y it did not do anything
of the sort. But I can tell you one thing it brought you, and, although
it is not of any great commercial value, I should think you could make
good use of it here on your place. You have one of the finest deposits
of gravel on this bluff that I have met with, and if you were to take
out a lot of it and spread it over your driveways and paths, it would
make it a great deal pleasanter for you to go about here in bad weather
and would wonderfully improve your property. Good roads always give
an idea of thrift and prosperity." And then he went away with a
valise nearly full of mineral specimens which he assured me were very
interesting.

My interest in geological formations died away as soon as Tom Burton had
departed, but what he said about making gravel roads giving the place an
air of thrift and prosperity had its effect upon my mind. It struck
me that it would be a very good thing if people in the neighborhood,
especially the Havelots, were to perceive on my place some evidences
of thrift and prosperity. Most palpable evidences of unthrift and
inpecuniosity had cut me off from Agnes, and why might it not be that
some signs of improved circumstances would remove, to a degree at least,
the restrictions which had been placed between us? This was but a very
little thing upon which to build hopes; but ever since men and women
have loved they have built grand hopes upon very slight foundations. I
determined to put my roadways in order.

My efforts in this direction were really evidence of anything but
thriftiness, for I could not in the least afford to make my drives
and walks resemble the smooth and beautiful roads which wound over the
Havelot estate, although to do this was my intention, and I set about
the work without loss of time. I took up this occupation with so much
earnestness that it seriously interfered with my observations from the
tower.

I hired two men and set them to work to dig a gravel-pit. They made
excavations at several places, and very soon found what they declared
to be a very fine quality of road-gravel. I ordered them to dig on
until they had taken out what they believed to be enough to cover all
my roads. When this had been done, I would have it properly spread and
rolled. As this promised to be a very good job, the men went to work in
fine spirits and evidently made up their minds that the improvements I
desired would require a vast deal of gravel.

When they had dug a