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But of late my poor father, and it grieves him much, 

 seems to mistrust the gay captain, whose only fault 

 appears to be too great a curiosity to learn everything 

 concerning the doings of our Government in Paris and 

 in Quebec. His inquisitiveness at times certainly sur- 

 prises all hands, and he is, when alone, constantly wri- 

 ting ; some say he is gathering secret information, for 

 his friends in Virginia; others, actually go so far as to 

 say he is preparing a plan of Quebec and the fortifica- 

 tions; with what object I cannot see. Our gratitude 

 towards the saviour of our father is, of course, as it 

 ought to be, boundless. I speak unreservedly. I 

 would not wish you to think for a moment that I could 

 cherish for Captain Stobo any other feeling than that of 

 esteem and gratitude. 



For all that his toumure, conversation and looks are 

 such, that many a girl would select him as un heros de 

 roman. Major Pe'an, as you know, is often away, and 

 his lovely wife, forgetting the early piety instilled in 

 her at the Ursulines Convent as far back as 1735, gets 

 herself much talked about. Her wondrous beauty, her 

 accomplishments, her sweetness of manner, are calcu- 

 lated to create envy in this little world of ours ; and I 

 think there is no foundation for these slanders. As just 

 stated, I do not yet form part of the grand monde, 

 and do not know all that is going on. One thing I am 

 sure of, one portion of the society is all that it ought to 

 be ; I mean the ladies and the gentleman, my father 

 and mother associate with. We go to-morrow to sup 

 with Monsieur Jean Tache, an eminent merchant who 

 has a pretty country-seat on the south side of the Ste. 

 Foye road — the same who was, as you remember, 

 charged with a diplomatic mission to the court four 

 years ago, to plead the cause of the colony with the 

 King's ministers. Bigot and his gay entourage are 

 not likely to be there. Your turretted old manor of Ste. 

 Marie (Beauce) cannot be very gay, though your lively 

 cousims, the LaGorgendieres, are a host in themselves. 



