r. Esthwaite. He measured his young guest
correctly and at once. His wife took the measure of Eleanor's gown
meanwhile, and privately studied what it was that made it so graceful;
a problem she had not solved when they sat down to dinner.

The dinner was sumptuous, and well served. Mr. Esthwaite took delight
evidently in playing his part of host, and some pride both housekeeping
and patriotic in shewing to Eleanor all the means he had to play it
with. The turtle soup he declared was good, though she might have seen
better; the fish from Botany Bay, the wild fowl from the interior, the
game of other kinds from the Hunter river, he declared she could not
have known surpassed anywhere. Then the vegetables were excellent; the
potatoes from Van Dieman's Land, were just better than all others in
the world; and the dessert certainly in its abundance of treasures
justified his boasting that Australia was a grand country for anybody
that liked fruit. The growth of the tropics and of the cooler latitudes
of England met together in confusion of beauty and sweetness on Mr.
Esthwaite's table. There were oranges and pineapples on one hand,
peaches, plums, melons, from the neighbouring country; with all sorts
of English-grown fruits from Van Dieman's Land; gooseberries, pears and
grapes. Native wines also he pressed on his guest, assuring her that
some of them were as good as Sauterne, and others very fair claret and
champagne. Eleanor took the wines on credit; for the rest, her eyes
enabled her to give admiration where her taste fell short. And
admiration was expected of her. Mr. Esthwaite was in a great state of
satisfaction, having very much to do in the admiring way himself.

"Did Louisa keep you up stairs to begin upon the fashions?" said he, as
he pulled a pineapple to pieces.

"I see you have very little appreciation of that subject," said Eleanor.

"Yes!" said Mrs. Esthwaite,--"just ask him whether he thinks it
important that _his_ clothes should be cut in the newest pattern, and
how many good hats he has thrown away because he got hold of something
new that he liked better. Just ask him! He never will hear me."

"I am going to ask her something," said Mr. Esthwaite. "See here;--you
are not going to those savage and inhospitable islands, are you?"

Eleanor's smile and answer were as cool as if her whole nature had not
been in a stir of excitement.

"What in the world do _you_ expect to do there?" said her host with a
st