"I blush for it,—I am ashamed, but can you blame me? Since days of long ago, Acadiens have been so much maligned. You do not find that we are worse than others?"
"Well, I think you would have been a pretty ticklish fellow to have handled at the time of the expulsion."
"Our dear Lord knew better than to bring me into the world then," said Agapit, naïvely. "I should have urged the Acadiens to take up arms. There were enough of them to kill those devilish English."
"Do all the Acadiens hate the English as much as you do?"
"I hate the English?" cried Agapit. "How grossly you deceive yourself!"
"What do you mean then by that strong language?"
Agapit threw himself into an excited attitude. "Let you dare—you youthful, proud young republic,—to insult our Canadian flag. You would see where stands Agapit LeNoir! England is the greatest nation in the world," and proudly swelling out his breast, he swept his glance over the majestic Bay before them.
"Yes, barring the United States of America."
"I cannot quarrel with you," said Agapit, and the fire left his glance, and moisture came to his eyes. "Let us each hold to our own opinion."
"And suppose insults not forthcoming,—give me some further explanation meantime."