here.
I am tired of this great London, with its smoke and its noise."

Mr. Phillips was not a man to disregard a sick child's longing at any
time; and when his brother said that, though he would regret the
departure of the family from England, her native air was probably the
very best she could have, and the long voyage in a good ship would
benefit all the children, he turned his thoughts towards Australia, as
he could not have believed possible three months before. The accounts
he received from Dr. Grant as to his affairs were satisfactory enough,
but the returns were not at all what he had expected; and he found that
his London establishment was very costly. He might return to England in
a few years, but the children were so young they might go on with Miss
Melville very well at Wiriwilta for some time. A very fine ship was on
the berth; Mr. Dempster was going in it, and several other
acquaintances; so that, though he would have preferred waiting for
Brandon's report of how things were going on, he decided on leaving
England before the season was so far advanced, on Emily's account.

Mrs. Phillips was in consternation at hearing her husband say he was
really going to return.

"I thought you was never going back to Australia again, Stanley. You
promised me you would not. What will you do about the children's
education?"

"We will take Miss Melville with us, and I have no fear but that they
will all do very well. Their music, certainly, is not provided for; but
something may turn up for that. Our first business is to get them into
good health."

"But Miss Melville will never go without Alice," said Mrs. Phillips.

"Probably not; but we can take Alice, too."

"I thought you said we was spending too much money, and that we must
retrench," said Mrs. Phillips.

"Our children's education is the last thing I should think of
retrenching on," answered her husband. "I have heard you say that Alice
saves her salary in your milliners' bills. I have scarcely seen that
proved, however, Lily; but Miss Melville saves me two hundred a
year--that is clear enough, in black and white. It would be false
economy to grudge her salary. Besides, Emily would be broken-hearted to
part with Alice, so that I will offer to take both sisters with us, if
they will come."

"We don't need such a housekeeper as Miss Melville at Wiriwilta. The
house used to keep itself," said Mrs. Phillips.

"I know I had more trouble with it than was pleasa