 little hauteur; but, instantly adding, with his former frank and easy
air, »as all the nobler qualities are hereditary, I can easily credit you;
though, as I said before, courage has its limits, and humanity must not be
forgotten. I trust, monsieur, you come authorized to treat for the surrender of
the place?«
    »Has your excellency found our defence so feeble, as to believe the measure
necessary!«
    »I should be sorry to have the defence protracted in such a manner, as to
irritate my red friends there,« continued Montcalm, glancing his eyes at the
groupe of grave and attentive Indians, without attending to the other's
question; »I find it difficult, even now, to limit them to the usages of war.«
    Heyward was silent; for a painful recollection of the dangers he had so
recently escaped came over his mind, and recalled the images of those
defenceless beings, who had shared in all his sufferings.
    »Ces messieurs-là,« said Montcalm, following up the advantage which he
conceived he had gained, »are most formidable when baffled; and it is
unnecessary to tell you, with what difficulty they are restrained in their
anger. Eh bien, monsieur! shall we speak of the terms?«
    »I fear your excellency has been deceived as to the strength of William
Henry, and the resources of its garrison!«
    »I have not set down before Quebec, but an earthen work, that is defended by
twenty-three hundred gallant men,« was the laconic reply.
    »Our mounds are earthen, certainly - nor are they seated on the rocks of
Cape Diamond; - but they stand on that shore which proved so destructive to
Dieskau, and his army. There is also a powerful force within a few hours' march
of us, which we account upon as part of our means.«
    »Some six or eight thousand men,« returned Montcalm, with much apparent
indifference, »whom their leader, wisely, judges to be safer in their works,
than in the field.«
    It was now Heyward's turn to bite his lip with vexation, as the other so
coolly alluded to a force which the young man knew to be overrated. Both mused a
little while in silence, when Montcalm renewed the conversation, in a way that
showed he believed the visit of his guest was, solely, to propose terms of
capitulation. On the other hand, Heyward began to throw sundry inducements in
the way of the French general, to betray the discoveries he had made
