r its own affairs. Taxation, for the purpose of local
improvement or education, is levied by the town or county councils,
elected by the dwellers in each township. No bye-law for raising money
can be enforced, unless it has previously been submitted to the electors
or people. The town council consists of five members, one of whom is
town-reeve; the town-reeves form the county council; and the presiding
officer elected by them is called the warden. From the completeness of
the organization, no merely local question can be brought before the
provincial legislature, and it would be well if Imperial Parliament
could, by similar means, be relieved of an immense amount of business,
inconsistent with its dignity.

'Eh! what's this?' asked Davidson, stopping before the partially raised
walls of a wooden cottage. 'Wha's gaun to live here?'

'Don't you recollect my town plot?' asked Robert. 'My first tenant sets
up here. Jackey Dubois is removing from the "Corner:" he was always
getting the ague in that marshy spot, and isn't sorry to change.'

'Then that brings me richt down on what I hae been wantin' to say,'
quoth Davidson. 'If ye'll gie us the site, me an' my son Wat wull build
a mill.'

'With all my heart; a grist or a saw mill?'

'Maybe baith, if we could raise the cash. Nae doot the sawmill's the
proper to begin wi', seein' yer toun's to be builded o' wood'--

'For the present,' observed Mr. Wynn; 'but there's plenty of limestone
under that hardwood ridge.'

'An' the finest water power in the township rinnin' a' to waste on top
of it. Weel, noo, I'm glad that's settled; though 'twull be an awfu'
expense first cost. I dinna exactly ken how to overtake it.'

Robert imagined that he was magnifying matters, in order to lessen any
possible demand of ground-rent. But it is probable that Davidson would
have even paid something over and above his ideas of equitable, for the
pleasure of Zack Bunting's anticipated mortification at finding a rival
mill set up in the neighbourhood.

CHAPTER XL.

AN UNWELCOME SUITOR.

When the affair of the mill was arranged, and Robert's mind's eye beheld
it already built and noisily flourishing, they sauntered along the bend
of the pond towards where the charcoal forest of last autumn had donned
a thin veil of greenery. The sight set Davidson upon his favourite
irritation--the decay of his farm Daisy Burn, under its present owner.

'He's an a'thegither gude-for-naething,' was hi