As the refrain of this was sung by the last boat it seemed to come out of the great haze behind.

Verses of the old song are still preserved: "Qui vive! Who is it cries in the dawn Cries when the stars go down?
Who is it comes through the mist The mist that is fine like lawn, The mist like an angel's gown?
Who is it comes in the dawn?
Qui vive! Qui vive! in the dawn.
"Qui rive! Who is it passeth us by, Still in the dawn and the mist?
Tall seigneur of the dawn: A two-edged sword at his thigh, A shield of gold at his wrist: Who is it hurrieth by?
Qui vive! Qui vive! in the dawn." Under the influence of this beautiful mystery of the dawn, the slow thrilling song, and the strange, happy loneliness--as though they were in the wash between two worlds, Iberville got the great inspiration of his life.

He would be a discoverer, the faithful captain of his king, a trader in provinces....

And in that he kept his word--years after, but he kept it.

There came with this, what always comes to a man of great ideas: the woman who should share his prowess.