'JEAN BAPTISTE' AT HOME.
After seeing most of the thoroughfares of Montreal, and receiving the
set of sensations experienced by all new-comers and recorded in all
books of Canadian travel--principally wondering at the incongruities
of French and English nationality grafted together, and coherent as
the segments of the fabled centaur--the active commerce of a British
port carried on beneath the shadow of walled-in convents suggesting
Belgium--friars endued with long black robes, passing soldiers clothed
in the immemorial scarlet--a Rue Notre Dame and a St. James's Street in
neighbourhood--the brothers witnessed another phase of American life as
they dined at a monster table-d'hote in the largest hotel of the city.
The imperial system of inn-keeping originated in the United States
has been imported across the border, much to the advantage of British
subjects; and nothing can be a queerer contrast than the Englishman's
solitary dinner in a London coffee-room, and his part in the vast
collective meals of a transatlantic hotel.
'New to this sort of thing, I should imagine?' said the gentleman next
beside Robert, in a particularly thin, wiry voice.
'Yes, quite a stranger,' answered Robert, looking round, and seeing that
the speaker was a person with a sharp nose and small keen black eyes.
'So I thought; your looks betray it. Everything seems queer, I guess.
Intending to be a settler, eh?' Then, without waiting for an answer,
'That's right: I always welcome the infusion of young blood into our
colony, particularly _gentle_ blood, for we are a rough set, mister,
and want polish--and--and--all that.'
These deferential words, uttered in the deferential manner of inferiority
to acknowledged excellence, certainly pleased Robert; for what heart is
unsusceptible to subtle flattery? And of all modes of influence, men
are most easily flattered or disparaged by reference to what is no
worthiness or fault of their own--the social station in which it has
pleased the Creator that they should enter this world. The keen brain
behind the keen eyes knew this well; the fact had oiled a way for his
wedge many a time. What was his motive for endeavouring to ingratiate
himself with young Wynn for the next twenty minutes?
'Now, mister, if it's a fact that you be settling, I can give you a
chance of some of the finest lots of land ever offered for sale in
Montcalm township. A friend of mine has a beautiful farm there that
would just suit you; best part cleared and under fence--fine water
privilege--land in good heart, and going, I may say, dirt cheap.'
Robert felt much obliged for the interest in his welfare which prompted
this eligible offer. 'But, unfortunately, I have very little money to
invest,' said he carelessly. The swift penetrating glance that followed
from his companion was unseen, as he crumbled his biscuit on the
table-cloth. 'I am rather disposed to try the backwoods,' he added.
'The bush!' in accents of amazement. 'The bush! it may do very well
for labourers, but for a gentleman of your pretensions, it would be
misery--wholly unsuitable, sir--wholly unsuitable. No, no, take my
advice, and settle where the advantages of civilisation--the comforts of
life to which you have been accustomed--are accessible. A few thousand
dollars'--
'I regret to say,' Robert interposed, 'that even one thousand is
immensely more than I possess,' turning to the Canadian with a frank
smile, which was by no means reduplicated in the sharp face. And from
the era of that revelation, conversation unaccountably flagged.
'Do you know to whom you talked at table?' asked Hiram Holt afterwards.
He had been sitting some way farther up at the other side. 'One of the
most noted land-jobbers in the country--a man who buys wild lands at
three shillings an acre, to sell them again at ten or fifteen, if he
can; and he never loses an opportunity of driving a trade. His bargain
of a cleared farm is probably some worn-out dilapidated location not
worth half-a-dollar an acre till hundreds have been spent on it.'
'Then I've gained one benefit by being poor,' said Robert; 'nobody can
have a motive for over-reaching me'--which was philosophic consolation.
Mr. Holt's business would not permit him to leave till next evening. And
so the Wynns, continuing to lionize, looked into the vast but dreary
Romish cathedral, which seats ten thousand people in its nine spacious
aisles and seven chapels; clambered to the roof, and viewed the city
from a promenade at an elevation of 120 feet; and then drove to that
special beauty of Montreal--the mountain. This is a hill more than 500
feet in height, and clothed from head to foot with the richest verdure
of woods; among which grow the most delicious apples extant since Paris
selected one as a prize. From the summit a landscape of level country
stretches below westwards; in middle, distant villages; on the horizon,
the Ottawa confluence, bounding Montreal Island and forming others.
Southwards, across the St. Lawrence, the hills of Vermont far away;
nearer, the fertile valley of the Richelieu.
'Let's go off to one of the _habitan_ villages,' said Arthur suddenly.
'Dismiss the caleche, and we will walk back. I'll ask for a drink of
water in one of the cottages just to scrape acquaintance.'
'Furbish up your French, too,' said Robert, 'for they do gabble it
fast. I heard a fellow chattering in the steerage, coming up the river
yesterday morning: by the way, he and Andy had struck up a friendship:
and such bowing as they had to each other's incomprehensible lingo!'
