end here. Turning his back upon Roland he said:

'Mr. Ham and I have been discussing the Marsh, and he thinks that I
had better go on with the drainage.'

'It will bring in two years all the money expended in reclaiming
it,' put in Mr. Ham. 'Don't you think so, Aster?'

'I don't know, Mr. Ham; I really know very little about such
matters.' At this juncture Roland's temper was asserting itself under
the slight by the rude parent; so he stepped in among the trio, and
looking the girl in the face, said:

'You are quite right, Aster, not to bother your head about bogs and
swamps. Let the men attend to all that.' The father was simply
amazed; and drawing himself up to his full height he frowned upon the
young man. He said nothing, however, and to break the embarrassing
silence Aster chimed in:

'I suppose that the city girls of your acquaintance never meddle in
such matters; but the truth is, papa always consults me about these
things.'

'In the city,' retorted her father, stiffly, 'young women have other
concerns; but a girl who is to become a farmer's wife should make the
management of stock and the tillage of the soil serious subjects of
study.'

'Most certainly,' replied Roland; 'if a girl _is_ to become the
wife of a husbandman the farm should be her great concern. But I was