a bit o' me but 'ud sooner never have one belongin' to me
than thim out-an-out disgraceful cousins of yer own at the "Corner."'

Libby was immovable by this as by any other taunt, to all appearance.
'Throth, I thried her every way,' quoth Andy subsequently, after
an experience of some months; 'I thried her by flatthery an' by
thruth-tellin', by abusing her relations an' herself, an' by praisin'
'em, by appalin' to her compassion an' by bein' stiff an' impident, an'
I might as well hould me tongue. A woman that couldn't be coaxed wid
words, I never seen afore.'

Perhaps she was the better servant for this disqualification; at all
events, she had no idea of any nonsense keeping her from the full
discharge of her duties in the house. Her propensity to call the
gentlemen by their baptismal names, without any respectful prefix, was
viewed by Linda as a very minor evil when set off against strength and
willing-heartedness. But one day that she wanted her young mistress,
and abruptly put her head into the parlour, asking, in a strong tone,
'Whar's Linda? Tell her the men that's settin' the fall wheat'll be
'long in no time for dinner,' Mr. Wynn could have turned her away on the
spot.

'Wal! sure it ain't no sin to forget the "miss" of an odd time, I
guess,' was the large damsel's rejoinder, though without the least spice
of sauciness. 'Come, I hain't no time to be spendin' here;' and she
closed the door after her with a bang which made gentle Mrs. Wynn start.
There was some trouble in convincing her husband that it was only the
servant's rough manner--no real disrespect was intended; the incident
put him into low spirits for the day, and turned many a backward thought
upon the wealth of his youth.

He would say, in these downcast moods, that Canada was no place for the
gentleman emigrant; but could he point out any colony _more_ suited?
Also, that his sons earned daily bread by harassing toil, worse than
that of a bricklayer or day labourer at home; but were they not happier
than in pursuit of mere pastime like thousands of their equals in the
province they had left? Robert would certainly have answered in the
affirmative. Arthur's restless spirit less wisely pined for the
pleasure-seeking of such a life as Argent's.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

TRITON AMONG MINNOWS.

Linda was stooping one morning in the corner of her garden. Some precious
plant was there, protected from the full glare of the noon sun by a
calico shade,