’If you do,’ said Miss Carry flippantly, ’mind you don’t eat any of our pork. Pappa dear, do you know why a wise man doesn’t eat pork in Illinois? Don’t you know? It is because there is a trichinosis worth two of that.’ Ronald laughed; but her father was too busy to attend to such idiotcy. ’Even if you would rather remain in the old country,’ he continued, ’and enjoy an out-of-door life, why should you not make use of what you already know? I have heard you talk about the draining of soil, and planting of trees, and so on: well, look here now. I have been inquiring into that matter; and I find that the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland grants certificates for proficiency in the theory and practice of forestry. Why shouldn’t you try to gain one of those certificates; and then apply for the post of land-steward? I’ll bet you could manage an estate as well as most of them who are at it—especially one of those Highland sporting estates. And then you would become a person of importance; and not be at any lordship’s beck and call; you would have an opportunity of beginning to make a fortune, if not of making one at once; and if you wanted to marry, there would be a substantial future for you to look to.’ ’And then you would come over and see us at Chicago,’ said Miss Carry. ’We live on North Park Avenue; and you would not feel lonely for want of a lake to look at—we’ve a pretty big one there.’ ’But the first step—about the certificate?’ said Ronald doubtfully—though, indeed, the interest that these two kindly people showed in him was very delightful, and he was abundantly grateful, and perhaps also a trifle bewildered by these ambitious and seductive dreams. ’Well, I should judge that would be easy enough,’ continued Mr. Hodson, again referring to his note-book in that methodical, slow-mannered way of his. ’You would have to go to Edinburgh or Glasgow, and attend some classes, I should imagine, for they want you to know something of surveying and geology and chemistry and botany. Some of these you could read up here—for you have plenty of leisure, and the subjects are just at your hand. I don’t see any difficulty about that. I suppose you have saved something now, that you could maintain yourself when you were at the classes?’ ’I could manage for a while,’ was the modest answer. ’I have myself several times thought of buying an estate in the Highlands,’ Mr. Hodson continued, ’if I found that I have not forgotten altogether how to handle a gun; and if I did so, I would give you the management right off. But it would not do for you to risk such a chance; what you want is to qualify yourself, so that you can take your stand on your own capacity, and demand the market value for it.’