There kindled a red coal down deep at the bottom of Thérèse's eyes and made them glow and burn, and the surging blood rose to her weather-beaten cheek and reddened it behind the scarce transparent; skin the lips parted, and the white teeth glistened, and for the moment Thérèse in her fury looked handsomer, if in an evil way, than she had ever done in her youth. It was no apathetic face now, carven in walnut wood, but rather the features of a snake-haired fury, as one may see them at times in the caverns of a red-coal fire.
She laid her hand upon the sergeant as he was turning to go, after having discharged his prisoners.
"I know you," she said, as he turned in surprise. "Remember me?"
"You? Where have I seen you? When was it?"
"Long ago--_enfante perdue_--Remember now?"
"What? You the woman that stole the child, and the nuns got off? Yes, I remember you. You should be at the _Isle aux Noix_ now, I do believe. Look out, as I said a little ago, or you'll go there yet, some day. Don't you be expecting the ladies will do as much for you next time."
"_Morte_," grunted Thérèse, with a wicked flash of her eye--"ze bones."
"Murder? Do you say it was murdered? Did you see it done? Did you do it yourself?"
"Will you swear out an information. There is a reward still out. It has not been withdrawn that ever I heard. If I get you that reward, is it a bargain that I am to draw it for you and keep half? Is it a bargain?"
"Where shall I find you?--to-morrow morning, say?"
Thérèse shook her head despondingly, and looked at her children. "Hungry."
"Aha! That's it, is it? And you know where those bones are? Sure?"
"Then you'll get even with them yet, my beauty. And, stay, here's a dollar for you. You say you're hungry, and Paul has turned you out of doors. Be on the Lachine side of the ferry this evening. I may have to lock you up, but you'll be well used."
That evening, at sunset, the police landed Paul and Fidèle, both handcuffed, on the Lachine wharf, where Thérèse joined the party of her own accord, and they all proceeded by train to Montreal. Thérèse could not refrain from uttering one cluck of triumph as she passed her late master and looked at his bonds, while he shot her a look of fury and strained at his handcuffs in a way which showed it was well that they were strong; and then all the party subsided into the stony stillness of their ordinary demeanour.