He smiled and thanked her.

“‘Tisn’t much thanks,” she said; meaning thanks’ worth.  “It is I who have to thank you.”

For she felt that she could not send any money to the boy who had taken care of her horse.

The family party gathered that night round the supper-table with a feeling of relief upon several of them.  Mr. Landholm’s face looked satisfied, as of a man who had got a difficult job well over; Mrs. Landholm’s took time to be tired; Winthrop’s was as usual, though remembering with some comfort that there would not be so many wantings of fish, nor so many calls upon his strength of arm for boat exercise.  Rufus was serious and thoughtful; the children disposed to be congratulatory.

“It’s good I can sit somewhere but on the corner,” said Asahel, —­ “and be by ourselves.”

“It’s good I can have my old place again,” said Winifred, “and sit by Governor.”

Her brother rewarded her by drawing up her chair and drawing it closer.

“I am glad they are gone, for your sake, mamma,” he said.

“Well, we haven’t made a bad summer of it,” said Mr. Landholm.

His wife thought in her secret soul it had been a busy one.  Winthrop thought it had been a barren one.  Rufus —­ was not ready to say quite that.

“Not a bad summer,” repeated Mr. Landholm.  “The next thing is to see what we will do with the winter.”

“Or what the winter will do with us,” said Rufus after a moment.

“If you like it so,” said his father; “but I prefer the other mode of putting it.  I’d keep the upper hand of time always; —­ I speak it reverently.”

Winthrop thought how completely the summer had got the better of him.

“My friend Haye is a good fellow —­ a good fellow.  I like him.  He and I were always together in the legislature.  He’s a sensible man.”

“He is a gentleman,” said Rufus.

“Ay —­ Well, he has money enough to be.  That don’t always do it, though.  A man and his coat aren’t always off the same piece.  Those are nice girls of his, too; —­ pretty girls.  That Rose is a pretty creature! —­ I don’t know but I like t’other one as well in the long run though, —­ come to know her.”

“I do —­ better,” said Mrs. Landholm.  “There is good in her.”

“A sound stock, only grown a little too rank,” said Winthrop.

“Yes, that’s it.  She’s a little overtopping.  Well, there will come a drought by and by that will cure that.”

“Why sir?” said Rufus.

“The odds are that way,” said his father. “’Taint a stand-still world, this; what’s up to-day is down to-morrow.  Mr. Haye may hold his own, though; and I am sure I hope he will —­ for his sake and her sake, both.”

“He is a good business man, isn’t he, sir?”

“There aint a better business man, I’ll engage, than he is, in the whole city of Mannahatta; and that numbers now, —­ sixty odd thousand, by the last census.  He knows how to take care of himself, as well as any man I ever saw.”