They found the large double-decked steamer filling up rapidly with parties of tourists, some of them evidently—from their piles of luggage—en route for Murray Bay, or Métis, or some other watering-place on the Gulf. Quebec was to them an everyday affair, and they talked of it in a careless and cursory fashion which to May, with her enthusiastic veneration for its associations, seemed little less than sacrilege.
As they passed down the smooth winding river, while the twilight was falling, silvered by the brightening moon, Flora began to talk of Mr. Winthrop, and to express her regret at his inability to come on with them. “It was too bad,” she added, “that Hugh forestalled him, in going to Kate’s rescue, was it not? I’m afraid he will hardly forgive Hugh in a hurry.”
“But Hugh couldn’t have waited for him,” said May.
“What are you two talking about?” asked Kate, whose ear had been caught by the words, while talking to her aunt and Hugh.
“Oh, we were only talking about poor Mr. Winthrop,” replied Flora, “and his vexation with Hugh for getting before him in rescuing you.”
“Why should he have let Hugh get before him, then?” she asked.
Hugh looked up with a half-puzzled air; then it seemed as if something had dawned upon him—previously unthought of—and, in a few explicit words, he explained the whole situation, doing ample justice to Mr. Winthrop. Kate listened attentively, and though she was very quiet all the rest of the evening, May fancied that her face was cleared of a shadow that had clouded it before. She took up May’s “Chance Acquaintance” and soon became absorbed in it,—not laying it down till she had rushed through it to the last page.
“Wasn’t it too bad,” said Flora, “that Kitty sent off Mr. Arbuton like that?”
“I think it was too bad that Mr. Arbuton didn’t come back,” retorted Kate. “If he only had done that, a few days after, Kitty would have forgiven him and he could have made a fresh start.”
“I feel sure that he did, in the end,” asserted May, dogmatically. “I mean to write a sequel to it some day!” and then they all went off to their berths.