"'Tell Beever he can stay on as overseer as long as you please; so he must look out and please you. Tell him I don't know anything about the relative merits of Durham or Alderney breeds of cattle, or Southdown sheep, or anything of that sort. I took my degree at a naval academy, not at an agricultural college. So you just buy what stock you like best, and if you don't know any better than I do, ask your father. He does.' "That's the sort of love letters Le writes to you, my dear! A letter that he might have written to his attorney or to his overseer!" "And yet, showing in every line, in every word, his constant consideration for me, his wish to defer everything to me," sighed Odalite. "Showing the carelessness of the sailor, rather than the devotion of the lover! But look you here, my little girl! How is this? Grieving--actually grieving for Le, while you are loving and engaging to marry Anglesea? I do not understand it!" "Oh, papa! It is only that I wish to be just to Le! And I wish you to be just to him. However you may blame my fickleness, do not blame him; he has not changed!" "Tut, tut, my dear! Young naval officers sailing all over the world, seeing all sorts of beautiful and attractive women of all races and nations, do not break their hearts about little, childish sweethearts left in their country homes, and whom they have not seen for years! Midshipman Leonidas Force, if he aspires to marry one of my daughters, must put up with the second Miss Force! Ay, and must wait until she is of suitable age! Now let us talk about the wedding! The colonel--he is something like a lover!--wants it to come off as soon as may be, before Christmas, if possible! What do you say, my dear?" inquired the squire, just to divert his daughter's mind from what he considered a morbid and painful compassion for the discarded lover's wrongs. "It shall be just as my mother pleases, sir! I should like to leave everything to her," replied Odalite. "That is quite right. The mother is the proper one, of course. Well, talk to her, my precious, and whatever arrangements you two agree upon I shall indorse. It seems to be clouding up. I should not wonder if we were to have snow before night. Shall we turn homeward?" "Yes, if you please, papa." "Oh! look at those wild turkeys! What a splendid chance for a shot, if I only had my fowling piece. Strange that I only have such chances when I have no gun--and consequently no chance at all!" laughed the squire, as they turned to go up the hill. They reached the house just as the first fine flakes of snow began to fall. "It will be a white Christmas, with fine sleighing, after all, perhaps," said the squire, cheerily, as they entered the house.