[Footnote 2: Monsieur _Piquet_ was about this time a member of the Provincial Parliament. How he got there I do not exactly know: the station seemed rather inconsistent with the situation occupied by him in early life. He was a man of uncommon muscular vigor; and had in his youth been employed by the North West Company, as the _bully_ of their expeditions. His duty was to punish any refractory subordinate by the application of the fist. The _voyageurs_ were an ignorant and lawless set of men, engaged by the company to navigate their _batteaux_, and to carry the merchandize which constituted their freight, across the portages. The goods were arranged in sacks containing about ninety pounds each and were transported (or perhaps _toted_ would be a more proper word in our latitude) by the _voyageurs_ where the navigation failed. Their labors were consequently very severe; and it may readily be believed that few but the most reckless and unworthy characters enlisted in these expeditions. They were generally accompanied and conducted by one or two clerks or partners, who required some strong executive power to keep their followers in due submission. Some trusty individual of uncommon strength and hardihood was selected to perform this duty--and such was the situation held by _Piquet_. He was successful in his enterprizes, and as I was told amassed considerable wealth. At any rate, I knew him as a legislator. I was once in company with this man, when he related some of his early adventures; particularly one, in which, being necessitated to quell the turbulent spirit of a refractory _voyageur_, he broke the arm of the brawler with one blow of his fist--an achievement of which Monsieur _Piquet_ seemed not a little proud.] "Not bad ideas, but impracticable. Felix is at Red River, or thereabouts--and Piquet is in Parliament, which should argue that his powers of maiming are fully employed upon the laws of the province." We had paused involuntarily before the window. The shop was thronged with customers, and we saw the barber take down one of the caricatures and exhibit it to an individual, who laughed immoderately as he examined it. My blood boiled as I witnessed this scene. I had been deeply impressed by Fenella's description of her defenceless condition, and the absence of that general feeling of resentment in her case, which would have existed had any other woman been the object of such ridicule. The hearty laugh of the examiner of the picture--the gusto with which he enjoyed the ludicrous figure before him, inspired me with most unchristian feelings, and I could, with the greatest good will, have tweaked his nose with the hot curling irons which the man of hair was applying to his head.