much, to throw it all
away when the truth was within my reach.

In the beginning of October Gabriel came with the expected letter
from le pere Jean. Mme. de Sarennes and Angelique had gone on to
Quebec to spend the winter there, and I was expected to join them
whenever it might be convenient. I took affectionate farewells of
my good friend, Mme. Dufour, and the infant population of the
parish, and set forth with Gabriel. We made a grand run of it, and
were in full view of the town before the sun had quite set. I had
seen no place, except perhaps Edinburgh, with which I could compare
it, and Quebec gained in the comparison. Gabriel saw my admiration,
and was delighted.

"Look at it well, madame; it is the gate of the finest country le
bon Dieu ever created, and we hold the key! No man need have a
faint heart when he can look on Quebec. See the little fort there
on the top of the Cape! It was made to signal a King's ships only.
See the Chateau where it stands! It looks like the Governor himself.
See the steeples of the Cathedral, of the Jesuits, of the Recollets!
See the convents and the hospitals! It is like the Holy City of
God! And then talk, if one can, of it falling into the hands of
'les goddams' and 'les Bostonnais.' Bah! It is impossible! If not,
what is the use of going to church on Sunday?"

Truly he had every excuse for his pride; and when I looked on the
majestic river, barred by the mighty cliff with its glittering
crown of roofs and spires overlooking the beautiful sweep of the
St. Charles, I felt that his outburst was more of a declaration
than a boast.

I disembarked with a light heart, and, guided by Gabriel, climbed
the steep ascent to the Haute Ville, at the head of which stood
the Sarennes house, there to receive a welcome from Mme. de Sarennes
and Angelique, for which none but a daughter and a sister might
look.

CHAPTER XX

AT QUEBEC

When our first greetings were over, I asked eagerly for Lucy.

"She is not with us at the moment, my dear," said Mme. de Sarennes;
"but we look for news of her soon now."

"Where is she?" I asked, dreading to discover the hand of M. de
Sarennes in the matter.

"When you left with le pere Jean, she was much distressed, for she
had not the same reliance on his assurance of your safety as we,
and at first insisted that you would never have willingly gone
without her, but after a while she seemed to be content. I did not
know, until Angelique told me l