our
tongue trop long pour dat. I com for ax you to give me turn ov de
grindstone, s'il vous plait."

"Ye don't desarve it, Losh; but wait till I've finished this job and
I'll lind ye a hand."

"Be-the-bye," resumed Bryan, when the metal was cooled, "has Francois
finished that sled for Miss Edith?"

"Oui," replied La Roche, seating himself at the grindstone. "(Ah! pas si
vite, a leet more slow, Bryan.) Oui, him make it all ready; only want
de ring-bolts."

"Thin it won't want thim long. Ye can take thim over to the shop when
ye go across. There they are on the binch."

Bryan continued to turn the handle of the stone for some time in
silence.

"D'ye know, Losh," he resumed, "whin Mister Frank is goin' to the
fishery?"

"He go demain, I b'lieve, and Mademoiselle Edith go too."

"None o' the min goin'?" inquired the blacksmith.

"Non. Monsieur Frank just go for to try if dere be any fish to be cotch
by de hook; and I t'ink he go more for to give Edith one drive dan dat."

"Very likely, Losh. The poor purty little crature. She's very fond o'
sledgin' and walkin' in snow-shoes. 'Tis well for her, bekase there's a
want o' companions for her here intirely."

"Ah! mercy, dat is superb, magnifique!" said the Frenchman, feeling the
edge of the axe with his thumb. "It sharp 'nuff to shave de hair off
your ogly face, Bryan."

"Thin be off wid ye, an' don't kape me longer from my work. An' shut
the door quick behind ye; there's cowld enough in the place already."

So saying, Bryan resumed his hammer, and La Roche, following the
snow-track across the yard, recommenced his labour of chopping firewood.

Next day, Frank and Edith made preparations for the excursion alluded to
in the foregoing conversation.

The object for which this excursion was undertaken was twofold--first,
to ascertain if there were any fish in a large lake about ten miles
distant from the fort; and, secondly, to give little Edith a drive for
the good of her health. Not that her health was bad, but several weeks
of bad weather had confined her much to the house, and her mother
thought the change would be beneficial and agreeable; and tenderly did
that mother's heart yearn over her little child, for she felt that,
although she was all to Edith that a mother could be, nature had
implanted in her daughter's mind a longing desire for the companionship
of little ones of her own age, which could not be satisfied by any
substitute--not even th