duct a pair of familiar chop-sticks into this basket, I shall be repaid for the loss of a strawberry by the expression of ecstasy which will immediately spread itself over your features. I intend to patronize the natural mode of eating in future. I find the ends of my fingers decidedly odoriferous."

He smiled a little as he complied with the young lady's invitation, but the expression of ecstasy did not come.

"Are Mr Rossitur's circumstances so much reduced?" he said, drawing nearer to Mrs Evelyn.

"Do you

once.

know them?" exclaimed both the daughters at

"I knew Mrs Rossitur very well some years ago, when she was in Paris."

"They are all broken to pieces," said Mrs Evelyn, as Mr Carleton's eye went back to her for his answer; "Mr Rossitur failed and lost everything-bankrupt-a year or two after they came home."

"And what has he been doing since?"

"I don't know-trying to farm it here; but I am afraid he has not succeeded well-I am afraid not. They don't look like it. Mrs Rossitur will not see anybody, and I don't believe they have done any more than struggle for a living since they came here.”

"Where is Mr Rossitur now?"

"He is at the West somewhere-Fleda tells me he is engaged in some agencies there; but I doubt," said Mrs Evelyn, shaking her head compassionately, "there is more in the name of it than anything else. He has gone down hill sadly since his misfortunes. I am very sorry for them."

"And his niece takes care of his farm in the meantime ?" "Do you know her?" asked both the Misses Evelyn again. "I can hardly say that," he replied. "I had such a pleasure formerly. Do I understand that she is the person to fill Mr Rossitur's place when he is away?"

"So she says."

"And so she acts," said Constance. "I wish you had heard her yesterday. It was beyond everything. We were conversing very amicably, regarding each other through a friendly vista formed by the sugar-bowl and tea-pot, when a horrid man, that looked as if he had slept all his life in a hay-cock and only waked up to turn it over, stuck his head in and immediately introduced a clover-field; and Fleda and he went to tumbling about the cocks till I do assure you I was deluded

into a momentary belief that hay-making was the principal end of human nature, and looked upon myself as a burden to society; and after I had recovered my locality, and ventured upon a sentence of gentle commiseration for her sufferings, Fleda went off into an eulogium upon the intelligence of haymakers in general, and the strength of mind barbarians are universally known to possess."

The manner still more than the matter of this speech was beyond the withstanding of any good-natured muscles, though the gentleman's smile was a grave one, and quickly lost in gravity. Mrs Evelyn laughed and reproved in a breath, but the laugh was admiring and the reproof was stimulative. The bright eye of Constance danced in return with the mischievous delight of a horse that has slipped his bridle and knows you can't catch him.

"And this has been her life ever since Mr Rossitur lost his property?"

Entirely, sacrificed!" said Mrs Evelyn, with a compassionately resigned air;-"education, advantages, and everything given up, and set down here, where she has seen nobody from year's end to year's end but the country people about— very good people-but not the kind of people she ought to have been brought up among."

Oh, mamma," said the eldest Miss Evelyn, in a deprecatory tone, "you shouldn't talk so-it isn't right-I am sure she is very nice-nicer now than anybody else I know, and clever too." "Nice!" said Edith. "I wish I had such a sister."

"She is a good girl-a very good girl," said Mrs Evelyn, in a tone which would have deterred any one from wishing to make her acquaintance.

"And happy, mamma-Fleda don't look miserable—she seems perfectly happy and contented."

"Yes," said Mrs Evelyn, "she has got accustomed to this state of things-it's her life-she makes delicious bread and puddings for her aunt, and raises vegetables for market, and oversees her uncle's farmers; and it isn't a hardship to her— she finds her happiness in it. She is a very good girl, but she might have been made something much better than a farmer's wife."

99

"You may set your mind at rest on that subject, mamma,' said Constance, still using her chop-sticks with great complacency; "it's my opinion that the farmer is not in existence who is blessed with such a conjugal futurity. I think Fleda's

strong pastoral tastes are likely to develop themselves in a new direction."

Mrs Evelyn looked, with a partial smile, at the pretty features which the business of eating the strawberries displayed in sundry novel and picturesque points of view, and asked what she meant?

"I don't know," said Constance, intent upon her basket"I feel a friend's distress for Mr Thorn-it's all your doing, mamma-you won't be able to look him in the face when we have Fleda next fall. I am sure I shall not want to look at his. He'll be too savage for anything."

"Mr Thorn!" said Mr Carleton.

"Yes," said Mrs Evelyn, in an indulgent tone-“he was very attentive to her last winter when she was with us, but she went away before anything was decided. I don't think he

has forgotten her.”

