Marc was introduced to Abel Struthers and hissixteen-year-old son, Cal. The party went into the horse-barn,where they were given, in two languages, the grand tour. Marcfeigned as much interest as he could, considering that his mind wasalready racing ahead to the pivotal meeting at eleven o’clock.However, he did have time to take comfort in the fact that Bérubéand Hincks had hit it off right away, and now the reserved andsleep-deprived Erneste Bergeron was warming up to the eminentlylikeable Garnet Macaulay.
At five minutes to eleven Marc arrived at thelibrary to find all the delegates there except Bergeron. Chiltonthe butler was discreetly serving hot coffee to those seated aroundthe rectangular table. When he came around behind Macaulay, Marcheard him say quietly, “As I mentioned yesterday, sir, I’ve found adiscrepancy between the number of bags of oats listed in youraccounts and the number Mr. Struthers claims have been delivered tothe stables.”
“You think Harkness may have taken some withhim when he left?” Macaulay said.
“I couldn’t say, sir, but I’d feel better ifI were to go out there and count them for myself — in thedaylight.”
“Ah, I see. You’d like permission to leave uson our own at some point?”
“I would, sir. Bragg has agreed to serve thetwo-thirty refreshments you’ve ordered. I shouldn’t be long.”
“No problem, Chilton. I applaud yourconscientiousness.”
Chilton bowed and was about to back out ofthe room with his trolley when he was almost blindsided by ErnesteBergeron stumbling past him, flushed and wide-eyed.
“What on earth’s the matter?” Macaulay said,rising.
Bergeron looked wildly about, noticed theothers seated comfortably with their coffee around the table, tooka deep breath, and said in French, “We’ve got a spy amongstus!”
The accusation needed no translation.
“That’s not possible, Erneste,” Macaulay saidevenly.
Everyone present, especially the Quebecdelegates, was staring at Bergeron, more in disbelief thandismay.
“Would you be kind enough to explain?”LaFontaine said with admirable calm.
Macaulay waived the butler out of the room.Bergeron, at Macaulay’s urging, sat down, took another deep breath,and said, “When I went up to my chamber a few minutes ago to fetchmy notes for this meeting, I noticed that someone had beentampering with them.”
He waited while Marc translated.
“Stolen?” Bérubé said.
“No, not that. I left the three sheets ofpaper on my night-table before I went for a walk to see the horses- ”
“And they were not where you left them?”Bérubé prompted.
“Oh, they were still there. But page threehad been placed where page two should have been. Someone must havegone into my chamber and read what I had written about yesterday’sdiscussion.”
LaFontaine looked steadily at his compatriot.“Can you be absolutely sure that you left them in the proper order,Erneste? Please, think carefully. We do not wish to have theimportant business of this day distorted or sabotaged by concernsover security.”
Bergeron flushed. “I am reasonably sure,” hesaid hesitantly.
“Miss Finch has been instructed not to enteryour room to tidy up until we are safely in our meeting,” Macaulaysaid, “unless specific requests are made for hot water or otheritems. I will check with her and also speak to the other servants,but I can assure you that they are completely trustworthy.Moreover, none of them speaks or reads French, as you’ve probablynoticed by now.”
“You’ve been having trouble sleeping, haveyou not, Erneste?” LaFontaine said kindly. “Is it not likely, andcertainly understandable, that you merely mixed the pages upyourself? After all, you say they were still exactly where you hadleft them.”
“You’re probably right,” Bergeron said with asigh. The dark patches under his eyes confirmed the state of hisfatigue. “I regret disrupting matters here. Please accept myapologies.”
“Accepted,” Macaulay said. To the others hesaid, “I asked my stableman Struthers to walk the periphery of theestate this morning. He informs me that no-one has come onto orleft the property since the snow stopped at noon yesterday. We areas secure as it is possible to be. I suggest we proceed with ourdeliberations.”
Hincks and Robert looked much relieved. Marcwas as well, although it did occur to him that the only servantMacaulay did not know much about was Graves Chilton.
FIVE
The chairman began the meeting by encouragingmembers to comment further on those items of their joint partyplatform — step one as Robert had termed it — that had been raisedand more or less agreed upon yesterday. They had had the eveningand early morning to mull these matters over, and there were boundto be clarifications required or additional points to beconsidered. Daniel Bérubé was most happy to revisit the topic ofcommerce and the myriad ways it could be increased once the doubleyoke of British rule and priestly interference was lifted. Someuseful suggestions were made regarding a common tariff for thecanal system and the need to dredge a deeper channel through theSt. Clair River. The first new topic was the contentious issue ofland distribution. The Clergy Reserves question had been settledlast fall in Upper Canada, but both delegations were concernedabout the rapacious land-grant companies chartered in the upperprovince and the vast fiefdoms of the seigneurs in Quebec, whereordinary farmers were little better than serfs. Lots of inexpensivearable land would be required if each half of the new dominion wereto grow and thrive. Maurice Tremblay spoke passionately about theissue, but had no more practical remedies to suggest than anyoneelse on either side of the table. Some headway was subsequentlymade on squatters’ rights and more reasonable terms forhomesteading.
There followed a useful discussion of thenature of the civil law to be adopted in each province. Quebec hadalready been granted by Britain the right to use the Code Napoleon,but Upper Canada, of course, was governed by British civil law andits jurisprudence. Hincks pointed out that his understanding of thenew political structure was that Canada East and Canada West wouldhave separate, designated cabinet posts for both attorney-generaland solicitor-general, among others. Such a clear provincialdivision of responsibility should make the application of differingcivil codes workable.
“But will the good English burghers ofMontreal not press for a uniform civil law,” Bérubé said with aslight smile, “in order to facilitate a common commerce andmaintain them in a position of dominance?”
Robert looked at Hincks, who addressed thequestion. “I am certain they will so press, but it will do them nogood. Governor Poulett Thomson has informed us that the decisionabout these codes has already been taken. Our Hudson Bay merchantswill have to continue to use the Code Napoleon, whether they likeit or not.”
“Perhaps they may be encouraged to learn alittle French,” Robert said. “At least more than I have managedto.”
“You may be assured, gentlemen,” Hincksadded, “that a united Reform party will make certain that thisarrangement endures.”
The next topic was the franchise. If powerwere to be shifted away from the British governor and his appointedcouncils to an elected assembly and its right to hold any cabinetresponsible to it alone, then who was to get elected there and whowas to cast his vote for that person became of paramountimportance. Bergeron spoke to the need for keeping the property orincome restrictions as liberal as possible. Small farmers andself-employed tradesmen must be fully enfranchised, in particularbecause they represented the natural constituency of the Reformparty.
“They also have a natural right to vote forthose who are to rule over them, do they not?” LaFontaine said,breaking his customary initial silence.
“Government by the consent of the governed,”Hincks agreed with enthusiasm.
“What about all those who were imprisoned orcharged with treason during the rebellion?” Tremblay said withsomething close to a sneer. There was clearly a lot of anger stillsmouldering in him, intensified perhaps by the sharp exchange withLaFontaine at breakfast. “Hundreds of my fellows were releasedbefore trial or granted amnesty or convicted and then let go. Theyare in a legal limbo, are they not? Will they be able to holdoffice? Will they even be able to vote?” That these questions weremeant to apply to him and his own situation did not have to bestated.