me and not the letter,
Marries for worse and not the better.'

and both names begin alike."

"But they are French," appended Lisa, brightly. "The prediction may have
no effect."

"It is to be hoped it will not," commented Monsieur Fleury. "Jacques
Graumont is a nice, industrious young fellow, and not given to drink.
Now there will be business enough, and he is handy and expert at boat
building, while the Ganeaus are thrifty people. M. Ganeau does a good
business in provisioning the traders when they go north. Did you wish
the young couple success, Madelon?"

The girl flushed. "I do not know her. We have met the mother
occasionally. To tell the truth, I do not enjoy this mixing up of
traders and workmen and--" she hesitated.

"And quality," appended Lisa, with a mischievous glance at her sister.

"We are likely to have more of it than less," said her father, gravely.
"These Americans have some curious ideas. While they are proud enough to
trace their ancestry back to French or English or even Italian rank,
they taboo titles except such as are won by merit. And it must be
confessed they have had many brave men among them, heroes animated by
broader views than the first conquerors of the country."

"Yes," exclaimed St. Armand, "France made a great mistake and has lost
her splendid heritage. She insisted on continuing the old world policy
of granting court favorites whatever they asked, without studying the
conditions of the new world. Then England pinned her faith and plans to
a military colonization that should emanate from a distant throne. It is
true she gave a larger liberty, a religious liberty, and exploited the
theory of homes instead of mere trading posts. The American has improved
on all this. It is as if he said, 'I will conquer the new world by force
of industry; there shall be equal rights to homes, to labor, to'--there
is a curious and delightful sounding sentence in their Declaration,
which is a sort of corner stone--'life, liberty, and pursuit of
happiness.' One man's idea of happiness is quite different from
another's, however;" smiling.

"And there will be clashing. There is much to do, and time alone can
tell whether they will work out the problem."

"They seem to blend different peoples. There is the Puritan in the East,
who is allowing his prejudices to soften; there are the Dutch, about the
towns on the Hudson, the Friends in Pennsylvania, the proud old
cavaliers in Virginia and C