suit my plans
to bury myself any longer in these backwoods, eh? There are so few
opportunities of relaxation--of intellectual converse, of--a--in
short, of any of those refinements required by a man of education and
knowledge of the world. You will understand this, my dear Mr. Robert.
I--I wish for a more extended field, in fact. Nor is it common justice
to the girls to keep them immured, I may say, in an atmosphere of
perpetual labour. I am sure my poor dear Edith has lived a slave's
life since she came to the bush. Only for your amiable family, I--I
positively don't know what might have been the consequence, eh?'

Robert felt himself getting angry, and wisely withdrew. On Mr. Holt's
learning the reception of his offer, he briefly remarked that he guessed
Sam wouldn't object to own a farm near Cedar Creek, and he should buy it
altogether from the captain, which was accordingly done. We refrain from
picturing Zack's feelings.

The other idea which had visited Robert under the aurora--why should he
not himself become the tenant of Daisy Burn? He took his fur cap and
went down there for an answer.

The captain had gone to the 'Corner,' this being post-day, and he
expected some letters from the Montreal friends in whom he believed.
Reginald was chopping wood; the two sisters were over their daily
lessons. What to do with Jay, while the above question was being asked
and answered, was a problem tasking Robert's ingenuity, and finally he
assumed the office of writing-master, set her a sum in long division,
which he assured her would require the deepest abstraction of thought,
and advised a withdrawal to some other room for that purpose.

[Illustration]

Jay fell into the snare, and went, boasting of her arithmetical powers,
which would bring back the sum completed in a few minutes. The instant
the door closed,--

'I came down this morning,' said Robert, 'to tell you that I have
concluded to take Daisy Burn as tenant to Mr. Holt, from the first of
April next. That is,' he added, 'on one condition.'

'What?' she asked, a faint colour rising to her cheek, for his eyes were
fixed on her.

'Arthur is much steadier than he was, since that visit to Argent last
spring made him see that a penniless proud man has no business to
endeavour to live among his equals in social rank, but his superiors in
wealth. He is good enough farmer to manage Cedar Creek, with George's
increasing help, and Dubois as a sort of steward. Edith