water, sparkled the many lights in the Gothic windows of the
buildings. On either side were the illuminated mills with their
rushing logs and their myriad busy hands piling, smoothing and
sawing the monsters of the forest helpless under the fetters of
leather and steel.
CHAPTER II.
For the events which followed, I hold myself alone and altogether
responsible. Nearly every evening I spent at the Chaudiere, either
watching my new friend at his work or lounging on the bridge, and
always finishing the day by walking home with him to his boarding
house. Thus I got to know him very well, and I soon discovered one
thing that he was far from strong. Even a life-long residence among
the purifying and strengthening airs of the keen fresh North had not
protected him from the insidious ravages of that dread complaint--
consumption. I fancied the hereditary taint must be on his father's
side, for he always alluded to his mother as being exceptionally
healthy. On Sundays I accompanied him to Church in the morning at
the Basilica; in the afternoons we used to walk all over the town in
various directions. Of course, on all these excursions, I did most
of the talking. He was a good listener, and readily improved in
understanding and appreciation. Noticing that he was particularly
fond of any story connected with the life of the early French in
Canada, I read up all the works I could find on the subject, going
often to the Parliamentary Library for that purpose, and retailing
the more interesting and intelligible facts to him afterwards. Crusoe
did not watch over and educate Friday any more carefully than I my
mild and gentlemanly "Shantyman" in his blue shirt and canvas
trowsers.
I grew at last, after three months' intimacy with him, quite to love
him, and I am sure my affection was reciprocated for he ever
welcomed me with a strong, clinging pressure of my hand and a smile
which was a brighter one than that which his face had worn when I
met him first. A strange friendship, but one which I felt to be so
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