THE GOLDEN DOG (Le Chien d’Or)

The Musson Book Co. Limited, Toronto / Montreal News Co. Limited, Montreal.  No date listed, but Author’s Prefatory Note states ‘Niagara, Canada, May, 1897’; believe published circa 1910.  Green leather covers with gilt decoration and lettering on front, gilt lettering on spine; all edges blind ruled; 624 pages.  Covers are worn with scratches and some stains; small losses along edges, with larger losses and tears on spine.  Top edge gilt.  Marbled pastel-coloured end papers and paste-downs.  Front gutter paper split with webbing visible; some splits to rear gutter paper; binding loose but all pages secure.  Pages are toned with occasional fox spot; light foxing to prelim. pages and tissue guard.  Black & white frontispiece with tissue guard intact.  Eight listed illustrations all present.  One plate has an approx. 3 ½” tear near gutter from bottom in white space framing illustration but illustration not affected.  Historical romance set in New France (Old Quebec) in 1748 during the reign of Louis XV.  Supporters of the popular Chien d’Or trading house are at odds with the corrupt Grand Company.  Two unfortunate romances result in the head of the Chien d’Or being killed.  A Gothic and historical romance replete with Quebec history and legend, and considered a classic piece of Canadian literature, The Golden Dog culminates with the British conquest of the French colony.