"But it ought to be done out of doors," said Charlton, coming back from a kind of maze in which he had been listening to her. "It is unendurable!" "Then I guess you'll have to go some place where you won't know it," said Barby; "that's the most likely plan I can hit upon; for it'll have to stay on till it's ready."

Charlton went back into the other room really downhearted, and stood watching the play of Fleda's fingers.

"Is it come to this?" he said at length. "Is it possible that you are obliged to go without such a trifle as the miserable supply of food your fowls want!"

"That's a small matter!" said Fleda, speaking lightly, though she smothered a sigh. "We have been obliged to do without more than that."

"What is the reason?"

"Why this man Didenhover is a rogue, I suspect, and he manages to spirit away all the profits that should come to uncle Rolf's hands; I don't know how. We have lived almost entirely upon the mill for some time." "And has my father been doing nothing all this while?" "Nothing on the farm."

"And what of anything else?"

"I don't know," said Fleda, speaking with evident unwillingness. "But surely, Charlton, he knows his own business best. It is not our affair." "He is mad!" said Charlton, violently striding up and down the floor. "No," said Fleda with equal gentleness and sadness, "he is only unhappy; I understand it all—he has had no spirit to take hold of anything ever since we came here."

'Spirit!" said Charlton; "he ought to have worked off his fingers to their joints before he let you do as you have been doing!

"Don't say so!" said Fleda, looking even pale in her eagerness; "don't think so, Charlton! it isn't right. We cannot tell what he may have had to trouble him; I know he has suffered and does suffer a great deal. Do not speak again about anything as you did last night! Oh," said Fleda, now shedding bitter tears, "this is the worst of growing poor! the difficulty of keeping up the old kindness and sympathy and care for each other !——' "I am sure it does not work so upon you," said Charlton in an altered voice.

"Promise me, dear Charlton," said Fleda looking up after a moment and drying her eyes again, "promise me you will not say any more about these things! I am sure it pains uncle Rolf more than you think. Say you will not-for your mother's sake!"

"I will not, Fleda-for your sake. I would not give you any more trouble to bear. Promise me that you will be more careful of yourself in future."

"Oh there is no danger about me," said Fleda with a faint smile, and taking up her work again.

"Who are you making shirts for?" said Charlton after a pause.

66

"He is always there," said Fleda sighing. There was another silence. Charlton," said Fleda looking up with a face of the loveliest insinuation, "isn't there something you might do to help us a little?"

"I will help you garden, Fleda, with pleasure."

"I would rather you should help somebody else," said she, still looking at him.

"What, Hugh? You would have me go and work at the mill for him, I suppose!"

"Don't be angry with me, Charlton, for suggesting it," said Fleda, looking down again.

66

'Angry!" said he.

"But is that what you would have me do?" "Not unless you like—I didn't know but you might take his place once in a while for a little, to give him a rest——”

"And suppose some of the people from Montepoole that know me should come by? What are you thinking of?" said he in a tone that certainly justified Fleda's deprecation.

"Well!" said Fleda, in a kind of choked voice, "there is a strange rule of honour in vogue in the world!"

66

Why should I help Hugh rather than anybody else?"

"He is killing himself!" said Fleda, letting her work fall and hardly speaking the words through thick tears. Her head was down and they came fast. Charlton stood abashed for a minute.

66

"You sha'n't do so, Fleda," said he gently, endeavouring to raise her,— 'you have tired yourself with this miserable work! Come to the window; you have got low-spirited, but I am sure without reason about Hugh,—but you shall set me about what you will. You are right, I dare say, and I am wrong; but don't make me think myself a brute, and I will do anything you please."

He had raised her up and made her lean upon him. Fleda wiped her eyes and tried to smile.

"I will do anything that will please you, Fleda.”

"It is not to please me," she answered meekly.

"I would not have spoken a word last night if I had known it would have grieved you so."

"I am sorry you should have none but so poor a reason for doing right," said Fleda gently.

Upon my word, I think you are about as good reason as anybody need have," said Charlton.

rebuke

She put her hand upon his arm and looked up-such a look of pure as carried to his mind the full force of the words she did not speak,—“Who art thou that carest for a worm which shall die, and forgettest the Lord thy Maker?" Charlton's eyes fell. Fleda turned gently away and began to mend the fire. He stood watching her for a little.

"What do you think of me, Fleda?" he said at length.

“A little wrong-headed," answered Fleda, giving him a glance and a smile. "I don't think you are very bad."

"If you will go with me, Fleda, you shall make what you please of me!" He spoke half in jest, half in earnest, and did not himself know at the moment which way he wished Fleda to take it. But she had no notion of any depth in his words.

"A hopeless task!" she answered lightly, shaking her head, as she got down on her knees to blow the fire; "I am afraid it is too much for me. I have been trying to mend you ever since you came, and I cannot see the slightest change for the better!"

"Where is the bellows?" said Charlton in another tone.

"It has expired-its last breath," said Fleda. "In other words, it has lost its nose."

