d for the young ladies also when they had satisfied
their curiosity to see who was there and who with whom.

"We cannot pray for you any longer, Chevalier des Meloises!" said one of
the gayest of the group; "the Lady Superior has economically granted us
but one hour in the city to make our purchases and attend Vespers. Out
of that hour we can only steal forty minutes for a promenade through the
city, so good-by, if you prefer the church to our company, or come with
us and you shall escort two of us. You see we have only a couple of
gentlemen to six ladies."

"I much prefer your company, Mademoiselle de Brouague!" replied he
gallantly, forgetting the important meeting of the managers of the
Grand Company at the Palace. The business, however, was being cleverly
transacted without his help.

Louise de Brouague had no great esteem for the Chevalier des
Meloises, but, as she remarked to a companion, he made rather a neat
walking-stick, if a young lady could procure no better to promenade
with.

"We come out in full force to-day, Chevalier," said she, with a merry
glance round the group of lively girls. "A glorious sample of the famous
class of the Louises, are we not?"

"Glorious! superb! incomparable!" the Chevalier replied, as he inspected
them archly through his glass. "But how did you manage to get out?
One Louise at a time is enough to storm the city, but six of them at
once--the Lady Superior is full of mercy to-day."

"Oh! is she? Listen: we should not have got permission to come out
to-day had we not first laid siege to the soft heart of Mere des
Seraphins. She it was who interceded for us, and lo! here we are, ready
for any adventure that may befall errant demoiselles in the streets of
Quebec!"

Well might the fair Louise de Brouague boast of the famous class of "the
Louises," all composed of young ladies of that name, distinguished for
beauty, rank, and fashion in the world of New France.

Prominent among them at that period was the beautiful, gay Louise
de Brouague. In the full maturity of her charms, as the wife of the
Chevalier de Lery she accompanied her husband to England after the
cession of Canada, and went to Court to pay homage to their new
sovereign, George III., when the young king, struck with her grace and
beauty, gallantly exclaimed,--

"If the ladies of Canada are as handsome as you, I have indeed made a
conquest!"

To escort young ladies, internes of the Convent, when granted permission