" said he laughing. "Well, then I thought you might be one of
those young ladies the fairy-stories tell of, who set out over the world
to seek their fortune. That might hold, you know, a little provision to
last for a day or two till you found it."

"No," said Fleda,--"I should never go to seek my fortune."

"Why not, pray."

"I don't think I should find it any the sooner."

Mr. Carleton looked at her and could not make up his mind! whether or not
she spoke wittingly.

"Well, but after all are we not seeking our fortune?" said he. "We
are doing something very like it. Now up here on the mountain top
perhaps we shall find only empty trees--perhaps trees with a harvest
of nuts on them."

"Yes, but that wouldn't be like finding a fortune," said Fleda;--"if we
were to come to a great heap of nuts all picked out ready for us to carry
away, _that_ would be a fortune; but now if we find the trees full we have
got to knock them down and gather them up and shuck them."

"Make