sidered such a great man here, of course--I do not
speak it boastingly--the hearts of all the
tallow-complexioned girls throbbed at a great rate
when I entered."

"Tallow complexioned girls!" reiterated the reader.
"Very complimentary, indeed, on the part of the friend
of your greatest friend."

"Monsieur will either please finish reading his slip,
since he wishes to do so, although, for my part, I am
not at all interested in it, or put it by. In any case,
I must ask that he will cease addressing me in this
insolent tone."

"Then, since Mademoiselle wills it so, I shall finish
the very truthful and complimentary paragraph without
further comment."

"Such a bear garden as that dance was; yet I somewhat
enjoyed the languishing glances of the bright-eyed
damsels. But, ugh! the savages never can be made to
wash themselves. When the dance had continued for
three or four hours, the dancers began to pair off
like pigeons and in each nook you could observe a
half-breed and his girl, sometimes the demoiselle
nursing her beau with arms about his neck, or _vice
versa_. ... The women are all slatterns, and as a rule
they exhibit about as much morality as is found among
the female elk of the prairies. A white man here who
is at all successful in winning female attention,
needs but to whistle, or to raise his finger, to have
half a dozen of the dusky beauties running after him.
While I write this letter I see two maidens passing
under my window. I no longer take pride or fun in the
matter. To me they have become a nuisance."

CHAPTER VI.

"Now, Monsieur," said M. Riel, folding his newspaper slip
and putting it back again into his greasy pocket-book,
"you well perceive that this Monsieur Mair is not exactly
the sort of gentleman who ought to be the recipient of
your hospitalities. I do not say that Monsieur Scott,
who went over the little waterfall with your daughter,
holds the same opinion respecting us, as as does his
friend Monsieur Mair; I only know that upon matters of
this kind bosom friends are very apt to be of the same
mind.

"Who, let me ask again, has informed the gallant and
generous Monsieur that these two young white men are
bosom friends? Monsieur Mair was at this house once,
and Monsieur Scott was with him. I understood that they
had only met the day before; and it is only a week ago
since Monsieur told me that he had not since seen his