e lost children of France do not forget the defender of Quebec."

"But who now passes from there to here? The _noblesse_ of the colony
sank embracing each other on the luckless ship _Auguste_ in which they
fled to France. Alas, my friends so brave and so lovely! Ah, Varennes
and La Verandrye, and you my poor Lady de Meziere! Senneville also, my
dearest friend," he murmured, speaking to the spirits. "La Corne alone
escaped. Pardon me, Monsieur. Who is now Seigneur of Berthier?"

"Captain Cuthbert."

"In place of the Courthillaux! And of Repentigny?"

"General Christie."

"In place of Le Gardeurs! And of Longueuil?"

"Captain Grant."

"In the stead of the Le Moynes!"

"He married one of them and calls himself Baron de Longueuil."

"An Englishman Baron of Longueuil! Shades of Le Moyne d'Iberville! And
what of La Corne, who used to put on warpaint and dance around the
council fires waving a tomahawk against the English?"

"Good old Colonel La Corne! He is now a loyal subject of the king of
Great Britain, and very distinguished in the late American war."

"My God, what impossibilities within thirty years!"

Lecour, finding that the Chevalier was eager for a general account of
all Canadian beaux and dames, did his best to respond. De Bailleul's cup
ran over.

"Do you know," he exclaimed, "I have never met any people like the
Canadians. When Montcalm was general, I commanded a certain detachment
towards Lake Champlain. Through how many leagues of forest, over how
many cedar swamps and rocky hills, across how many icy torrents did my
bronzed woodmen not toil! We made beds from boughs of spruce, our walls
were the forest, our roofs were the skies. Many a day we fasted the
twenty-four hours. More than once we ate our mocassins. 'Twas all for
France. Ah, if our young men at Versailles had that to do, they would
have to be different persons. I have no respect for these warriors of
hair-powder and lace, who wear stays and learn to march from the
dancing-master. Give me a people bred in the lap of wild nature and
among whom the paths to reputation are courage and intelligence! Give
me----"

Lecour saw that the Canada of the good man was an idealised picture, but
he admired his affection and asked permission to drink his health. They
touched glasses.

"Tell me about your own people, my young friend. Who is your father?"

"A country merchant, sir."

"A well-to-do one, then, I judge."

"He has prospered so well as