CHAPTER I.


"He that has light within his own clear breast,
May sit i' th' centre and enjoy bright day."
MILTON.


The farming plan succeeded beyond Fleda's hopes — thanks not
more to her wisdom than to the nice tact with which the wisdom
was brought into play. The one was eked out with Seth
Plumfield's; the other was all her own. Seth was indefatigably
kind and faithful. After his own day's work was done, he used
to walk down to see Fleda, go with her often to view the
particular field or work just then in question, and give her
the best counsel dictated by great sagacity and great
experience. It was given, too, with equal frankness and
intelligence, so that Fleda knew the steps she took, and could
maintain them against the. prejudice or the ignorance of her
subordinates. But Fleda's delicate handling stood her yet more
in stead than her strength. Earl Douglass was sometimes
unmanageable, and held out in favour of an old custom or a
prevailing opinion in spite of all the weight of testimony and
light of discovery that could be brought to bear upon him.
Fleda would let the thing go. But seizing her opportunity
another time, she would ask him to try the experiment on a
piece of the ground, so pleasantly and skilfully, that Earl