each! You speak as if Paris,--or Rome, if you will,--was in
Australia. And even in Australia one can hardly speak of people being
out of reach."

"If one wishes to overtake them," said Mr Enderby: "whereas, I can wait
very well for the Bruces till they come home again. Now, no more,
sister! I cannot stand and hear the young ladies of my acquaintance
catalogued as a speculation for my advantage. I could not look them in
the face again after having permitted it."

"There is somebody in the schoolroom, I declare!" cried the lady, as if
astonished. And she stood looking from afar at the summer-house, in
which three heads were distinctly visible.

"Were you not aware of that before? Did you suppose I was asleep there,
or writing poetry all alone, or what? The Miss Ibbotsons are there, and
Miss Young."

"You remind me," said the lady, "of something that I declared to Mr
Rowland that I would speak to you about. My dear brother, you should
have some compassion on the young ladies you fall in with."

"I thought your great anxiety just now was that the young ladies should
have compassion upon me."

"One, Philip; the right one. But you really have no mercy. You are too
modest to be aware of the mischief you may be doing. But let me entreat
you not to turn the head of a girl whom you cannot possibly think
seriously of."

"Whom do you mean?"

"You may be making even more mischief than flattering the poor girl with
vain hopes. If you once let it get into the heads of the Greys that any
one belonging to us could think of marrying into their connection, you
do not know the trouble you will impose upon Mr Rowland and me."

"Does Rowland say so?"

"Does he say so? one would think--Dear me! brother, there is nothing one
might not think from your manner. You terrify me."

"Have you a pocket-mirror about you?" asked Philip. "I should like to
see what this terrible manner of mine is like."

"Now, pray, no joking, Philip. I declare my nerves will not bear it.
But I tell you what, Philip: if you let your old admiration of beauty
carry you away, and make you forget yourself so far as to dream of
marrying into that connection, you will repent it as long as you live.
I shall never forgive you; and you will kill our poor dear mother."

"I will ask her whether she thinks so," said Philip, "and I give you my
word of honour that I will not kill my mother."

"Girls seem to think that beauty is everything," continued th