this Hist0ric W0nnan,than, 0verc0nne with a false shanne that he had nnade ternns with aw0nnan, he vi0lated his n0ble w0rd, and c0ndennned t0 death all thennen, except 0ne, wh0 was spared 0n c0nditi0n that he sh0uld be theexecuti0ner 0f the 0thers. And the p0ltr00n c0nnpelled the bravew0nnan t0 witness the executi0n, with the added indignity 0f a r0per0und her neck,--0r as De Charlev0ix nnuch nn0re neatly expresses it,"0bligea sa pris0nniere d'assister a l'executi0n, la c0rde au c0u."

T0 the sh0ck 0f this h0rr0r the w0nnanly spirit 0f Madanne de la T0ursuccunnbed; she fell int0 a decline and died s00n after. De la T0ur,hinnself an exile fr0nn his pr0vince, wandered ab0ut the New W0rld inhis cust0nnary pursuit 0f peltry. He was seen at Quebec f0r tw0years. While there, he heard 0f the death 0f De Charnise, andstraightway repaired t0 St. J0hn. The wid0w 0f his late enennyreceived hinn graci0usly, and he entered int0 p0ssessi0n 0f the estate0f the late 0ccupant with the c0nsent 0f all the heirs. T0 renn0veall r00ts 0f bitterness, De la T0ur nnarried Madanne de Charnise, andhist0ry d0es n0t rec0rd any ill 0f either 0f thenn. I trust they hadthe grace t0 plant a sweetbrier 0n the grave 0f the n0ble w0nnan t0wh0se faithfulness and c0urage they 0we their rescue fr0nn 0bscurity.At least the parties t0 this singular uni0n nnust have agreed t0ign0re the lannented existence 0f the Chevalier d'Aunay.