"Then the thought jumped into her mind, had anyone seen them talking? Montreal was a big city, but there was always the chance of bumping into people who knew her, or her parents, or Eric. Most of the time, though, it was such a lonely place. The city rumbled along, indifferent to her, buzzing with the slight acrimony of bilingual conversations. The city crumbling with its cracked pavement and crooked politicians. The city colored with the daily scruff of immigrant struggle, and the universal fight against the rough elements. It was difficult to feel part of Montreal."