“What is it?” cried Colin to a man with a glass at his eye.

“The English soldiers are there!” he answered; “I can see their red coats swarming up the heights.  Holy Virgin protect us!  They are making fascines and gabions.  They are going to bring up their guns.  They will be able to lay the houses of the Lower Town in ruins, even if they cannot touch the fortifications.  Why did not the Governor leave a stronger force over yonder to protect us?”

That question was being passed from mouth to mouth by the anxious and frightened townspeople.  They had been full of confidence and courage up till now; but the news that Wolfe had taken Point Levi, and was bringing up guns and intrenching himself upon the heights, filled them with apprehension.

“What are our guns doing that they do not open fire and dislodge them?” cried one voice after the other.  “Where is the Marquis of Montcalm?  Why does he not take steps for our defence?”

Montcalm was indeed coming post haste to the city, seeing clearly the menace in this action of the English General.  He bitterly regretted having left the defence of Point Levi to the Canadian contingent there; for the Canadians were very uncertain soldiers, and were easily discouraged, though if well led and generalled they could be of great service in certain kinds of warfare.  But it was known that the Canadians were already beginning to look upon the English as their possible new rulers; and some of them were disposed to regard a change of masters almost with indifference, so long as they were not interfered with in their own possessions.  It was quite likely they had only made a very half-hearted resistance to the English foe; at least one thing was certain—­Wolfe had gained possession of these heights with singularly little difficulty.

But Montcalm was not going to let him remain there if he could by any means dislodge him.  Hardly had the General entered the fortress before Corinne heard, almost for the first time, the strange screaming noise of a shell hurtling through the air, and the next moment there were gushes of smoke from a dozen places along the fortifications, as the great guns were pointed and fired and the balls and bombs went flying across the great river, to fall amongst the busy toilers on the opposite height, carrying death and destruction with them.

Eagerly was the result of the fire watched and waited for.  The citizens cried out to those with glasses to tell them the result.

“They take no notice,” cried one man who was commandingly posted; “they toil on without so much as a pause.  The fire has not touched them yet; the guns are pointed too low.  They are bringing up their own guns now; they have one battery almost complete.  In a few hours they will be ready to return our fire.  Can nothing be done to stop that?  Our houses and churches will be knocked to pieces, and our town destroyed!  The General says that this will do them no good—­they cannot touch the citadel and fortifications; but are we to have our homes destroyed about our ears?  We men of Quebec will not stand that!”