ts own department. But, Miss Phillips, if you really want to
go to Wiriwilta, I can drive you up--or, better still, you could ride.
You are an admirable horsewoman, as I know, and I have an excellent
horse in town that would carry you easily that distance without
fatiguing you. It would be a beautiful ride. You would see the country
so well as you go along."

"I should like to go, of all things," said Harriett; "but what would
Stanley say?"

"Oh, I will tell him it was quite unnecessary for you to stay with Mrs.
Phillips, and it will be the easier for his horses to bring up the rest
of them, if you have gone before," said Grant.

"Well, I am really tired of Melbourne; I think I have seen all that is
to be seen, and I dare say there are some preparations and arrangements
I could make before Mrs. Phillips comes up, so as to make her more
comfortable, though I dare say Miss Melville has done her best. Still,
there are things that one of the family can do which strangers cannot
be expected to attend to."

"Certainly," said Dr. Grant; "I can imagine your presence at Wiriwilta
will make things more comfortable for all parties."

"And, by-the-by, Emily and Harriett will be neglecting their music, and
I engaged to see to that so long as I remained in Victoria, as Miss
Melville knows no music."

"No music!" said Dr. Grant; "that is a singular sort of governess to
engage for young ladies up the country."

"She is wonderfully clever about other things, and brings on the
children very nicely. When I compare them with the girls of their own
age whom I have seen in Melbourne, I cannot help congratulating my
brother on having brought out a governess with him. It would have been
better, of course, if she had been English, but Miss Melville is not
painfully Scotch."

"I hope you have no dislike to Scotch people," said Grant. "I myself
glory in my country."

"Oh, I quite understand your feelings. If I had been born in Scotland,
I should have felt the same, I dare say," said Harriett.

"But, with regard to this drive or ride to Wiriwilta?" said Grant.

"How long should we be on the road?" asked Harriett.

"Two days, I think. We would stay all night at Mrs. Ballantyne's, a
very old friend of mine, and an acquaintance of your brother.
Ballantyne and I were fellow-passengers when we first came out. They
will receive you with bush hospitality. I should like to introduce you
to Scotch bush hospitality, and it is a pretty place,