idle, good-for-nothing fellow you must think me,"
said Philip, putting down little Mary, who had been sitting on his knee,
and standing before his aunt.

"Not good-for-nothing, certainly. Perhaps, a little idle and
thoughtless. There is time for improvement and--room. Let us hope you
will know your own mind soon, which you certainly do not now."

"Let us hope so," said Philip, with a sigh. "Here comes Davie! Now,
observe him! He will not look in the least glad to see me."

"Where are all the rest?" said Davie, coming in.

"Davie, do you know, I have been persuading your mother to let you go
with me to the Red River," said Philip. "Wouldn't you like it?"

"It is very good of you. Yes, I dare say I would like it. What does
mamma say?"

"She thinks you are too useful a man to be spared so long. What would
Mr Caldwell do without you?"

"When are you coming to help him?" said David.

"After I come home in the autumn. I cannot bring myself to Davie's
standard of steadiness all at once, Aunt Mary. I must have a little
time."

"There is none to lose," said Mrs Inglis gravely.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

About this time it was announced to the world in general, that Miss
Oswald's marriage was to take place immediately. Her friends thought
she had been very kind and considerate to stay with her father and her
brothers and sisters so long. Miss Oswald was a discreet young lady,
and knew how to manage her own affairs to her own satisfaction. Perhaps
the knowledge that her own establishment must be in a different style
from that of her father's, helped her considerateness a little, and made
her more willing to continue at home. However that might be, when her
father set before her certain reasons for economy in household matters,
for decided retrenchment indeed, she very considerately suggested that
her Aunt Livy would be a very suitable person to see her father's wishes
in this direction carried out, and advised that she should be sent for,
and then she set about her own preparations. With these, of course, no
one at the bridge house had anything to do, except Violet. But for the
glimpses that she had behind the scenes, she might have been a little
dazzled and unsettled by the gaiety and splendour in the midst of which
she found herself. For Miss Oswald's arrangements were on the grandest
scale. Everything that she considered "proper" on the occasion, she
exacted to the uttermost, with no thoughts of nec