No one replied as Amy snatched it from his hand. In fact, Amy was the only one to recognize it as the Acadian relic that Balfour Airton had given to Martine. CHAPTER XXI OLD CHEBUCTO So slightly had the travellers really suffered from the fire that they soon recovered from the effects of that exciting night, yet they were glad enough to reach Halifax and open their trunks. "It seems better than luck that we sent these trunks ahead to Halifax. If they had been burned--" "We should have had great fun shopping, my dear Miss Amy Redmond," responded Martine; "as it is, we shall just have to pretend that we need things when we see any startling bargains in the shop-windows." "If you should try to replace what you have lost you could keep yourself busy for a day or two," rejoined Amy. "No, thank you. The things that I lost I can wait for until Christmas. I have bought some inexpensive brushes, plain enough for Priscilla to approve; but at Christmas--well, perhaps I can persuade papa to get tortoise-shell, or something more elaborate than the simple silver set that melted away at Windsor." In this way Martine always turned aside the sympathy that the others tried to offer her for her losses. Fritz and Lucian had taken the travellers to the small Halifax hotel, where they themselves had been staying for two or three days before their sudden flight to Windsor. It was a cheerful, homelike place, and in its little garden the girls spent more or less time resting after the exertions of their later days in Acadia. The fire and the events immediately following it had seemed to bring Martine and Priscilla more closely together,--at least, for the time their lack of sympathy was less plainly evident. One day the two were sitting in the garden. "I almost wish we had been a week longer in Acadia," Priscilla said. "Why, we are in Acadia still!" rejoined Martine. "Don't speak of Acadia as so far away." "Oh," responded Priscilla, "perhaps all Nova Scotia is Acadia; but really, when we use the word we mean where the French settled. Halifax is thoroughly English. On that account I do prefer it, though Acadia was certainly interesting."