"Well, look here," said he laughing and pulling her away, "you will stand a fair chance of losing your face if you put it in the fire. You sha'n't do it. Come and show me where to find the scattered parts of that old wind instrument, and I will see if it cannot be persuaded to play again."

CHAPTER XXV.

I dinna ken what I shonld want

If I could get but a man.-Scotch Ballad.

APT. ROSSITUR did no work at the saw-mill. But Fleda's words
He began to show care for his fellow-

Chad not fallen to the ground.

creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he stayed the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish. Wild ducks and partridges banished pork and bacon even from memory; and Fleda joyfully declared she would not see another omelette again till she was in distress.

While Charlton was still at home came a very urgent invitation from Mrs. Evelyn that Fleda should pay them a long visit in New York, bidding her care for no want of preparation, but come and make it there. Fleda demurred, however, on that very score. But before her answer was written, another missive came from Dr. Gregory, not asking so much as demanding her presence, and enclosing a fifty dollar bill, for which he said he would

hold her responsible till she had paid him with-not her own hands--but her own lips. There was no withstanding the manner of this entreaty. Fleda packed up some of Mrs. Rossitur's laid-by silks, to be refreshed with an air of fashion, and set off with Charlton at the end of his furlough.

To her simple spirit of enjoyment the weeks ran fast; and all manner of novelties and kindnesses helped them on. It was a time of cloudless pleasure. But those she had left thought it long. She wrote them how delightfully she kept house for the old doctor, whose wife had long been dead, and how joyously she and the Evelyns made time fly. And every pleasure she felt awoke almost as strong a throb in the hearts at home. But they missed her, as Barby said, dreadfully;" and she was most dearly welcomed when she came back. It was just before New Year. For half an hour there was most gladsome use of eyes and tongues. Fleda had a great deal to tell them.

"How well-how well you are looking, dear Fleda!" said her aunt for the third or fourth time.

"That's more than I can say for you and Hugh, aunt Lucy. What have you been doing to yourselves?"

"Nothing new," they said, as her eyes went from one to the other.

66 I guess you have wanted me!" said Fleda, shaking her head as she kissed them both again.

"I guess we have," said Hugh, "but don't fancy we have grown thin upon the want."

"But where's uncle Rolf? You didn't tell me."
"He is gone to look after those lands in Michigan."
"In Michigan! When did he go?'

"And you didn't let me know! Oh, why didn't you? How lonely you must have been!"

"Let you know indeed!" said Mrs. Rossitur, wrapping her in her arms again. "Hugh and I counted every week that you stayed with more and more pleasure each one."

"I understand!" said Fleda, laughing under her aunt's kisses. "Well, I am glad I am at home again to take care of you. I see you can't get along without me!"

"People have been very kind, Fleda," said Hugh.

"Have they?"

"Yes, thinking we were desolate, I suppose. There has been no end to aunt Miriam's goodness and pleasantness."

"Oh, aunt Miriam, always!" said Fleda; "and Seth."

"Catharine Douglass has been up twice to ask if her mother could do anything for us; and Mrs. Douglass sent us quantity of wild pigeons that Earl had shot.

once a rabbit and once a Mother and I lived upon

pigeons for I don't know how long. Barby wouldn't eat 'em-she said she liked pork better; but I believe she did it on purpose.

"Like enough," said Fleda, smiling from her aunt's arms where she still lay.

"And Seth has sent you plenty of your favourite hickory-nuts, very fine ones; and I gathered butternuts enough for you near home."

'Everything is for me," said Fleda. be to make some butternut candy for you. Hugh?

Hugh smiled at her and went on

"And your friend, Mr. Olmney, has sent us a corn-basket full of the superbest apples you ever saw.

he says."

He has one tree of the finest in Queechy,

"My friend!" said Fleda, colouring a little.

"And

"Well, I don't know whose he is if he isn't yours," said Hugh. even the Finns sent us some fish that their brother had caught, because, they said, they had more than they wanted. And Dr. Quackenboss sent us a goose and a turkey. We didn't like to keep them, but we were afraid if we sent them back it would not be understood."

"Send them back!" said Fleda. "That would never do! All Queechy would have rung with it."

"Poor Dr. Quackenboss!" said Fleda. "That man has as near as possible killed me two or three times. the oddest of all the finny tribes. minute."

As for the others, they are certainly I must go out and see Barby for a

It was a good many minutes, however, before she could get free to do any such thing.

"You ha'n't lost no flesh," said Barby shaking hands with her anew. "What did they think of Queechy keep down in York?" "I don't know, I didn't ask them," said Fleda.

with you, Barby?"

"How goes

the world

"I'm mighty glad you are come home, Fleda," said Barby lowering her

"I guess I ain't all that's glad of it," Miss Elster went on, with a glance of her bright eye.

"I guess not," said Fleda reddening a little; "but what is the matter?" "There's two of our friends ha'n't made us but one visit a piece since→ oh, ever since some time in October!"

"Well never mind the people," said Fleda, "Tell me what you were going to say."