of the kind he'll ever have at your hands,' continued Michel, 'and
yet he doesn't seem to be half grateful.' George stood with his
back to the kitchen fire, and did not say a word. It was impossible
for him even to appear to be pleasant when such things were being
said. Marie was a better hypocrite, and, though she said little,
was able to look as though she could sympathise with her uncle's
pleasant mirth. The two men had soon eaten their breakfast and were
gone, and then Marie was left alone with her thoughts. Would George
say anything to his father of what had passed up-stairs on the
previous evening?

The two men started, and when they were alone together, and as long
as Michel abstained from talking about Marie and her prospects,
George was able to converse freely with his father. When they left
the house the morning was just dawning, and the air was fresh and
sharp. 'We shall soon have the frost here now,' said Michel, 'and
then there will be no more grass for the cattle.'

'I suppose they can have them out on the low lands till the end of
November. They always used.'

'Yes; they can have them out; but having them out and having food
for them are different things. The people here have so much stock
now, that directly the growth is checked by the frost, the land
becomes almost bare. They forget the old saying--"Half stocking,
whole profits; whole stocking, half profits!" And then, too, I
think the winters are earlier here than they used to be. They'll
have to go back to the Swiss plan, I fancy, and carry the food to
the cattle in their houses. It may be old-fashioned, as they say;
but I doubt whether the fodder does not go farther so.' Then as