The Young Seigneur | Page 4

a liking of mine,"
stepped over to the lamps and turned them down, throwing the light of
the burning wood upon the pictures and objets d'art which adorned the
apartment.
The great cast of Apollo, though in shadow, stood out against a
background of deep red hangings in its corner and attracted the older
gentleman's remarks.
"I have arranged the surroundings to recall my first impression of him
in the Vatican Galleries," said the other. "I was wandering among that
riches of fine statues and had begun to feel it an embarras, as our own

phrase goes, when I came into a chamber and saw in the midst of it this
most beautiful of the deities rising lightly before me, looking ahead
after the arrow he has shot."
"You have been in Italy, then?"
"I have, Sir," he answered, "I have had my Italian days like
Longfellow;" and, looking into the fire, he continued low, almost to
himself:--
"... Land of the Madonna: How beautiful it is! It seems a garden Of
Paradise ... Long years ago I wandered as a youth among its bowers
And never from my heart has faded quite Its memory, that like a
summer sunset, Encircles with a ring of purple light All the horizon of
my youth."
As Chrysler regarded him then and heard this free expression of feeling
he could not but feel that Haviland was a foreigner, different from the
British peoples.
"And yet," mused Haviland, in a moment again, "Have we not a more
than Italy in this beautiful country of our own?"
After weighing his companion in thought for a few moments longer,
according to a habit of his, the elder man recollected another matter:--
"You have resigned your seat in the Dominion House to enter the
Provincial. Why is that?"
"A new turn has arrived in affairs, sir. The Honorable Genest's fever
has broken him down. He cannot fill a place where activity is needed.
Until the fever, he was an influence, you know, in the Dominion House,
while I was in the Local. After it, he arranged that we should exchange
seats, as the Legislature has latterly been so quiet. Lately, however,
Picault's corruptionists, whom we thought crushed, have made another
assault for the moneys, bullied, lied, and bribed, weighed their silver to
the Iscariots, and edged Genest out of his seat."

"Who is their man here?"
"Libergent, lawyer. The election was annulled for frauds, but by
moving the heavens and earth of the Courts they saved Libergent from
disqualification, and now he appears again against us. Our cause calls
for energetic action, in the Legislature, so Genest and I are changing
places back again."
"I hope you will not be lost to us long?"
"No longer than I can help. The national work will never cease to
attract me. Is it not sublime this nation-making?--that this generation,
and particularly a few individuals like you, sir, and myself should be
honored by Heaven with the task of founding a people! It is as grand as
the nebulous making of stars!"
The seigneur's manner was full of enthusiasm.
"I can't see it as you young men do," Chrysler said, in an inflection
suggestive of regret. "What may we effect beyond trying to keep
Government pure and prudent, and we are often powerless to do even
that? Nor can we form the future character of the people much, but
must leave that to themselves, don't you think?"
"A partial truth," he returned, meditatively,--"a great one too. When I
go into the country among the farmers, I often think: 'The people are
the true nation-makers.'"--
"And Providence has apparently designed it," the old man proceeded in
his gentle strain, "to be our modest lot to follow the lead of other lands
more developed and better situated. Where do you discover anything
striking in the outlook?"
"I do not care for a thing because it is striking; but I care for a great
thing if it is really great. Do not think me too daring if I suggest for a
moment that Canada should aim to lead the nations instead of being led.
I believe that she can do it, if she only has enough persistence. A
people should plain for a thousand years and be willing to wait

centuries. Still, merely to lead is very subordinate in my view: a nation
should only exist, and will only exist permanently, if it has a reason of
existence. France has hers in the needs of the inhabitants of a vast plain;
local Britain in those of an island; with Israel it was religion; with
Imperial Rome, organised civilization; Panhellenism had the mission of
intellect; Canada too, to exist, must have a good reason why her people
shall live and act together."
"What then is our 'reason