in--sawdust?"

"O, yes! That sort of thing; certainly. But I didn't mean that, I meant
something historical. There is no past, no atmosphere, no traditions,
you know."

"O, but the Saguenay _has_ a tradition," said Kitty. "You know that a
party of the first explorers left their comrades at Tadoussac, and came
up the Saguenay three hundred years ago, and never were seen or heard of
again. I think it's so in keeping with the looks of the river. The
Saguenay would never tell a secret."

"Um!" uttered Mr. Arbuton, as if he were not quite sure that it was the
Saguenay's place to have a legend of this sort, and disposed to snub the
legend because the Saguenay had it. After a little silence, he began to
speak of famous rivers abroad.

"I suppose," Kitty said, "the Rhine has traditions enough, hasn't it?"

"Yes," he answered, "but I think the Rhine rather overdoes it. You can't
help feeling, you know, that it's somewhat melodramatic and--common.
Have you ever seen the Rhine?"

"O, no! This is almost the first I've seen of anything. Perhaps," she
added, demurely, yet with a tremor at finding herself about to make
light of Mr. Arbuton, "if I had had too much of tradition on the Rhine I
should want more of it on the Saguenay."

"Why, you must allow there's a golden mean in everything, Miss Ellison,"
said her companion with a lenient laugh, not feeling it disagreeable to
be made light of by her.

"Yes; and I'm afraid we're going to find Cape Trinity and Cape Eternity
altogether too big when we come to them. Don't you think eighteen
hundred feet excessively high for a feature of river scenery?"

Mr. Arbuton really did have an objection to the exaggerations of nature
on this continent, and secretly thought them in bad taste, but he had
never formulated his feeling. He was not sure but it was ridiculous, now
that it was suggested, and yet the possibility was too novel to be
entertained without suspicion.

However, when after a while the rumor of their approach to the great
objects of the Saguenay journey had spread among the passengers, and
they began to assemble at points favorable for the enjoyment of the
spectacle, he was glad to have secured the place he held with Miss
Ellison, and a sympathetic thrill of excitement passed through his loath
superiority. The rain ceased as they drew nearer, and the gray clouds
that had hung so low upon the hills sullenly lifted from them and let
their growing height he seen. The capta