"There might have been a big battle;" and the mother shuddered. "Oh, grandad will be as glad as the rest of us presently that we have a country. Now we can begin to live." It was all very strange to her small mind. The sun was making rivulets through the snow, and the great white unbroken sheets sparkled with iridescent lights. Out beyond there was the Fort; she could see figures moving to and fro. Everything seemed so strange to her. And a country of one's own! Would the farms be larger, and, if England was beaten, what would become of it? Would they, our people, go over and take what they wanted? Would they drive the people away as they did the Indians? She was tired of so much thinking. She went over to grandfather, and seated herself on the arm of the chair. She did not want Norry's fairy stories. Leaning her head down on the dear old shoulder, she said, "Tell me about a great King, who beat the English." "Are you going mad about the English?" her mother asked laughingly. "We shall all be friends again. Quarrels are made up. And so many of us came from England." "We didn't," returned Dilly decisively. "Well--on the one side Scotch and Irish." "And on the other French, pure French, until your mother married a Bradin, and you----" "And Marc Bradin has been a good husband to me," said his wife, looking up from her preparations. Truly, he had, and a kind son to him as well, though he had not been in favor of the marriage at first. The story was about the grand old times in France. He never told of the religious persecutions to the little girl. He had a soft winsome sort of voice, and often lapsed into French idioms, but she was always charmed with it, even if she could not understand all he said. Presently she went fast asleep. Then the darkness began to fall. The candles were lighted, and that roused both sleepers. There was a savory smell of supper, even Judy went around sniffing. "We won't wait any longer," gran'mere said, with a little impatience. She had been cooking some messes that she remembered her son-in-law was very fond of, and she was disappointed that he was not here to enjoy it. After that grandfather went to bed. Dilly was wide awake and held her cat, telling her a wonderful tale of a beautiful woman who had been turned into a cat by an ugly witch, and all the adventures she could remember. Judy purred very loudly now and then. "Don't you want to go to bed?" asked Mrs. Carrick. "Oh, I'm not a bit sleepy." Then, after a pause, "Will father stay at grandad's?" "Oh, no. He is with the men at the Fort." "But grandad took him away." "Oh, they all want to see him." "Doesn't he belong to us?" "Yes, dear. But they always make a time when one comes home from the war."