"I shouldn't think anybody could forget her," said Edith. "I am confident he would be here at this moment," said Constance, "if he wasn't in London."

"But what is 'all mamma's doing,' Constance ?" inquired her sister.

"The destruction of the peace of the whole family of Thorns -I shouldn't sleep sound in my bed if I were she, with such a reflection. I look forward to heart-rending scenes, with a very disturbed state of mind."

"But what have I done, my child ?" said Mrs Evelyn.

"Didn't you introduce your favourite, Mr Olmney, to Miss Ringgan last summer? I don't know"-her native delicacy shrunk from making any disclosures, and, of course, the tongue of friendship is silent-" but they were out ages yesterday while I was waiting for her, and their parting at the gate was- -I feel myself unequal to the task of describing it," said Constance, ecstatically; "and she was in the most elevated tone of mind during our whole interview afterwards, and took all my brilliant remarks with as much coolness as if they had been drops of rain-more, I presume, considering that it was hay-time."

"Did you see him?" said Mrs Evelyn.

"Only at that impracticable distance, mamma; but I introduced his name afterwards, in my usual happy manner, and I found that Miss Ringgan's cheeks were by no means indifferent to it. I didn't dare go any further."

He is

"I am very glad of it. I hope it is so," said Mrs Evelyn, energetically. "It would be a most excellent match. a charming young man, and would make her very happy." "You are exciting gloomy feelings in Mr Carleton's mind, mamma, by your felicitous suggestions. Mr Carleton, did your ears receive a faint announcement of ham and eggs, which went quite through and through mine just now?"

He bowed, and handed the young lady in; but Constance declared, that though he sat beside her, and took care of her at breakfast, he had on one of his intangible fits, which drove her to the last extreme of impatience and captivation.

The sun was not much more than two hours high the next morning, when a rider was slowly approaching Mr Rossitur's house from the bridge, walking his horse like a man who wished to look well at all he was passing. He paused behind a clump of locusts and rose-acacias in the corner of the courtyard, as a figure, bonneted and gloved, came out of the house, and began to be busy among the rose-bushes. Another figure presently appeared at the hall door, and called out—

"Fleda!"

"Well, Barby"

This second voice was hardly raised, but it came from so much nearer that the words could be distinctly heard.

"Mr Skillcorn wants to know if you're going to fix the flowers for him to carry?"

'They're not ready, and it won't do for him to wait-Mr Sweet must send for them if he wants them. Philetus must make haste back, for you know Mr Douglass wants him to help in the barn meadow. Lucas won't be here, and now the weather is so fine I want to make haste with the hay."

"Well, will you have the samp for breakfast?"

"No-we'll keep that for dinner. I'll come in and poach some eggs, Barby,-if you'll make me some thin pieces of toast -and call me when it's time. Thin, Barby."

The gentleman turned his horse, and galloped back to Montepoole.

Some disappointment was created among a portion of Mr Sweet's guests that afternoon by the intelligence that Mr Carleton purposed setting off the next morning to join his English friends at Saratoga on their way to the Falls and Canada. Which purpose was duly carried into effect.

CHAPTER IV.

"With your leave, sir, an' there were no more men living upon the face of the earth, I should not fancy him, by St George."-EVERY MAN OUT OF HIS HUMOUR.

OCTOBER had come, and a fair season and a fine harvest had enabled Fleda to ease her mind by sending a good remittance to Dr Gregory. The family were still living upon her and Hugh's energies. Mr Rossitur talked of coming home, that was all.

It sometimes happened that a pause in the urgency of business permitted Hugh to take a day's holiday. One of these falling soon after the frosts had opened the burrs of the chestnut-trees and the shells of the hickories, Fleda seized upon it for a nutting frolic. They took Philetus and went up to the fine group of trees on the mountain, the most difficult to reach and the best worth reaching of all their nut wood. The sport was very fine; and after spoiling the trees, Philetus was left to "shuck" and bring home a load of the fruit, while Fleda and Hugh took their way slowly down the mountain. She stopped him, as usual, on the old look-out place. The leaves were just then in their richest colouring; and the October sky in its strong vitality seemed to fill all inanimate nature with the breath of life. If ever, then on that day, to the fancy, "the little hills rejoiced on every side." The woods stood thick with honours, and earth lay smiling under the tokens of the summer's harvest and the promise for the coming year; and the wind came in gusts over the lower country and up the hill-side with a hearty good-will that blew away all vapours, physical and mental, from its path, bidding everything follow its example, and be up and doing. Fleda drew a long breath or two that seemed to recognise its freshening power.

"How long it seems," she said-"how very long-since I was here with Mr Carleton;-just nine years ago. How