For the firm of Raymond & St. Clair this meant enormous increase of business, and it was no small annoyance that at this crisis they should have detected their Quebec agent in fraud, and should have been forced to dismiss him. The situation was so critical that Mr. St. Clair himself, with Harry as his clerk, found it necessary to spend a month in Quebec. He took with him Maimie and her great friend Kate Raymond, the daughter of his partner, and established himself in the Hotel Cheval Blanc. On the whole, Maimie was not sorry to visit the ancient capital of Canada, though she would have chosen another time. It was rather disappointing to leave her own city in the West, just at the beginning of the spring gayeties. It was her first season, and the winter had been distinguished by a series of social triumphs. She was the toast of all the clubs and the belle of all the balls. She had developed a rare and fascinating beauty, and had acquired an air so distingue that even her aunt, Miss St. Clair, was completely satisfied. It was a little hard for her to leave the scene of her triumphs and to abandon the approaching gayeties. But Quebec had its compensations, and then there were the De Lacys, one of the oldest English families of Quebec. The St. Clairs had known them for many years. Their blood was unquestionably blue, they were wealthy, and besides, the only son and representative of the family was now lieutenant, attached to the garrison at the Citadel. Lieutenant De Lacy suggested possibilities to Maimie. Quebec might be endurable for a month. “What a lovely view, and how picturesque!” Maimie was standing at the window looking down upon the river with its fleet of rafts. Beside her stood Kate, and at another window Harry. “What a lot of timber!” said Harry. “And the town is just full of lumbermen. A fellow said there must be six thousand of them, so there will be lots of fun.” “Fun!” exclaimed Kate. “Fun! rather. These fellows have been up in the woods for some five or six months, and when they get to town where there is whisky and--and--that sort of thing, they just get wild. They say it is awful.” “Just horrible!” said Maimie, in a disgusted tone. “But splendid,” said Kate; “that is, if they don't hurt any one.” “Hurt anybody!” exclaimed Harry. “Oh, not at all; they are always extremely careful not to hurt any one. They are as gentle as lambs. I say, let us go down to the river and look at the rafts. De Lacy was coming up, but it is too late now for him. Besides, we might run across Maimie's man from Glengarry.” “Maimie's man from Glengarry!” exclaimed Kate. “Has she a man there, too?” “Nonsense, Kate!” said Maimie, blushing. “He is talking about Ranald, you know. One of Aunt Murray's young men, up in Glengarry. You have heard me speak of him often.” “Oh, the boy that pulled you out of the fire,” said Kate.