It was a fine though a windy and cold afternoon; the lights and shadows were driving across the broad upland and meadows.
"This is a fine arable country," remarked Mr. Carleton.
"Capital, sir,--capital, for many miles round, if we were not so far from a market. I was one of the first that broke ground in this township,--one of the very first settlers--I've seen the rough and the smooth of it, and I never had but one mind about it from the first. All this--as far as you can see--I cleared myself; most of it with my own hand."
"That recollection must attach you strongly to the place, I should think, sir."
"Hum--perhaps I cared too much for it," he replied, "for it is taken away from me. Well--it don't matter now."
"Is it not yours?"
"No sir!--it was mine, a great many years; but I was obliged to part with it, two years ago, to a scoundrel of a fellow--McGowan up here--he got an advantage over me. I can't take care of myself any more as I used to do, and I don't find that other people deal by me just as I could wish--"
He was silent for a moment and then went on,--
"Yes sir! when I first set myself down here, or a little further that way my first house was,--a pretty rough house, too,--there wa'n't two settlers beside within something like ten miles round.--I've seen the whole of it cleared, from the cutting of the first forest trees till this day."
"You have seen the nation itself spring up within that time," remarked his guest.