a fresh supply of butter; "but don't let him know I have been
to see you, or he'll tell you all sorts of evil things about
me, for fear you should innocently be contaminated. Don't you
like to be taken care of?"

"Very much," said Fleda, smiling, "by people that know how."

"I can't bear it!" said Constance, apparently with great
sincerity; "I think it is the most impertinent thing in the
world people can do; I can't endure it, except from — ! Oh, my
dear Fleda, it is perfect luxury to have him put a shawl round
your shoulders!"

"Fleda," said Earl Douglass, putting his head in from the
kitchen, and before he said any more, bobbing it frankly at
Miss Evelyn, half in acknowledgment of her presence, and half,
as it seemed, in apology for his own; "Fleda, will you let
Barby pack up somethin' 'nother for the men's lunch? — my wife
would ha' done it, as she had ought to, if she wa'n't down
with the teethache, and Catherine's away on a jig to Kenton,
and the men wont do so much work on nothin', and I can't say
nothin' to 'em if they don't; and I'd like to get that 'ere
clover-field down afore night: it's goin' to be a fine spell
o' weather. I was a-goin' to try to get along without it, but
I believe we can't."

"Very well," said Fleda. "But, Mr. Douglass, you'll try the
experiment of curing it in cocks?"

"Well, I don't know," said Earl, in a tone of very