buggy; the man will look after your
portmanteau." With equally conventional politeness I answered, "Thank
you. How are you all at home?" So we started on the way to the farm.

Our conversation on the drive began with the subjects of agriculture
and breeding. I displayed my total ignorance of crops and cattle before
we had traveled ten yards on our journey. Ambrose Meadowcroft cast
about for another topic, and failed to find it. Upon this I cast about
on my side, and asked, at a venture, if I had chosen a convenient time
for my visit The young farmer's stolid brown face instantly brightened.
I had evidently hit, hap-hazard, on an interesting subject.

"You couldn't have chosen a better time," he said. "Our house has never
been so cheerful as it is now."

"Have you any visitors staying with you?"

"It's not exactly a visitor. It's a new member of the family who has
come to live with us."

"A new member of the family! May I ask who it is?"

Ambrose Meadowcroft considered before he replied; touched his horse
with the whip; looked at me with a certain sheepish hesitation; and
suddenly burst out with the truth, in the plainest possible words:

"It's just the nicest girl, sir, you ever saw in your life."

"Ay, ay! A friend of your sister's, I suppose?"

"A friend? Bless your heart! it's our little American cousin, Naomi
Colebrook."

I vaguely remembered that a younger sister of Mr. Meadowcroft's had
married an American merchant in the remote past, and had died many
years since, leaving an only child. I was now further informed that the
father also was dead. In his last moments he had committed his helpless
daughter to the compassionate care of his wife's relations at Morwick.

"He was always a speculating man," Ambrose went on. "Tried one thing
after another, and failed in all. Died, sir, leaving barely enough to
bury him. My father was a little doubtful, before she came here, how
his American niece would turn out. We are English, you know; and,
though we do live in the United States, we stick fast to our English
ways and habits. We don't much like American women in general, I can
tell you; but when Naomi made her appearance she conquered us all. Such
a girl! Took her place as one of the family directly. Learned to make
herself useful in the dairy in a week's time. I tell you this--she
hasn't been with us quite two months yet, and we wonder already how we
ever got on without her!"

Once started on the subject of