Chapter XV: The Life of Leadership

.... "Pourvu qu'ils vivent noblement et ne fassent aucun acte derogeant a noblesse."

PATENTS OF NOBLESSE.

"Light the lamps," my father ordered.

Tardif, the butler, did so with alacrity.

"Tardif, thou canst withdraw," added my father.

"Oui, monseigneur," replied Tardif, bowing respectfully, and went.

The room and its antiquated splendors looked ancestral to me. Its size struck me. It was larger than any in our town house. The family portraits and furniture revived lifelong memories. We had a fine collection of forefathers.

"Chamilly"--began my father, walking up before the picture of one who was to me childhood's holy dream. He stopped for some moments, gazing up to her face with intense affection, and then turning to me, said in a broken voice--"Never forget your mother."

"No, sir," I replied, bending my head.

In a moment he went on to the other portraits, and his manner altered to more of pride.

"Your grandfather, the Honorable Chateauguay, this. This is his Lady, your grandmother. Here is her father, a LeGardeur de Repentigny. There is the old Marshal in armor. Here is Louise d'Argentenaye, of the time of Henry IV., who married a Montcalm. Here is the Count d'Argentenaye in armor." And thus he took me about on a singular round, and informed me concerning the whole gallery.

He stopped at an old, solid wood cabinet, with spiral legs, bent over and opened it with a key.

"Now," thought I, "these mysteries are going to be explained."

"This is a dress sword," he went on, "worn in France, at the court of Louis XIII. It was worn by one of your forefathers. Here are two decorations--Crosses of St. Louis--what beautiful little things they are. They belong to two of us who were Chevaliers."

I was only still more mystified.

"Come into the office, my son," said he, leading me into a room used for collecting the feudal rents and other business.

"It is coming now," I exclaimed to myself.

My father lifted out an iron box, ornamented with our arms in color, and handed to me a parchment, having an immense wax seal, which I took and read.

Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac, Councillor of the King in his Councils of the State and Privy Council, Governor and Lieutenant-General of His Majesty in Canada, Acadia, and other countries of Septentrional France. To All Those who shall see these present letters: HIS MAJESTY having at all times sought to act with "zeal proper to the just title of Eldest Son of the Church, has passed into this Country good number of his subjects, Officers of his troops in the Regiment of Carignan and others, whereof the most part desiring to attach themselves to the country by founding Estates and Seigniories proportionate to their force; and the Sieur JEAN CHAMILIE D'ARGENTENAY, Lieutenant of the Company of D'Ormilliere, having prayed us to grant him some such: WE, in consideration of the good, useful, and praiseworthy services he has rendered to His Majesty as well in Old France as New, do concede to the said Sieur Jean Chamilie D'Argentenay, the Extent of Lands which shall be found on the River St. Lawrence from those of Sieur Simon de la Lande to those heretofore granted to the Sieur de Bois-Hebert, to enjoy said land _en Fief et Seigneurie_ at charge of the Faith and Homage, the said Sieur Jean Chamilie D'Argentenay his heirs and representatives shall he held to render at Our Castle of St. Louis at Quebec.

"DE FRONTENAC."

I laid down the parchment.

"This is the original grant of the seigniory?"

"Yes," he replied with animation, "The 'HIS MAJESTY' there is the Grand Monarque himself! De Frontenac is the Great Count, and that Jean Chamilly D'Argentenaye, cadet of the Chamillys of Rouen, is our first predecessor on these lands."

Taking a large genealogical tree out of the box, and spreading it on the table, he showed me my descent. "The Honorable Chateauguay drew this up at the time of my marriage," he began.

"The whole tree is mine then?" I ventured, surveying it.

