staying here, after what has
happened, and keeping Clara in this new dilemma--my dear fellow,
you destroy your best chance! There is a sort of defiance of him in
stopping; there is a downright concession to him in going away."

"I _will_ go, Ralph; you have more than convinced me that I ought! I
will go to-morrow, though where--"

"You have the rest of the day to think where. _I_ should go abroad and
amuse myself; but your ideas of amusement are, most likely, not mine. At
any rate, wherever you go, I can always supply you with money, when you
want it; you can write to me, after you have been away some little time,
and I can write back, as soon as I have good news to tell you. Only
stick to your present determination, Basil, and, I'll answer for it,
you will be back in your own study at home, before you are many months
older!"

"I will put it out of my power to fail in my resolution, by writing to
Clara at once, and giving you the letter to place in her hands to-morrow
evening, when I shall have left London some hours."

"That's right, Basil! that's acting and speaking like a man!"

I wrote immediately, accounting for my sudden absence as Ralph had
advised me--wrote, with a heavy heart, all that I thought would be most
reassuring and cheering to Clara; and then, without allowing myself time
to hesitate or to think, gave the letter to my brother.

"She shall have it to-morrow night," he said, "and my father shall know
why you have left town, at the same time. Depend on me in this, as in
everything else. And now, Basil, I must say good bye--unless you're in
the humour for coming to look at my new house this evening. Ah! I see
that won't suit you just now, so, good bye, old fellow! Write when you
are in any necessity--get back your spirits and your health--and never
doubt that the step you are now taking will be the best for Clara, and
the best for yourself!"

He hurried out of the room, evidently feeling more at saying farewell
than he was willing to let me discover. I was left alone for the rest of
the day, to think whither I should turn my steps on the morrow.

I knew that it would be best that I should leave England; but there
seemed to have grown within me, suddenly, a yearning towards my own
country that I had never felt before--a home-sickness for the land in
which my sister lived. Not once did my thoughts wander away to foreign
places, while I now tried to consider calmly in what direction I should
depart