e aristocratic section of the
town,' said Mr. Holt, as they turned to retrace their steps. 'Here the
citizens give themselves up to pleasure and politics, while the Lower
Town is the business place. The money is made there which is spent here;
and when our itinerating Legislature comes round, Quebec is very gay,
and considerably excited.'

'Itinerating Legislature! what's that?' asked Arthur.

'Why, you see, in 1840 the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada were
legally united; their representatives met in the same House of Assembly,
and so forth. Kingston was made the capital, as a central point; however,
last year ('49) the famous device of itineration was introduced, by
which, every four years, his Excellency the Governor and the Right
Honourable Parliament move about from place to place, like a set of
travelling showmen.'

'And when will Quebec's turn come?'

'In '51, next year. The removal of court patronage is said to have
injured the city greatly: like all half-and-half measures, it pleases
nobody. Toronto growls, and Kingston growls, and Quebec growls, and
Montreal growls; Canada is in a state of chronic dissatisfaction, so far
as the towns go. For myself, I never feel at home in Quebec; the lingo
of the _habitans_ puzzles me, and I'm not used to the dark narrow
streets.'

'Are you a member of the Parliament, Mr. Holt?' asked Arthur.

'No, though I might be,' replied Hiram, raising his hat for a moment
from his masses of grizzled hair. 'I've been town reeve many times, and
county warden once. The neighbours wanted to nominate me for the House
of Assembly, and son Sam would have attended to the farms and mills; but
I had that European trip in my eye, and didn't care. Ah, I see you look
at the post-office, young fellow,' as they passed that building just
outside the gate of the Upper Town wall; 'don't get homesick already
on our hands; there are no post-offices in the bush.'

Arthur looked slightly affronted at this speech, and, to assert his
manliness, could have resigned all letters for a twelvemonth. Mr. Holt
walked on with a preoccupied air until he said,--

'I must go now, I have an appointment; but I'll be on board to-morrow
at noon. The brig Ocean Queen, of Cork, you say? Now your path is right
down to Champlain Street; you can't lose your way. Good-bye;' and his
receding figure was lost in the dusk, with mighty strides.

'He's too bluff,' said Arthur, resenting thus the one or two
plain-spoken sen