"What! the father of our nationality, the first citizen of Quebec? It cannot be."
"Ah, my friends! let us disperse to our homes. This is a day of ill-omen. Things look as if the sad times of the Conquest were returning. '59 and '75! It seems that we have not suffered enough in these sixteen years."
And the old gentleman disappeared from the throng.
What happened was simply this. A tall young man, dressed in a long military coat, had for a time mingled in the crowd, looking at nearly every one as he moved along. When at length he was well in the midst, he seemed suddenly to recognize the object of his search, for he stepped deliberately up to a middle-aged gentleman, and handed him a paper. With a movement of surprise, the gentleman received the missive and looked sharply at the messenger. He glanced at the address, while a perceptible thrill shot over his features. He then hurriedly broke the seal and ran his eye over the brief contents of the letter, after which he crumpled it into his pocket.
"How long since this paper was despatched?" he asked rather testily of the young messenger.
"Over an hour ago, sir."
"And why was it not delivered at once?"
"Because I could not find you at your residence, and had to seek you in this dense multitude," was the firm, yet respectful reply.
"Are you an aide de camp of His Excellency?"
"I have that honor, sir."