下载辰思小说免费APP
TheboatwasalmostaslargeasthoseoftheHudson，butitwasnotsolavishlysplendid，thoughithadeverythingthatcouldministertothecomfortandself-respectofthepassengers。Thesewereofallnations，butchieflyAmericans，withsomeFrenchCanadians。Theformergatheredontheforwardpromenade，enjoyingwhatlittleofthelandscapethegrowingnightleftvisible，andthelattermadesocietyaftertheirmannerinthesaloon。Theywereplain-lookingmenandwomen，mostly，andprovincial，itwasevident，totheirinmosthearts；provincialinorigin，provincialbyinheritance，byalltheircircumstances，socialandpolitical。TheirrelationwithFrancewasnotaproudone，butitwasnotlikesubmersionbytheslip-slopofEnglishcolonialloyalty；yettheyseemtobetroubledbynomemoriesoftheirhundredyears’dominionofthelandthattheyrescuedfrom，thewilderness，andthatwaswrestedfromthembywar。Itisastrangefateforanypeoplethustohavebeencutofffromtheparent-country，andabandonedtowhateverdestinytheirconquerorschosetoreserveforthem；andifeachoftheraceworethesadnessandstrangenessofthatfateinhiscountenanceitwouldnotbewonderful。Perhapsitiswonderfulthatnoneofthemshowsanythingofthekind。Intheirdesertiontheyhavemultipliedandprospered；theymayhaveanationalgrief，buttheyhideitwell；andprobablytheyhavenone。
Later，oneofthemappearedtoIsabelinthepersonofthepale，slenderyoungecclesiasticwhohadshownherandBasilthepicturesinthecountrychurch。Shewasconfessingtothepriest，andshewasnotatallsurprisedtofindthathewasBasilinasuitofmedievalarmor。Hehadanimmensecrossonhisshoulder。
“Togetthiscrosstothetopofthemountain，“thoughtIsabel，“wemusthavetwohorses。Basil，“sheadded，aloud，“wemusthavetwohorses！“
“Ten，ifyoulike，mydear，“answeredhisvoice，cheerfully，“thoughI
thinkwe’dbetterrideupintheomnibus。“
Sheopenedhereyes，andsawhimsmiling。
We’reinsightofQuebec，“hesaid。“Comeoutassoonasyoucan，——comeoutintotheseventeenthcentury。“
IX。QUEBEC。
Isabelhurriedoutupontheforwardpromenade，wherealltheotherpassengersseemedtobeassembled，andbeheldavastbulkofgrayandpurplerock，swellingtwohundredfeetupfromthemistsoftheriver，andtakingtheearlymorninglightwarmuponitsfaceandcrown。Black-
hulked，red-illuminedLiverpoolsteamers，gayriver-craftandshipsofeverysailandflag，filledthestreamathwartwhichtheferriesspedtheirswifttraffic-ladenshuttles；alowertownhungtothefootoftherock，andcrept，populousandpicturesque，upitssides；fromthemassivecitadelonitscrestflewtheredbannerofSaintGeorge，andalongitsbrowsweptthegraywallofthefamous，heroic，beautifulcity，overtoppedbymanyagleamingspireandantiqueroof。
Slowlyoutofourwork-day，business-suited，modernworldthevesselsteameduptothiscityofanoldentimeandanotherideal，——toherwhowasaladyfromthefirst，devoutandproudandstrong，andwhostill，aftertwohundredandfiftyyears，keepsperfecttheimageandmemoryofthefeudalpastfromwhichshesprung。Uponherheightshesitsunique；
andwhenyousayQuebec，havingoncebeheldher，youinvokeasenseofmedievalstrangenessandofbeautywhichthenameofnoothercitycouldintensify。
Astheydrewnearthesteamboatwharftheysaw，swarmingoverabroadsquare，amarketbesidewhichtheBonsecoursMarketwouldhaveshownascommonastheQuincy，anduptheoddwooden-sidewalkedstreetstretchedanaisleofcarriagesandthosehighswungcalashes，whicharetoQuebecwhatthegondolasaretoVenice。Butthehandofdestinywasuponourtourists，andtheyrodeuptowninanomnibus。TheyweregoingtothedearoldHotelMustyinStreet，wantingwhichQuebecisnottobethoughtofwithoutapang。Itisnowclosed，andPrescottGate，throughwhichtheydroveintotheUpperTown，hasbeendemolishedsincethesummeroflastyear。S
