their supper. In the
old shanty it was laid out, on boards and tressels from end to end. The
dignified Mr. Wynn of Dunore took the chair; Captain Armytage was vice,
or croupier. As to attendance, the Irish damsel struck work at the most
critical juncture, and refused to minister to them in the article of
tea. The ever-ready Andy, just in with blackened hands from his long
day's field-work, washed them hurriedly, and became waiter for the
nonce, having first energetically declared that if he was Biddy Murphy,
he'd be 'shamed to ate the bread he didn't airn; and that she might go
home to her mother as soon as she liked, for an iligant young lady as
she was. Zack Bunting overheard the strife, and the same night, on his
return home, dropped a hint to the girl Libby--short for Liberia--his
wife's orphan and penniless niece, who dwelt with them as a servant,
and whose support they were anxious to get off their hands; and so, to
her own prodigious astonishment, the recalcitrant Biddy found herself
superseded, and the American help hired a day or two afterwards.

'The whole affair of the bee was not so formidable as you thought,' said
Robert to his sister subsequently. They were together in a canoe upon
the pond, enjoying a tranquil afternoon, and ostensibly fishing.

'Oh no, not so bad. You know I saw very little of your hive, except
indeed the storekeeper's son, who was dressed so fantastically, and who
would come offering his help in my cookery.'

'I saw you talking to Jackey Dubois. Could you make anything of his
French?'

'Well, I tried, and of course could understand him; but the accent is
very queer. He calls Canada always Conodo; in fact, he puts "o" for "a"
and "i" constantly. The article "la" turns into "lo," "voir" becomes
"voar." That puzzles one--and the nasal twang besides. I wonder why
_that_ is so universal. Even your nice friend Mr. Holt is affected by
it, though slightly.'

'He told me once that it is a national peculiarity; and no matter
what pains a man takes to preserve himself or his children from it,
insensibly it grows in the pronunciation. He believes that something
in the climate affects the nasal organs; he predicts it for me, and I
suppose for all of us.'

'I hope not. Robert, I think the foliage on the shores is changing
colour already.'

'I daresay; the maple blushes scarlet very early. Ah, wait till you see
the Indian summer, with its gorgeous tinting and soft pink mists.'

And here Robe