der over them at your leisure at our own
fireside."

To which Maria replied:--"I think, my dear Horace, you are
quite right not to hurry home. As you say, we are both young,
and have life before us; and do not trouble yourself about me,
for as long as I hear that you are well and happy, I can and
ought to desire nothing further. The idea of coming out to you
made me shiver indeed; you will say I am very unenterprising,
but I don't think I should ever care about leaving England;
one is so happy here, what more can one desire? What can I
tell you in return for your long letter? Georgie will have
given you all the village news, no doubt; has she told you
that we have a new curate--Mr. Morris? He preached last Sunday,
and is a great improvement on Mr. Saunders, who was the
dullest man I ever heard. The school gets on nicely; I have
two more pupils, and receive many compliments, I assure you,
on the way in which I manage my class. I sometimes wonder if
it could not be arranged some day, that you should enter into
partnership with Dr. Vavasour, who is growing old, and gets
tired with his day's work? I often think of this, and of how
pleasant it would be, but, as you may suppose, have never even
hinted at it to your sister. Is it such a very wild castle in
the air? It is a very pleasant one, and I sometimes sit and
think it all over. We should never have to leave Ashurst then;
there is a pretty little house lately built at the end of the
village, which would just suit us, I think; you could write
your book, and when it was done, read it to me, as you know I
do not much care about reading. You should smoke your pipe as
much as you please, and I would sit and work, for there is
nothing I like doing better, and I should find it very
uncomfortable to sit with my hands before me. Do you think I
mean to grow idle in my old age? No, not if we have a hundred
thousand a-year, for I am sure there must be always something
for every one to do," and so on; a little moral sentiment
closed the letter.

When Graham received it, he read it over twice, and sighed a
little as he folded it up, and put it away. He was relieved
that Maria should take such a calm view of the subject, for he
had felt his own letter to be somewhat egotistical, and yet--
well, right or wrong, he could not help it; he _could_ not give
up his travels and researches just then. The spirit of
adventure was upon him, driving him, as it has driven many a
man before, fu