ny one good
enough for Miss Forrester, but I cannot."

"Mr. Sinclair cannot comprehend my going off before Mary. He says, if
he does not hear news of her in two years' time, he must come to
Australia for her himself," said Grace.

"There is likely to be another wedding ere long, at Wiriwilta,
however," said Brandon.

"Emily," said Peggy, "Grace was getting word of it from her sister.
She's young yet."

"So she is, and so is Edgar; but it is a settled thing. A year's
engagement--or something of that sort. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips have
consented very handsomely, but Mrs. Grant thinks that, with Emily's
beauty and education (for Miss Forrester has certainly brought her on
wonderfully), she should make a better marriage."

"But, for my part, Frank," said Brandon, addressing his brother-in-law.
"I do like to see young people falling in love in this natural way, and
willing to begin life not just as their fathers leave off. I talked to
Emily like a father, and told her what she could expect until they
worked for it; and she gave me a kiss, and said that she knew quite
well that she could not have everything just as it was at Wiriwilta,
but if there was twice as much to give up she would do it; for, as she
said very charmingly, 'I am very fond of Edgar, and Edgar is very fond
of me.' To see people beginning life in a love-marriage so young as the
happy pair in company, or even younger, as in the case of Edgar and
Emily, is very refreshing to old fogies like you and me, Frank, who
began our married life a good deal on the wrong side of thirty, and
whose eldest children look out for white hairs in our heads. The only
consolation I have for not being happy younger is, that if I had
married before I should have married some one else, and that would
never have done. Elsie might have taken me a year before she did,
however. I have never quite forgiven her."

"And the young people are very fond of each other," said Peggy. "All
very right, but I don't like to see them make too much fuss. Tom and
Grace are very ridiculous whiles."

"Well, I must say I like to see it," said Brandon. "I quite enjoy
seeing Emily stealing out with Edgar in the gloaming, and meeting him
in the hall when she hears his knock, and getting into corners with
him. Harriett, who has some notion what the thing means, has patience
with it, but Constance, who is younger, despises all this philandering.
I said to her the other day, when she was expressing her di