the physician and savant par excellence of
Quebec. After a most cordial reception by the Bourgeois the Governor
walked among the guests, who had crowded up to greet him with the
respect due to the King's representative, as well as to show their
personal regard; for the Count's popularity was unbounded in the Colony
except among the partizans of the Grand Company.

Herr Kalm was presently enticed away by a bevy of young ladies, Hortense
de Beauharnais leading them, to get the learned professor's opinion on
some rare specimens of botany growing in the park. Nothing loath--for he
was good-natured as he was clever, and a great enthusiast withal in the
study of plants--he allowed the merry, talkative girls to lead him where
they would. He delighted them in turn by his agreeable, instructive
conversation, which was rendered still more piquant by the odd medley of
French, Latin, and Swedish in which it was expressed.

An influx of fresh arrivals next poured into the park--the Chevalier de
la Corne, with his pretty daughter, Agathe La Corne St. Luc; the Lady
de Tilly and Amelie de Repentigny, with the brothers de Villiers. The
brothers had overtaken the Chevalier La Corne upon the road, but the
custom of the highway in New France forbade any one passing another
without politely asking permission to do so.

"Yes, Coulon," replied the Chevalier; "ride on!" He winked pleasantly at
his daughter as he said this. "There is, I suppose, nothing left for an
old fellow who dates from the sixteen hundreds but to take the side of
the road and let you pass. I should have liked, however, to stir up the
fire in my gallant little Norman ponies against your big New England
horses. Where did you get them? Can they run?"

"We got them in the sack of Saratoga," replied Coulon, "and they ran
well that day, but we overtook them. Would Mademoiselle La Corne care if
we try them now?"

Scarcely a girl in Quebec would have declined the excitement of a race
on the highroad of St. Foye, and Agathe would fain have driven herself
in the race, but being in full dress to-day, she thought of her wardrobe
and the company. She checked the ardor of her father, and entered the
park demurely, as one of the gravest of the guests.

"Happy youths! Noble lads, Agathe!" exclaimed the Chevalier, admiringly,
as the brothers rode rapidly past them. "New France will be proud of
them some day!"

The rest of the company now began to arrive in quick succession.
The law