Rhoda could not go back to the house.
It chanced that the farmer that morning had been smitten with the virtue of his wife's opinion of Robert, and her parting recommendation concerning him.
"Have you a mind to either one of my two girls ?" he put the question bluntly, finding himself alone with Robert.
Robert took a quick breath, and replied, "I have." "Then make your choice," said the farmer, and tried to go about his business, but hung near Robert in the fields till he had asked: "Which one is it, my boy ?" Robert turned a blade of wheat in his mouth.
"I think I shall leave her to tell that," was his answer.
"Why, don't ye know which one you prefer to choose, man ?" quoth Mr.
Fleming.
"I mayn't know whether she prefers to choose me," said Robert.
The farmer smiled.
"You never can exactly reckon about them; that's true." He was led to think: "Dahlia's the lass;" seeing that Robert had not had many opportunities of speaking with her.
"When my girls are wives, they'll do their work in the house," he pursued.

"They may have a little bit o' property in land, ye know, and they may have a share in--in gold.

That's not to be reckoned on.

We're an old family, Robert, and I suppose we've our pride somewhere down.
Anyhow, you can't look on my girls and not own they're superior girls.
I've no notion of forcing them to clean, and dish up, and do dairying, if it's not to their turn.

They're handy with th' needle.