"Yes," he cried, "and these are brave and honorable names! The wish of my heart has been that you preserve their record. See: the first marriage is a Mlle. Boucher de Boucherville, whose father, Pierre, Governor of Three Rivers, was so honest and wise in the perilous early course of the Colony! Madeline de Vercheres, heroic holder of the fort surprised by Iroquois, is near her. See! we date from the fourteenth century, and are allied with the Montaignes, Grammonts, Sullys, La Rochefoucaulds. Here is Le Moyne d'Iberville, and there De Hertel, brave and able,--a Juchereau du Chesnay; a Joybert de Soulanges. Down here is De Salaberry, the Leonidas of Lower Canada. There behold Philippe de Gaspe, who wrote 'Les Anciens Canadiens;' there Gaspard Joly, the Knight of Lotbiniere.--But you can inform yourself about these names. They will be useful in your enterprises by raising you above the reproach of being an adventurer. Seat yourself over there."

"My father," thought I to myself, "you and your pride are both very much out of date," but I obeyed him and seated myself where he indicated.

"The reason why I have brought you here, is to tell you, that it has always been intended that you should in some way, succeed in these properties. Before you developed, it was not possible to predict exactly how you might do it; but within the last few years you have surpassed our hopes; and I have no trepidation in putting before you my views of your future position. You may think I am strong in health, but I shall soon pass away."

My heart suddenly started.

"And you will find yourself here with revenues ample for the moderate purposes of a gentleman. You may live in the country, or in the city, as you please; but my desire is that you should live here, and continue in the paths of your grandfather and myself: for he was a just Englishman, and taught me that no one must take without an equivalent; and that a landlord owed duties to his people, of the value of the moneys they paid him. Formerly the lord gave his vassals armed protection for their rents: now there is nothing to which the law forces him; thus his returns must be fixed by his sense of duty."

"Do not fear that I am proposing anything too sombre, Chamilly: It is an agreeable life. There is no demand for your being shut up in the place; and one can surround himself very conveniently with his private tastes."

But I did not feel the scheme repugnant. The house and locality had struck me before as a comfortable retirement to prosecute the study of Art, "and perhaps, I might bring here"--(I dared not put her name into syllables in such a flight of hope.)

"You will find, though, more than you anticipate to do"

I looked up.

"And greater undertakings to accomplish properly than I have been strong enough to meet."

"What do you mean, sir?" I enquired.

"These poor simple people," he said, "have many enemies, and they sometimes do not know their friends. You are their hereditary guardian. Instead of mediaeval protection, you must give them that of a nineteenth century Chief."

"A nineteenth century Chief?" I could not but exclaim, "What is a nineteenth century Chief?"

"The people's friend and leader."

"Yes, but what am I to do, sir?"

"In the first place, discourage litigation and its miseries. Offer mediation wherever you can. Keep drink out of the villages. Preserve the ancient forms of courtesy. Grow timber, and introduce improvements in farming."

He spoke of other things. I was to fight especially the Ultramontanes and the demagogues. My father was an uncompromising Liberal of the old school.

"But what can I do about this?" I asked, my artistic skies beginning to cloud with the prospect.

"You can speak! I know you will make an orator. You will be a member at Quebec; and then you can effect something. I mourn over the state of affairs, but I do not fear for the true end; and I yearn, as if across the grave to see the vigor of another generation of us pressing into the struggle. Remember our ancient motto," and he laid his finger on the little coat of arms on the iron box, with its scroll: "_Sans Hesiter_."

I did not answer him, but sat thinking, while gathering up the documents into the box, he carried it back to the office.

END OF THE FIRST PART OF THE
BOOK OF ENTHUSIASMS.

When Chrysler arrived next morning at the break in Chamilly's manuscript, the sun was rising high and shining upon the river and front hedge, and on the green lawn before the Ontarian's window, and he could see Haviland walking backwards and forwards meditatively across the grass waiting for him to descend to breakfast. He hurried down, and as he came to his host, remarked, "The drift of your story is not quite clear to me."

"I wish I had the sequel written," the young man replied, "I am trying to lead on to a great matter."