Lady Merton, Colonist | Page 9

a big place!"
He looked round on her with a smile so broad and sudden that Elizabeth felt a heat rising in her cheeks. Her question had no doubt been a little na?ve.
But the young man hurried on, composing his face quickly.
"Some of them, of course, are tourists like yourselves. But I do know a few of them. That man in the clerical coat, and the round collar, is Father Henty--a Jesuit well known in Winnipeg--a great man among the Catholics here."
"But a disappointed one," said Lady Merton.
The Canadian looked surprised. Elizabeth, proud of her knowledge, went on:
"Isn't it true the Catholics hoped to conquer the Northwest--and so--with Quebec--to govern you all? And now the English and American immigration has spoilt all their chances--poor things!"
"That's about it. Did they tell you that in Toronto?"
Elizabeth stiffened. The slight persistent tone of mockery in the young man's voice was beginning to offend her.
"And the others?" she said, without noticing his question.
It was the Canadian's turn to redden. He changed his tone.
"--The man next him is a professor at the Manitoba University. The gentleman in the brown suit is going to Vancouver to look after some big lumber leases he took out last year. And that little man in the Panama hat has been keeping us all alive. He's been prospecting for silver in New Ontario--thinks he's going to make his fortune in a week."
"Oh, but that will do exactly for my brother!" cried Elizabeth, delighted. "Please introduce us."
And hurrying back into the car she burst upon the discontented gentleman within. Philip, who was just about to sally forth into the damp, against the entreaties of his servant, and take his turn at shying stones at a bottle on the line, was appeased by her report, and was soon seated, talking toy speculation, with a bronzed and brawny person, who watched the young Englishman, as they chatted, out of a pair of humorous eyes. Philip believed himself a great financier, but was not in truth either very shrewd or very daring, and his various coups or losses generally left his exchequer at the end of the year pretty much what it had been the year before. But the stranger, who seemed to have staked out claims at one time or another, across the whole face of the continent, from Klondyke to Nova Scotia, kept up a mining talk that held him enthralled; and Elizabeth breathed freely.
She returned to the platform. The scene was _triste_, but the rain had for the moment stopped. She hailed an official passing by, and asked if there was any chance of their soon going on. The man smiled and shook his head.
Her Canadian acquaintance, who was standing near, came up to the car as he heard her question.
"I have just seen a divisional superintendent. We may get on about nine o'clock to-night."
"And it is now eleven o'clock in the morning," sighed Lady Merton. "Well!--I think a little exercise would be a good thing."
And she descended the steps of the car. The Canadian hesitated.
"Would you allow me to walk with you?" he said, with formality. "I might perhaps be able to tell you a few things. I belong to the railway."
"I shall be greatly obliged," said Elizabeth, cordially. "Do you mean that you are an official?"
"I am an engineer--in charge of some construction work in the Rockies."
Lady Merton's face brightened.
"Indeed! I think that must be one of the most interesting things in the world to be."
The Canadian's eyebrows lifted a little.
"I don't know that I ever thought of it like that," he said, half smiling. "It's good work--but I've done things a good deal livelier in my time."
"You've not always been an engineer?"
"Very few people are always 'anything' in Canada," he said, laughing. "It's like the States. One tries a lot of things. Oh, I was trained as an engineer--at Montreal. But directly I had finished with that I went off to Klondyke. I made a bit of money--came back--and lost it all, in a milling business--over there"--he pointed eastwards--"on the Lake of the Woods. My partner cheated me. Then I went exploring to the north, and took a Government job at the same time--paying treaty money to the Indians. Then, five years ago, I got work for the C.P.R. But I shall cut it before long. I've saved some money again. I shall take up land, and go into politics."
"Politics?" repeated Elizabeth, wishing she might some day know what politics meant in Canada. "You're not married?" she added pleasantly.
"I am not married."
"And may I ask your name?"
His name, it seemed, was George Anderson, and presently as they walked up and down he became somewhat communicative about himself, though always within the limits, as it seemed to her, of a natural dignity, which developed indeed as their acquaintance progressed. He