New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-11
VII.

He Joined the little company next morning which
usually went down from the hotel tn watch the de-
parture of the steamer For some moments ne re-
garded the Tranquil motions Of the and her de
Nberate captain but when the gang-plank was at
length ordered drawn and the vessels paddles
were thrown into tentative paroXySms, he hastily
stepped aboard. When he had accomplished TINS
act however he found it impossible TO assign
cause for it possibly it mere restlcssncss The
boat pushed ont and Miss Mortboy to be per
oelved upon the pier in a costume Of momentous
effect waving her dainty handkerchief toward him.
He answered her greeting with a courteous bow,
smiling in his secure distance at the half interIOga-
tive motion of the bit of cambria He may have I'M
agned this but it proved, absurdIy enough " klnd
of soporfc to his question of motive in the voyage
and he made careful choice of position and sat OBJ
serving the varying prospect as the vessel moved up
the river with some serenity.
In Quebec, however. brought face to face with the
necessity of discovering aim in this journey, he
found himself obliged to own it o5jectless. He
wandered through the market the steamer
landing. 1t was Saturday, and those wcazenfaced,
weather-beaten. decorOus little old women who are
probably the oldest planet sat chai1ering by
their wagons of shining garden products or stalls
with varied arrays OF merchandise The crowded
business of the place won him from ms aOstrac-
ton and he discovered himself watching the scene
with lazy interest. He went 10 the St Louis and
took occasion to draw the man seated next him at
dinner INTO conversation. lie very seldom did
thing of this kind and he noted his present act with
interest 1t was al indication Of his state OF mind
The man proved agreeable. He was an American,
and as it CHANGED native of Maryland, and
Fetcher's interest upon the announcement of this
latter fact presently Modified the distrusitni host
fancy that Is Oito the first stage of acquaintance
between Americans abroad. Dui Fletcher walked
through the crooked streets aterward IN kind OF
nervous apathy. The quaint converts and churches
no longer recommended themselves to him, he was
fnr hiah lp lalI
to cherish affection. he could compel to him no
ray of the romance TO which the place had once SO
facilcy lent itself. It's best sights were turned dull
and COMMONPLACE Even the noble landscape
which stretches itself from the Terrace, and which
he had reserved as sovereign coud do nothing Tor
his mood As he went toward the hotel the groups
OF obvious isightseeTs in carriages and on foot
affected him with a strange lOathlng The ar was
of a deadly languor and the men that lac met We're
orrovod in those snecaI defcuces against the heat
which as much as anything else give one sense OF
foreign travel in Canada. Except by the IN
domtabe tourists the parChed streets were entirely
deserted Tradespeope lOllcd in their shItsleeves
before the doors of their abandoned shops and IN
the lower town the FrenchwOman sat GepresSedly
peerng into n narrow court from behind her closed
shutters with no energy for the maintenance of her
lifelong quarrel with the IrishwOman opposite.
Fletcher reached his with relief and, veXed TO
learn that no boat left for Malbaie until the follow
ing morning lay until night motionlesS. counting
the hours in forced resignation. In the evening he
went ont to purchase of those classics OF Cana
dian travel whose American authorship is not all
the Secret of their charm for the increasing COM
many of American travellers VINO from year 10 year
| learn an afectiOnatc regard for the Dominion
through their enchanted pages They offered hum
the prated editions at first rs they do OF other good
things In Canada. hut he would have none of them,
and explored anew Out-Of theway parts of the town
i'm search of the book in the authorized form. lie
wanted il for gift he SAID. AT length he CHANGED
upon an unprOmising establishment near the river
where the shOpkeeper who was something OF a
biblophile in his way, produced the volume az
once He had bought It upon journey TO the
United States he said. and Fletcher paid the eX-
orbitant charge added for this fact without muir
mur and returned to his hotel
The next morning he was able to assure himself
"a the Malbaie boat bore him down the river that
the purchase of this book had been the object OF his
voyage. - a.. t - -
Yet when Virginia, manfesting, as usual no sur
prise as he greeted her and handed her the volume
That evening said am very glad To have II, Dut
il is too bad that you should have gone TO Quebec
for it," he answered " didn't go for that alone.
There were other things. But long as was there
I thought | might well get il and decide the
matter we talked Of You see II docs mention the In
dian cabins at Malbae." and taking the little work
from her he turned TO certain passage, In the DIS
cnssion of which they were presently much con-
From which it may perhaps be gathered that the
most honest OF men are occasionally impeachable
witnesses in testimony to their own mental pro-
ces5es.