in some agencies there; but I doubt," said Mrs. Evelyn,
shaking her head, compassionately, "there is more in the name
of it than anything else. He has gone down hill sadly since
his misfortunes. I am very sorry for them."

"And his niece takes care of his farm in the meantime?"

"Do you know her?" asked both the Miss Evelyns again.

"I can hardly say that," he replied. "I had such a pleasure
formerly. Do I understand that she is the person to fill Mr.
Rossitur's place when he is away?"

"So she says."

"And so she acts," said Constance. "I wish you had heard her
yesterday. It was beyond everything. We were conversing very
amicably, regarding each other through a friendly vista formed
by the sugar-bowl and tea-pot, when a horrid man, that looked
as if he had slept all his life in a haycock, and only waked
up to turn it over, stuck his head in, and immediately
introduced a clover-field; and Fleda and he went to tumbling
about the cocks till, I do assure you, I was deluded into a
momentary belief that hay-making was the principal end of
human nature, and looked upon myself as a burden to society;
and after I had recovered my locality, and ventured upon a
sentence of gentle commiseration for her sufferings, Fleda
went off into a eulogium upon the intelligence of hay-makers
in general, and the strength of mind barbarians are
universally known to possess."