UNITED STATES AND CANADA 89 



his sumptuous car at Mr. Chamberlain's disposal. 

 We had a tip -top dinner that night, and I append 

 a thumb-nail sketch of the Chief enjoying a post- 

 prandial cigar and deep in a book. He never lost 

 an opportunity of devouring current literature, 

 which interested him far more than conversation 

 with dull people. I have never met anyone who 

 could master the contents of a book so rapidly as 

 Mr. Chamberlain. I remember his reading Ben 

 Hur, which appeared about that time and was much 

 talked of, in about a couple of hours, and I don't 

 believe he skipped a line. We reached Montreal 

 about half-past nine the next morning, after a com- 

 fortable journey of about fifteen hours. 



There was not much to see at Montreal during 

 our brief halt. The ice palace which is periodically 

 erected in Montreal was not in evidence that winter. 

 I purchased a photograph of the last that had been 

 built — a rather picturesque edifice, made entirely of 

 ice, — and it has been reproduced for this book. 

 When lit up for balls and carnivals, I can well 

 imagine, the effect must have been unique, though 

 very cold inside. We went on to Ottawa by the 

 C.P.R. and arrived there about four. We were 

 met at the station by Lord Lansdowne's military 

 secretary, Captain (now Colonel) Streatfeild of the 



