WINTER QUARTERS 89 



berately looking for it ; and I obtained permission 

 to consider her offer for a day or so before making 

 a decision. Within three days Mr. and Mrs. 

 Millington paid us a flying visit early in the afternoon 

 when Hilaria and I were busy in the granary bagging 

 grain for Lai's load. The Millington girls were 

 pupils at the convent, and they had heard that I 

 had sought winter quarters there in vain. Mrs. 

 Millington kindly offered me a winter home in their 

 roomy house. Her husband, she explained, through 

 his office as Inspector of Fisheries to the Government, 

 was often away during the winter, the girls were at 

 their convent. She and her lady-help were much 

 alone. I should be entirely welcome, and she 

 thought I should find it quiet and very pleasant by 

 the lake shore. 



I gratefully accepted the offer and agreed to join 

 them two days after Hilaria left for England. It 

 would have been in that year, as in most years, 

 quite easy to find a caretaker, but my brother after 

 much conversation on the eternal drawback of the 

 situation announced his decision to stay himself 

 if he might borrow the horses in order that he might 

 fulfil his duties on his homestead in the spring. 

 Then he could claim his patent, sell his land, and 

 return to England. 



" Mind, I loathe life on the land as much as ever, 

 and I am certain you will live to share my opinion," 

 he repeated at frequent intervals. " But after the 

 slavery and discomfort I put in on my homestead I 

 may as well get anything I can out of it. And I have 

 a conscientious objection to confer benefit directly 

 or indirectly on the Canadian Government." 



The days flew by, exquisite days of brilliant 



