AND THE WILDERNESS BLOSSOMED 



" Well, I should suppose," said the Squire, 

 " that they would feel more comfortable if they 

 were allowed to bear a part of the expense of 

 keeping up the house." 



" I hardly know about that. Squire," I said 

 with a smUe. " I 've had guests elsewhere, and 

 they never seemed troubled from that cause." 



Our first dinner-party was given one day at 

 high noon, to some of our acquaintances at the 

 Insley Lake House, and the Squire was an ap- 

 preciative guest. As he mounted the steps of 

 the hotel on his return, one of the villagers re- 

 marked to the old man : " Rather a windy day for 

 ye to be out, Squire. Ye hain't ketched cold, 

 hev ye ? " 



" No," said the Squire, drawing himself up to 

 his full height ; " I have been dining, at the 

 Island, and the flushed appearance of my face, 

 comes from the wine, we had at dinner." 



That dinner-party was evidently quite an event 

 in the old man's life, and he talked it all over 

 afterwards with one of the ladies who had been 

 present. 



" I got that letter, inviting me to the dinner, 

 and at first I thought it was from Mr. Dexter, 

 but I found out afterwards, it was from Mrs. 



48 



