and made Quebec forever eloquent of their zeal, their guile, their heroism; at the foot of this rock lay the fleet of Sir William Phipps, governor of Massachusetts, and vainly assailed it in 1698; in 1759 came Wolfe and embattled all the region, on river and land, till at last the bravely defended city fell into his dying hand on the Plains of Abraham; here Montgomery laid down his life at the head of the boldest and most hopeless effort of our War of Independence.

Private Joseph Drakes, with the generosity of an enemy expecting drink-money, pointed out the sign, board on the face of the crag commemorating ‘Montgomery’s death’; and then showed them the officers’ quarters and those of the common soldiers, not far from which was a line of hang-dog fellows drawn up to receive sentence for divers small misdemeanors, from an officer whose blond whiskers drooped Dundrearily from his fresh English cheeks.  There was that immense difference between him and the men in physical grandeur and beauty, which is so notable in the aristocratically ordered military services of Europe, and which makes the rank seem of another race from the file.  Private Drakes saluted his superior, and visibly deteriorated in his presence, though his breast was covered with medals, and he had fought England’s battles in every part of the world.  It was a gross injustice, the triumph of a thousand years of wrong; and it was touching to have Private Drakes say that he expected in three months to begin life for himself, after twenty years’ service of the Queen; and did they think he could get anything to do in the States?  He scarcely knew what he was fit for, but he thought—­to so little in him came the victories he had helped to win in the Crimea, in China, and in India—­that he coald take care of a gentleman’s horse and work about his place.  He looked inquiringly at Basil, as if he might be a gentleman with a horse to be taken care of and a place to be worked about, and made him regret that he was not a man of substance enough to provide for Private Drakes and Mrs. Drakes and the brood of Ducklings, who had been shown to him stowed away in one of those cavernous rooms in the earthworks where the married soldiers have their quarters.  His regret enriched the reward of Private Drakes’ service,—­which perhaps answered one of Private Drakes’ purposes, if not his chief aim.  He promised to come to the States upon the pressing advice of Isabel, who, speaking from her own large experience, declared that everybody got on there,—­and he bade our friends an affectionate farewell as they drove away to the Plains of Abraham.