CHAPTER XIV.

THE ENTHUSIASM OF LEADERSHIP.

"Dans quelle terre a borderez-vous qui vous soit plus chere que celle
ou vous etes ne?"
--PAUL ET VIRGINIE.

When I reached home my father took me to Dormilliere. "The purpose is
very special," he said, so gravely that I trusted his wisdom and hastily
despatching to Alexandra a brooch of Roman mosaic, which I had bought
for her in Italy, I left with him.

Life had another offer now to extend to me--Dormilliere, and the power
thereof. As we approached the pier, and I beheld its three green
terraces one over another; the grove of pines on the hill-top above the
terraces; and cottages, white, red and grey, appearing among the
pines;--dear home unvisited so long;--and the spires of the Church in
the sky glinting the light of the setting sun, and on the shore and pier
familiar faces of old men and young men changed; boys grown into
stalwart fellows, and babes into boys and girls; many quiet visions of
youth rose and mingled with my thoughts, and this spell began its
working, as those of Society and Art had done.

"V'la Monseigneur!" called out Pierre, our coachman, on the pier, the
lineaments of whose face half seemed a memory suddenly grown vivid and
real.--"Mon Dieu!" he cried laughing and crying, as he looked at me
closely, "It's M'sieu Chamilly! My dear child, it was painful to have
you absent so long. Why did you not come even to see us?--Please give me
your hand again. But how you are loaded! Come, where is your valise? Let
me do something for you, M'sieu Chamilly."

"Les v'la!"

"V'la Monseigneur!"

"V'la M'sieu Chamilly!" the shouts went up.

"It's the young Seigneur! the young Seigneur!" spread among the
villagers,--they welcomed, they addressed us, the kind spirit of French
Canadians took us to itself, and I was drawn to my people, as I had not
been even during the conversation of the delightful Madame Fauteux. My
father received them with both hands and all sorts of gay remarks, "How
do you like this, Chamilly?" he laughed, with the satisfaction of an
Archduke returned to his dominions.

"Are you come to fish, Monsieur?" asked Pierre, in affectionate
garrulity, as he took up the reins.

"No, good Pierre, I do not know what I am coming for."

"You will troll as formerly? Our magnificent maskinonge are polite as
guests for a wedding. Yesterday I took one of ninety-seven pounds!"

The good hearted fellow kept talking as we drove.

One fam