"there's your aunt ready again to throw her arms around your
neck, you see."

Mrs Landell had dropped her work and crossed over to lay her hand upon
my shoulder, while there was a tear--one bright, gem-like tear of
gratitude--sparkling in Lilla's eye as she looked up timidly from her
work, and that stupid young heart of mine gave a tremendous thump
against my chest.

There was a pause then for a few minutes, when, in a thick, husky voice,
I once more tried to speak.

"I'm sure," I said, "your welcome is warmer than I deserve; and indeed,
Uncle, I wish to be no burden to you. If you would rather not employ
me, say so frankly; but perhaps you might, all the same, put me in the
way of getting on as you have done."

"As I have done!" he said laughing. "I see, my dear boy, you look at
things with just the same eyes that I did when I came over years ago.
It's a lovely country, isn't it, Harry?"

"Glorious!" I cried excitedly.

"Yes," he said sadly; "glorious as the gilded frame of a mirror, all
lustre and brightness, while underneath it is composition, and wood, and
ill-smelling glue. Why, my dear boy, I am only living from hand to
mouth. This looks, of course, all very bright and beautiful to you, and
a wonderful contrast to hazy, foggy, cold old England--Heaven bless it!
But fire-flies, and humming-birds, and golden sunshine, and
gaily-painted blossoms are not victuals and drink, Harry; and, besides,
when you set to and earn your victuals and drink, you don't know but
what they will all be taken away from you. We've no laws here, my lad,
worth a rush. We're a patriotic people here, with a great love of our
country--we Spanish, half-bred republican heroes," he said bitterly,
"and we love that country so well, Harry, that we are always murdering
and enriching it with the blood of its best men. It might be a glorious
place, but man curses it, and we are always having republican struggles,
and bloodshed, and misery. We are continually having new presidents,
here, my lad; and after being ruined three times, burned out twice, and
saving my life by the skin of my teeth, the bright flowers and great
green leaves seem to be powdered with ashes, and I'd gladly, any day,
change this beautiful place, with its rich plantations, for fifty acres
of land in one of the shires at home."

"But don't you take rather a gloomy view of it all, Uncle?" I said, as
I looked at him curiously.

But to my great discomfiture he burs