Letter by Élisabeth Rocbert de la Morandière, dite Madame Bégon, on the situation of women in Montréal and Québec, 12 November, 9 and 11 December 1748.

I am informing you that mater [Catherine Legardeur de Repentigny] and tilly [Marie-Anne Legardeur de Moncerville Tilly] went to the city of quebec with monsieur [Legardeur] de tilly on July 15 last, and returned only a few days ago, quite taken with the pleasure they found in quebec where monsieur the intendant danced away, but their black dress [mourning] prevented them from partaking of these celebrations; however they did eat and notice the beautiful silverware that contributes to the air of fashionable conversation, with madame Lanodière the shining light there, all others paling in comparison. [...]

Would you believe, dear son, that this devout madame verchere organized a dance that lasted throughout the night; our priests will certainly have much to preach about; on the feast of notre dame, during Advent, to give a ball, and all the more, tomorrow, there is yet another one at the house of madame lavaltery, and after tomorrow at the house of madame [brageloyne ?], much to the dismay of the curate. [...]

Today, there is a dance at the house of madame beaulac, and it is, it appears, monsieur de morpeaux [Monrepos] who is assuming the costs; monsieur Foucher, his shadow, is there with his spouse, madame de la valtrie and her daughter, mesdemoiselle de longueoil and noyan, hardly enough to form a circle.[...]