ss, than the greatest successes possible to commerce could ever
make it."

"You would very soon be tired of your dreamy idleness," answered his
sister, "and sigh for your office and your club."

"The country suits old people, who have played their part in life, and
made an end of it," said the Captain. "It suits my little girl here very
well, too," he added, with a fond glance at his companion; "she has her
birds and her flowers, and her books and music; and I don't think she
ever sighs for anything gayer than Lidford."

"Never, uncle George," said the girl, slipping her hand through his arm.
And Gilbert Fenton saw that those two were very fond of each other.

They came to the end of a shady winding lane at this moment, and Captain
Sedgewick and Miss Nowell wished Mrs. Lister and her brother
good-evening, and went away down the lane arm-in-arm.

"What a lovely girl she is!" said Gilbert, when they were gone.

"Lovely is rather a strong word, Gilbert," Mrs. Lister answered coldly;
"she is certainly pretty, but I hope you are not going to lose your heart
in that direction."

"There is no fear of that. A man may admire a girl's face without being
in any danger of losing his heart. But why not in that direction, Belle?
Is there any special objection to the lady?"

"Only that she is a nobody, without either money or position and I think
you ought to have both when you marry."

"Thanks for the implied compliment; but I do not fancy that an
Australian merchant can expect to secure a wife of very exalted
position; and I am the last man in the world to marry for money."

"I don't for a moment suppose you would marry any one you didn't like,
from mercenary considerations; but there is no reason you should make a
foolish match."

"Of course not. I think it very doubtful whether I shall ever marry at
all. I am just the kind of man to go down to my grave a bachelor."

"Why so, Gilbert?"

"Well, I can hardly tell you, my dear. Perhaps I am rather difficult to
please--just a little stony-hearted and invulnerable. I know that since I
was a boy, and got over my schoolboy love affairs, I have never seen the
woman who could touch my heart. I have met plenty of pretty women, and
plenty of brilliant women, of course, in society; and have admired them,
and there an end. I have never seen a woman whose face impressed me so
much at first sight as the face of your friend, Miss Nowell."

"I am very sorry for that."

"But why, B