and producing such a sudden agitation of the water, that you would find difficult to manage." your boat very "Well, papa," said Evelyn, "I will not attempt to row by myself, though, as Gerald says, it is disagreeable to be dependent on boatmen.”

66 Not more so, I should think, than on servants and horses for a drive," said Mr. Desmond. "Just fancy your love of independence leading you into the stable to harness your horses, and then perhaps to ride postilion when you wish to make a little excursion."

The thought was so droll, it was irresistible; Gerald's laugh was loud and long; and Evelyn, though at first hesitating between injured dignity and the diversion she felt at the idea, gradually yielded to the latter, and joined in the laugh.

"At all events," said Mrs. Desmond, "we can walk where and when we please; here, at least, we are independent of footmen to attend us, and I shall very much enjoy a walk to Evelyn's school to-morrow."

CHAPTER XXXVI.

The Plantation - Liberty in Switzerland

Schoolhouse-Faults in the

Work Evelyn vexed and silent - Evelyn's Application to Mr.
Plunket The Garden Determination of Character.

THE next morning was favourable, and the whole party prepared to walk early.

"And now for the garden," said Mabel.

"Of course you have not begun any of your projected improvements in it?" said Mrs. Desmond.

"Ah! my poor garden!" said Evelyn, colouring. "It is better not to inquire about it."

"Come, then, let us go to the school-house," said Mrs. Desmond, "and we will not think of the garden now."

Mrs. Desmond was delighted with the pretty fields through which their path lay, and with the rich beauty of the trees in the groves and hedgerows. When they reached the schoolhouse they found that the workmen had retired for their hour of rest, and Mr. Desmond examined the building without interruption. His quick eye ran rapidly over the masonry of the walls, the course of the flues, the pitch of the roof, and quality of the slates. He approved of the execution in general, but, on walking round the house to see how the drains were carried off, he exclaimed, "Heyday! what is all this?" for he could not repress his astonishment on perceiving the new plantation which Evelyn had lately made, and the miserable plight of which, notwithstanding the oceans of water poured about the trees and shrubs by her indefatigable gardener, was but too apparent in the hanging leaves of the evergreens and the yellow tips of the little fir-trees. Evelyn felt the double mortification of having at once failed in her object, and having proved to her father her ignorance and impatience. Mr. Desmond allowed that her new plantation was prettily

situated; but added, "I am surprised that neither the gardener nor steward should have informed you of the proper time for transplanting trees."

Evelyn's eyes had, in pure vexation, been turned away from the trees; but now, hastily raising them to her father, and looking at him with an open though distressed countenance, she exclaimed, "Oh, do not blame them or any one but me. I was told it was much too early. Mrs. Manvers and every one wished to prevent me; but I was so anxious to finish all, that I did not mind them;—and—and,” looking down as she added the last words-"I fear too proud to be taught or

even advised."

"If you have learnt that, dear Evelyn, by this plantation, we may rather rejoice at the sacrifice of a few trees, instead of lamenting them ;-provided always that those penitent impressions continue."

"Yes, papa, I must try to hope they may; but I have to acknowledge that this is not the only folly I have committed lately."

"Well, well; it will be time enough to talk of your other little follies when we discover them. You know it is one of the good laws of Great Britain, and happily of Ireland too, that the culprit need not criminate himself."

"But, after all," said Gerald, "why should not these foolish little trees grow now as well as a month hence?"

66

Possibly some of them may live," replied Mr. Desmond; "but experience teaches us that trees should not be disturbed till the sap has subsided and till the summer-shoots have become firm, by which time the buds for the succeeding year have been formed. The ascending sap in the following spring will then be equal to the quantity requisite for the growth of the tree; but if this operation of nature is checked by a too early removal of the tree before the provision for its vegetation had been made, the fibres of the roots will have no power to convey the necessary nourishment."

"But dear papa," said Mabel, "Evelyn has only taken the liberty of trying a fair experiment with her own trees, as there are no such laws in this country as there are, mamma told me, in some parts of Switzerland, where people must not

do as they please with their own vineyards: they must not begin even their own vintage till everybody else is ready to begin: they must not kill a calf or a turkey without permission; and I suppose, if poor Evelyn lived there, she could not transplant her trees without consulting the authorities."

"And that is called a free country!" cried Gerald. “ Why, we have much more freedom here, where my house is my castle, and I may do as I will with my own."

"But, Gerald, you have no house of your own; how can you say it is your castle?"

66

Nonsense, Mabel! how precise you are! I do not mean mine in particular, but that all men here have that privilege, and therefore I consider that some day it will be mine." "Come, then, Gerald," said Mr. Desmond, you shall now have the privilege of opening this door for your sister, that we may see her school-house within as well as without; I feel particularly interested about it, as she planned it all herself."

"And drew the plan for it herself," said Mabel.

"And how much more interested must Evelyn herself be!" said Mrs. Desmond. "Whatever has exercised our understanding and involved our voluntary labour becomes a favourite object, even though we may not always succeed to the extent of our ambition. So this little building, we may take for granted, is a favourite object with her, as she conceived the plan, and persevered in drawing and arranging it till she had conquered all her difficulties."

"Why, Mabel never finds any difficulty in drawing a plan, nor do I," said Gerald.

"You both were early taught that art; Evelyn was not: but she applied her understanding to the task, mastered the difficulties, and succeeded. And hereafter, when she gives rewards for industry at this school, she may well recollect the pleasure she had felt in her own successful industry."

The school-room and the adjoining apartments were then examined, and on the whole approved. All the mason-work seemed well and honestly done; but Mr. Desmond found numerous faults in the carpenter's work, which Evelyn had not perceived. How could she?-for she did not understand the

matter at all, though she had gone so continually to look at the progress of the work. The self-sufficient are more deeply mortified than the modest when their ignorance or their mistakes are discovered; and Evelyn, who had never doubted that she could see as well as anybody else if carpenter's work was neatly finished, was not only humbled but vexed by the justice of her father's remarks, and by the detection of her ignorance-she felt angry with the carpenter for his misconduct, and piqued with her father for having shown how little she understood of the business she had undertaken. "And Mrs. Manvers, too! with all her pretended knowledge, why had she not pointed out all these faults?" Evelyn said to herself. On leaving the school-house she took another way home, but not by the widow Green's house, as she had intended.

"I thought you meant to show the widow Green's cottage to your father," said Mrs. Manvers in a low voice to Evelyn. "No, I have changed my mind; not to-day."

"But as it is so near, would it not be wise to let him see what the workmen have been doing there?"

"No, not now," replied Evelyn in a voice that betrayed the soreness of her feelings. "I suppose that, too, is all wrong. I wonder that nobody else could see the bad work of that odious carpenter. I wonder that you

Here Evelyn was interrupted by Mrs. Desmond, who said they were all ready to go, if she was. "Quite ready, indeed," said she, and led the way in silence through different paths and fields from those they had passed through.

"What a pretty view!" exclaimed one.

"How nice those distant white cottages look under the tall trees!" said another.

"The cabins," said Mr. Desmond, "about here have improved so much in their appearance, and look so much more comfortable, that I think they may now be fairly dignified with the appellation of cottages. I suppose this is all your doing, Evelyn ?"

Evelyn made no reply: her mind had not yet recovered from the humiliating effects of Mr. Desmond's remarks, and she was also struck with the consciousness of injustice to Mrs.