ll have plenty to do when you are away--the potatoes must be
hoed up, and I shall see what I can make of Master Pablo. He appears
well enough, and he has played quite long enough; so I shall take him
with me to the garden to-morrow, and set him to work. What a quantity
of fruit there is a promise of in the orchard this year! And Edward, if
this boy turns out of any use, and is a help to me, I think that I shall
take all the orchard into garden, and then enclose another piece of
ground, and see if we cannot grow some corn for ourselves. It is the
greatest expense that we have at present, and I should like to take my
own corn to the mill to be ground."

"But will not growing corn require plough and horses?" said Edward.

"No; we will till it by hand: two of us can dig a great deal at odd
times, and we shall have a better crop with the spade than with the
plough. We have now so much manure that we can afford it."

"Well, if it is to be done, it should be done at once, Humphrey, before
the people from the other side of the forest come and find us out, or
they will dispute our right to the enclosure."

"The forest belongs to the king, brother, and not to the Parliament: and
we are the king's liegemen, and only look to him for permission,"
replied Humphrey; "but what you say is true, the sooner it is done the
better, and I will about it at once."

"How much do you propose fencing in?"

"About two or three acres."

"But that is more than you can dig this year or the next."

"I know that; but I will manure it without digging, and the grass will
grow so rich to what it will outside of the enclosure, that they will
suppose it has been enclosed a long while."

"That's not a bad idea, Humphrey: but I advise you to look well after
that boy, for he is of a bad race, and has not been brought up, I am
afraid, with too strict notions of honesty. Be careful, and tell your
sisters also to be cautious not to let him suppose that we have any
money in the old chest, till we find out whether he is to be trusted or
not."

"Better not let him know it under any circumstances," replied Humphrey;
"he may continue honest, if not tempted by the knowledge that there is
anything worth stealing."

"You are right, Humphrey; well, I will be off to-morrow morning and get
this visit over. I hope to be able to get all the news from her, now
that her father is away."

"I hope to get some work out of this Master Pablo," replied Humphrey;