ggy Walker opened her eyes
very wide when she heard of both the young ladies, whom she had been
accustomed to look up to, being dependent in this way on Mrs. Phillips,
whom she had always looked down upon; but she knew that the sisters
were together, and that that was a happiness to both that outweighed
many other drawbacks. She herself was very much engrossed with the care
of grandfather, who, as well as Elsie, had felt the ungenial spring
very trying, and who did not seem to rally as the season advanced; so
she was thankful that Elsie was otherwise bestowed than in her house of
sickness.

Dr. Phillips had the satisfaction of seeing a considerable improvement
in Elsie before she left Derbyshire, and used to have her company in
his morning drives to visit his patients, when her pleasant
conversation and winning manner made him ere long prefer her to her
graver and less pliant sister. He missed both the girls when they went
to London, and even Dr. Vivian paid Jane the compliment of regretting
her society a little for a week.

Chapter VI.

A Letter From Australia For Francis, Which Causes Surprise In An
Unexpected Quarter

A few weeks after the return of Mr. Phillips with his family, his
sister Harriett, and our friends Jane and Elsie to London, where the
courtship, or rather dangling, of Mr. Brandon was going on in the same
uninteresting manner, but with no apparent jar to prevent its leading
to matrimony at last, Jane was surprised by the sight of her cousin
Francis, who said he had come to the metropolis, chiefly for the
purpose of seeing her.

"I called at Peggy Walker's, before I left Scotland;" said Francis,
"but the family write to you so frequently that I suppose you know all
the news. The old man is looking very ill, however; I was quite struck
by the change in his appearance. I do not think that situation healthy;
I feel very glad you and Elsie have both left it. How is Elsie getting
on with Mrs. Phillips?"

"Tolerably--only tolerably. But her health is better--decidedly better."

"And you, Jane, you are looking much better than when I saw you in
Edinburgh last."

"You have not written to me at such length about your cottages and your
allotments as I expected, Francis. I suppose you are too busy to have
time to write, but now you have come; we can talk over all these
matters."

It had not been voluntarily, or without a great effort, that Francis
had so much slackened his close correspondence