noon
`` Then , monsieur , because he was a bully , I commend the man who killed him fairly . And because he was brave and fought for France , I am proud to handle his tunic . '' As John a Cleeve gazed at her kindled face , the one thought that rose above his own shame was a thought that her earnestness marvellously made her beautiful . Dominique Guyon departed shortly before noon ; and a week later half a dozen _ habitants _ arrived from Boisveyrac to work at the entrenchment which the Commandant had already opened across Sans Quartier 's cabbage plot . The Commandant himself donned a blouse and dug with the rest ; and M. Etienne ; and even old Jeremie Tripier , though grumbling over his rheumatism almost as bitterly as Sans Quartier over his wasted cabbages . Every one , in fact , toiled , and with a will , at the King 's _ corvee _ : every one , that is , except the women , and John , and Menehwehna -LRB- whose Indian dignity revolted against spade-work -RRB- , and old Father Joly , the chaplain of the fort , who was too infirm . From him , as they sat together and watched the diggers , John learned much of the fort 's history , and something , too , of his hosts ' ; for Father Joly delighted in gossip , and being too deaf to derive much profit from asking questions kept the talk to himself -- greatly to John 's relief .