'I wonder what he is doing to-day,' said Arthur reflectively; 'he asked
me so particularly whether we should want him again till the evening.'
'Found out a nest of Irish somewhere, I suppose.'
'There's a fellow taking off his hat to us,' remarked Arthur, as they
passed a carter. 'Everybody seems to bow to everybody in this country.
But did you ever see such an old-fashioned vehicle as he drives? And he
keeps talking to himself and his horse all the way, apparently.'
Rapidly walking down the fine road to the plain, they were not long
in nearing a group of neat white houses round the invariable shining
steeple.
'The village looks as sociable as the people,' said Robert. 'How neat
everything seems!--Hallo, Arthur, we've come in for some festivity or
other, by all the gay ribbons about.'
'Bon jour, Madame,' said Arthur boldly, to a tidy old lady, sitting in
her green verandah. 'Nous sommes des etrangers--I'd like to ask her what
it's all about,' he whispered confidentially to Robert; 'but I'm out of
my depth already.'
The aged _Canadienne_ arose, with the politeness so natural to her
Gallic descent, and bade them welcome. But sounds issuing from the
opposite house riveted their attention. 'As sure as I'm here, that's
Andy's violin,' exclaimed Arthur; 'I'd know his scrape anywhere;' and he
crossed the road in a moment.
Without doubt Andy was the player, ay, and the performer too; for he was
dancing a species of quickstep solo, surrounded by a circle of grinning
and delighted _habitans_. The most perfect gravity dwelt in his own
countenance meanwhile, alloyed by just a spice of lurking fun in his
deep-set eyes, which altogether faded, as a candle blown out, when
suddenly he perceived the accession to the company. Silence succeeded
the dead blank on his features, down hung the violin and its bow on
either side, and the corners of his mouth sunk into a dismal curve.
'Go on, old boy--scrape away,' shouted Arthur hilariously. 'So many
pretty faces would inspire anybody;' and whether it was that the
black-eyed Canadian damsels felt the compliment through the foreign
idiom, there was considerable blushing and bridling as the speaker's
glance travelled round the group.
They deserved his encomium. The slight sprightly type of dark beauty
abounded; and so prettily decked out with bright ribbons and flowers,
that it was evident the tastefulness which renders French modistes
unrivalled had not died out in these collateral relatives of the nation.
Forward stepped Monsieur, the master of the house and father of the bride,
begging that Messieurs would be so benevolent as to seat themselves,
and would honour him by partaking of refreshment; both which requests
Messieurs were nothing loth to fulfil. It was hardly to be realized
that these were the besotted _habitans_, the unimprovable race, the
blotch on the fair face of Canadian civilisation; these happy-looking,
simple-minded people. Hiram Holt was a slanderer. Full an hour passed
before the Wynns could get away from the embarrassing hospitalities and
politeness of the good villagers, who shook hands all round at parting
in most affectionate style. As for Andy, much to his own discomfort, he
was kissed by his host.
'Now I could ondherstand if it was the missus that shaluted me,' said
he, rubbing across his cheek with his cuff as soon as he was on the
road; 'throth an' they're all very fond of me intirely, considherin'
they never laid eyes on me till this mornin', barrin' himself. An' I
never see nater houses--they're as clean as a gintleman's; you might ate
off the flure. If only the people wud forget that queer talk they have,
an' spake like Christians, that a body could know what they're sayin',
'twould be a deal more comfortable.'
'And how could you get on without understanding them?' asked Arthur.
'Oh, 'twas aisy enough sometimes; for whin they wanted me to come to
dinner they had only to show me the table; and when they wanted me to
play, they only rubbed across their arm this way, and said, "Jawer,
jawer" (I brought away that word, anyhow,' added Mr. Callaghan, with
great satisfaction). 'All other times they spake to me I bowed plinty,
and that did the business. But there was a man alongside me at the
dinner that had a few words of English; an' he tould me that this time
of the year they all marries to be ready against the winter. I likes
that fashion, Misther Robert;' and herewith Andy heaved a little sigh,
thinking perhaps of a certain pretty blue-eyed Mary in Ireland.
'Put your best foot foremost, Callaghan,' said Mr. Wynn; 'we shall
scarcely reach town in time;' and all three quickened their pace.
'I'll never believe a syllable against the _habitans_ again,' said
Arthur. 'Their old-fashioned politeness is a perfect relief from the
bluff manners of most other Canadians. They seem to me to have a lot
of virtues,--cleanliness, good-humour, good-nature,--and I like their
habit of living altogether, children settled round the parent tree
like branches of a banyan. We would give a trifle to be able to do it
ourselves, Bob;' and the smile with which the brothers met each other's
eyes was rather wistful.