bt poor Fred encouraged her in it, because he felt he was obliged to
my family, and always gave in to her; but now I have somebody to stand
by me," added Susan, fanning still more violently, and with a sound in
her voice which betrayed a possibility of tears--"now I have somebody to
stand by me--I tell you once for all, Nettie, I will not go on the
24th."

Nettie gazed at her sister in silence without attempting to say anything.
Then she lifted her eyes inquiringly to the Australian, in his uneasy
spectator position before the fire. She was not much discomposed,
evidently, by that sudden assertion of will--possibly Nettie was used to
it--but she looked curious and roused, and rather eager to know what was
it now?

"I will not go on the 24th," cried Mrs Fred, with a hysterical toss of
her head. "I will not be treated like a child, and told to get ready
whenever Nettie pleases. She pretends it is all for our sake, but it is
for the sake of having her own will, and because she has taken a sudden
disgust at something. I asked you in, Mr Edward, because you are her
friend, and because you are the children's uncle, and ought to know how
they are provided for. Mr Chatham and I," said Susan, overcome by her
feelings, and agitating the handkerchief violently, "have settled--to
be--married first before we set out."

If a shell had fallen in the peaceful apartment, the effect could not
have been more startling. The two who had been called in to receive
that intimation, and who up to this moment had been standing together
listening languidly enough, too much absorbed in the matter between
themselves to be very deeply concerned about anything Mrs Fred could say
or do, fell suddenly apart with the wildest amazement in their looks.
"Susan, you are mad!" cried Nettie, gazing aghast at her sister, with
an air of mingled astonishment and incredulity. The doctor, too much
excited to receive with ordinary decorum information so important, made
a sudden step up to the big embarrassed Australian, who stood before the
fire gazing into vacancy, and looking the very embodiment of conscious
awkwardness. Dr Rider stretched out both his hands and grasped the
gigantic fist of the Bushman with an effusion which took that worthy
altogether by surprise. "My dear fellow, I wish you joy--I wish you
joy. Anything I can be of use to you in, command me!" cried the doctor,
with a suppressed shout of half-incredulous triumph. Then he returned
restlessly t