ing your mind; and cram your head full of
earth-currents, and equinoxes, and eclipses of the moon. But what does
it all come to? You can't do anything with it. Even if you could come
and tell me that a lime-burner in Jupiter has thrown his wig into the
fire, and so altered the spectrum, what's that to me? Then you have a
go at philanthropy--that's more practical; Sunday-school teaching,
mending children's clothes, doing for other people what they ought to
do for themselves, and generally cultivating pauperism. Then, lo and
behold! in the middle of all this there comes by a good-looking young
fellow; and phew! all your grand ideas are off like smoke; and it's all
"Dear Jack!" and "Dear Alfred!" and "I'll go to the ends of the earth
with my sodger laddie!" Oh, I know what life is. I see you girls
begin with all your fine ideas, and reading up, and earnestness----'

'I suppose, then, there is no such thing as the formation of
character,' said his eldest sister, calmly.

'The formation of character!' exclaimed Mr. Tom. 'Out of books? Why,
the only one among you who has any character worth mentioning is Nan.
Do you think she got it out of books? No, she didn't. She got it--she
got it----'

Here Mr. Tom paused for a second; but only to make a wilder dash.

'----out of the sunlight! There's a grand poetical idea for you. Nan
has been more in the open than any of you; and the sunlight has filled
her brain, and her mind, and her disposition altogether----'

'I presume that also accounts for the redness of her hair?' said Mrs.
Rupert.

Tom rose to his feet. There was an air of resignation on his face as
he left the room. He said, half to himself,

'Well, Nature was right in making me a man. I couldn't have mustered
up half enough spite to make a passable woman.'

Now, the end of the Madge and Jack episode was in this wise. On the
second application the Vice-Chancellor flatly refused to release the
young man from prison. His gross offence had not yet been purged. It
was quite true, his Lordship admitted, that the young lady and the
guardians and relatives on both sides were also sharing in this
punishment; and it was unfortunate. Moreover, arrangements had now
been made which seemed to render the marriage a perfectly eligible one,
if only it had been properly brought about. Nevertheless the Court
could not overlook the young man's conduct; in prison he was; and in
prison he must remain.

More tears