wedding presents in such a mixed concern. As for your clothes, you have
plenty; when you want more, you can get them cost price at the shop. It
is a very good shop, I hear, and I mean to be a steady customer from
this out. Oh, yes, and I will come and see you, old girl, nows and
thens, when I have to go to town. And you and Peter must spend all your
Christmases up here. While he is seeing his people at Bundaboo, you can
camp with me, like old times."

* * * * *

At the last moment Rose broke down, and wept upon the breast of her
favourite sister in the act of bidding her goodbye--perhaps because
Frances chanced to be absent at the time.

"Oh, Debbie darling, I won't deceive you--I am not going shopping; I am
going into Melbourne to get married--to get married quietly and have
done with it, so as not to be a nuisance to you any more."

"Married!" gasped Deb, holding the agitated creature at arm's-length.
"What--NOW? And you spring this on us without a word of warning--"

"What was the use, Deb? You know what you would have said. I have GOT
to have him, dear--I really have--and this seemed the only way."

"Where is he?"

"Waiting till I'm ready. They have a carriage outside. His mother and
sister are going with us. His father will join us when we get there.
And Alice Urquhart, who is in town, and one of his cousins from
Bundaboo--quite respectable and above-board, you see, only very quiet,
so as not to trouble you and the girls and poor dear Bennet Goldsworthy
more than we can help--"

"Not trouble us!" broke in Deb, her face, that had paled a moment ago,
flaming scarlet. "Rose, in your wildest aberrations, I did not credit
you with being capable of humiliating us to this extent."

"Ah, you always say that! If you only knew him; but some day you will,
and then you will wonder how you could have set yourself against us so.
I can't help it, Deb. I did it for the best. Marry him I must and will,
and I am only trying to do it in a way as inoffensive to you as
possible."

"You call this an inoffensive way? But those people cannot be expected
to know--"

"They can--they do. Don't insult them any more. They are giving me
everything they can think of to make me happy, and here I have no
home--no love--no sympathy from anybody--"

Tears gushed from her eyes and Deb's as from the same spring; they were
instantly locked in each other's arms.

"Poor little Rosie! Poor dear child! But you don't understand pet--yo