"Is it not gay--that scene there!" I exclaimed.

"It is charming, Monsieur," said the pretty eyes. "Montreal is
altogether charming."

"Ah, you come from Quebec, Mademoiselle?"

"No, Monsieur, from New Orleans," she replied confidingly.

Now the Louisiana French are very interesting to us French of Canada.
Once we formed parts of one continuous Empire, though now divided by
many thousands of miles, and their fate is naturally a bond of strong
sympathy to us.

"We have there only the Carnival," she continued with the winning
prettiness of a child. "That is in the spring, and the young men dress
up for three or four days and throw bon-bons and flowers at us. When the
carnival is over, they present the young ladies with the jewels they
have worn?"

"And the ladies return them smiles more prized than jewels?"

She looked up at me in fresh-natured delight.

"Monsieur, you must come to New Orleans sometime, during the season of
the Carnival."

"I shall most certainly if you will assure me the ladies of New Orleans
are all of one kind."