"I know Miss Louisa," he said. "She wants to be mistress. She wants to be obeyed. Would you like to cure her of that little absurdity?" "I should, certainly," quoth Silvester, not. quite certain that his father was not laughing at him. "It is easy enough," said the Squire. "Obey her. her own way. Let her in all things have Very soon will she discover that she has not strength enough to carry the responsibility. It is always best to let them find these things out for themselves. A man may be his own master, but a woman wants a personal master. they like to disobey. luxuries which women be happy." They like to obey; Those are the two demand in order to Silvester was for some time thoughtful and silent. At length he said: "Then you advise me to give in to Louisa on this point?" "Most assuredly, my dear boy. She is a wise little girl, notwithstanding her fancies, and she will soon find out the mistake she has made. Tell her she shall be mistress-make yourself her slave. Do everything of any kind she tells you. In à very few days—certainly less than a week-she will find out the trouble she has taken upon herself, and will ask you to resume mastery. Then you can punish her." "How?" asked Silvester. "I leave you to find a way," replied his father. "You know how I punish naughty children. As you are going to set up for yourself, and become paterfamilias, I must leave you to take your own method." "I am a little afraid of Louisa," said Silvester. "And I have no doubt Louisa is a little afraid of you." A day or two later, as the Squire was lounging through the village, having gone down to see what was the state of affairs which he always liked to know-he came sud denly across Miss Louisa herself, who blushed and nodded, and was going on. meeting was a meadow path. humorous always, said, The place of The Squire, "Come here, child. Are you afraid of father-in-law?" your Louisa, a clever girl, who instantly caught the tone of her interlocutor, curtseyed demurely, and stood still. "Do you know your catechism, child?" asked the Squire. 66 'Yes, sir," with a curtsey, as if she had been half her actual age. 66 Why were you born?” "To fall in love." Another curtsey. "What is your greatest virtue ?" “Loving Silvester.” "What is your worst fault?" "Loving Silvester." What is your name?" "Louisa Silchester." curtsey each time. There was a comic "You are a very nice little girl," said the Squire, and kissed her on the forehead. "You and Silvester can marry whenever you like. Are you in a hurry?" "Not at all," she said. "But I shall be glad to have a father as well as a husband. You will be my father, won't you, Mr. Silchester?" "Yes, Louisa, if you call me father. I want my boy to be happy, and I think that in making him so you can obtain happiness for yourself. You mean to make him obey, he tells me.' Louisa blushed, but was silent. "Herakles obeyed Omphale," said the Squire. "He did it for fear. No matter. Make Silvester obey. I have no doubt he will be a very good boy." "You are laughing at me," said Louisa. "It is a shame to be ironical with a poor little girl like me, who is only trying to be a little wiser than other girls, and to love more wisely. Silvester-I mean Mr. Silchester-is much better and wiser than I am; but men do such rash things without consulting their wives, and I have always thought that brings on much of the trouble of the world." "I suspect, my child," said the Squire gravely," that the trouble of the world began when man and woman were created. But you, I can see, are rather impressed by the doctrines of Miss Alethea Fretful, who is in chronic mutiny against the position of women.' "She is a very able thinker," said Louisa, "and I correspond with her." "You have read Gulliver's Travels, of course?" said the Squire, interrogatively abrupt. "Yes," she said, "aren't they very childish?" "Too deep for you, Louisa, without some instruction. But we won't argue now. You are my daughter from to-day. Come up to Silchester this afternoon, and stay to dinner if |