Upon this I cast about on my side, and asked, at a venture, if I had chosen a convenient time for my visit The young farmer's stolid brown face instantly brightened.
I had evidently hit, hap-hazard, on an interesting subject.
"You couldn't have chosen a better time," he said.

"Our house has never been so cheerful as it is now." "Have you any visitors staying with you ?" "It's not exactly a visitor.

It's a new member of the family who has come to live with us." "A new member of the family! May I ask who it is ?" Ambrose Meadowcroft considered before he replied; touched his horse with the whip; looked at me with a certain sheepish hesitation; and suddenly burst out with the truth, in the plainest possible words: "It's just the nicest girl, sir, you ever saw in your life." "Ay, ay! A friend of your sister's, I suppose ?" "A friend?
Bless your heart! it's our little American cousin, Naomi Colebrook." I vaguely remembered that a younger sister of Mr.Meadowcroft's had married an American merchant in the remote past, and had died many years since, leaving an only child.

I was now further informed that the father also was dead.

In his last moments he had committed his helpless daughter to the compassionate care of his wife's relations at Morwick.
"He was always a speculating man," Ambrose went on.