e concurrence, when he explained to her
that it was to the colonial dependence of Canada she owed the ability to
buy things so cheaply there.

The fact is that the ladies' parlor at the hotel had been after dinner
no better than a den of smugglers, in which the fair contrabandists had
debated the best means of evading the laws of their country. At heart
every man is a smuggler, and how much more every woman! She would have
no scruple in ruining the silk and woolen interest throughout the United
States. She is a free-trader by intuitive perception of right, and is
limited in practice by nothing but fear of the statute. What could be
taken into the States without detection, was the subject before that
wicked conclave; and next, what it would pay to buy in Canada. It seemed
that silk umbrellas were most eligible wares; and in the display of
such purchases the parlor was given the appearance of a violent
thunder-storm. Gloves it was not advisable to get; they were better
at home, as were many kinds of fine woolen goods. But laces, which you
could carry about you, were excellent; and so was any kind of silk.
Could it be carried if simply cut, and not made up? There was a
difference about this: the friend of one lady had taken home half a
trunkful of cut silks; the friend of another had "run up the breadths"
of one lone little silk skirt, and then lost it by the rapacity of the
customs officers. It was pretty much luck, and whether the officers
happened to be in good-humor or not. You must not try to take in
anything out of season, however. One had heard of a Boston lady going
home in July, who "had the furs taken off her back," in that inclement
month. Best get everything seasonable, and put it on at once. "And then,
you know, if they ask you, you can say it's been worn." To this black
wisdom came the combined knowledge of those miscreants. Basil could not
repress a shudder at the innate depravity of the female heart. Here were
virgins nurtured in the most spotless purity of life, here were virtuous
mothers of families, here were venerable matrons, patterns in society
and the church,--smugglers to a woman, and eager for any guilty
subterfuge! He glanced at Isabel to see what effect the evil
conversation had upon her. Her eyes sparkled; her cheeks glowed; all the
woman was on fire for smuggling. He sighed heavily and went out with her
to do the little shopping.

Shall I follow them upon their excursion? Shopping in Montreal