rs.
Phillips, Miss Melville, for if you give her an inch she will take an
ell. As for him, he is everything that is reasonable; and the bairns,
you must just make them mind you. But she is the one that will give you
the most trouble."

When this engagement was entered into Jane accompanied Elsie to Mrs.
Dunn's, who readily took her into her work-room, and was very much
pleased to hear that Miss Melville had got such a desirable situation.
The Rennies were also full of congratulations, and felt that their
invitations and their getting the sisters an introduction to Mr.
Brandon, had secured such a magnificent salary from another Australian
millionaire. Miss Rennie was particularly pleased that she had dwelt so
much on the misfortunes and talents of the sisters. The last evening
Jane spent in Edinburgh was passed at the Rennies'; Mr. Brandon was
asked to meet the girls he had been of such service to, and though Mr.
Hogarth was rather dull, and Laura Wilson in a particularly unamiable
mood, the liveliness of the Australian settler made it pass off very
pleasantly.

Jane had not only Mr. Phillips, but Mr. Brandon also as travelling
companion. Australians in England have a great tendency to fraternise,
even though they were not much acquainted in the colony, and when his
old neighbour returned to London, Brandon thought he could not do
better than go with him, and go back to the north when it was not quite
so cold. The gentlemen had a great deal to say to each other on matters
both colonial and English. In English politics they took quite as great
an interest as if they had never been out of Britain, and in
Continental politics they took a greater interest than is usual with
English people. Jane was occupied with her own thoughts. The parting
from Elsie had been a sad one, so had the good-bye to Francis, who had
said so much about her writing if she was unhappy, or if she did not
think she could keep her situation with a lady of such a peculiar
temper as Mrs. Phillips, that she could not help fearing herself for
the permanency of the situation.

Nothing that had fallen from Peggy, or from Mr. Brandon either, had
prepared Jane for the exceeding beauty of Mrs. Phillips. Jane never had
seen a woman so strikingly handsome before. When she spoke the charm
was somewhat broken, for her ideas were not brilliant, and she
expressed herself in indifferent English; but in repose she was like a
queen of romance. Tall and large, but ex