ll her: I must wish her joy, and then I will tell her. And,
Mr. Brandon, will you be good enough to stay in the house as much as
you can till Stanley comes down from Wiriwilta, and then you will be
able to send Mrs. Peck away, for I am too frightened of her to do it
myself. I'll go and speak to Alice now."

"Do; and send her in to speak to me, for I have got some business of
hers that I must attend to, and I must have some directions from her."

"Business!" said Mrs. Phillips, incredulously; "I dare say you have got
plenty to say to her, but I don't think as it's business."

At the sight of Alice, Mrs. Phillips's tears burst forth afresh, and
for the second time in her life (the first was on the occasion of Eva's
death, when she had felt Alice so very kind), she threw her arms round
one of her own sex for sympathy and consolation.

"My dear Alice, forgive me--I could not help it, I was so frightened.
You must not tell anybody, not even your sister, about it; but that
woman is my own mother, and I could not get her to go away. I did not
like your being so much with her, but I could not help it, for she
would do it. Do forgive me."

"Certainly, I forgive you from my heart," said Elsie.

"And Mr. Brandon has told me all about you and him, and I really wish
you joy. You are going to have a good husband--not so good a one as
mine, but still a very good one."

"Thank you, Mrs. Phillips. I hope to be able to make him happy--at
least I will try my very best to do so." said Elsie.

"And you must make allowances for me, for you can see how I was brought
up. I know I have been very often cross with you, but you must forgive
all these old things; and I suppose it had better be before we leave
Melbourne. We must write for Emily to come down, for she will want to
be bridesmaid, and Mr. Brandon says she shall, and we must set to get
your things all in a hurry."

"There's time enough to talk of all these matters," said Elsie. "I have
scarcely begun to believe that I am engaged yet."

"Oh, but Mr. Brandon wants to speak to you on business, and what other
business can there be? So go into the drawing-room, and he will perhaps
show you that there is some need to think of these things."

But Mr. Brandon did not bewilder Elsie with asking her to fix any time,
though he was determined to be married before going out of town, if
possible; but he had to get from her extracts from her uncle's will,
which she recollected nearly word f