The progress of Mrs Kilbannon and Miss Christie Cameron up the river to Montreal, and so west to Elgin, was one series of surprises, most of them pleasant and instructive to such a pair of intelligent Scotchwomen, if we leave out the number of Roman Catholic churches that lift their special symbol along the banks of the St Lawrence and the fact that Hugh Finlay was not in Elgin to meet them upon their arrival.

Dr Drummond, of course, was there at the station to explain.

Finlay had been obliged to leave for Winnipeg only the day before, to attend a mission conference in place of a delegate who had been suddenly laid aside by serious illness.

Finlay, he said, had been very loath to go, but there were many reasons why it was imperative that he should; Dr Drummond explained them all.

"I insisted on it," he assured them, frankly.