n Vale. I should always
rejoice to hear of your happiness and sympathize with you in trouble;
but you would not be likely to be in a position to seek either my
sympathy or my counsel, for others would have the greater right and the
closer communion. But believe me, pray believe me when I tell you, that
as the next six months go by I shall dread our parting, though more than
half of you seven girls will have left me before that time arrives. Now,
my dears, let us have tea, and then I will read you my brother's letter,
for you are all my dear friends--my very closest friends to-night; and
that letter shall be my story. It's more of a man's story than a girl's,
but it is nearly all about a girl for all that."

It was not a very quiet tea-table, for we were all excited and talking
fast, as though that was the best way to keep from crying. It was not
till we had discussed Miss Grantley's intended voyage and made out quite
a romantic future for her that she opened her brother's letter, that we
might, as she said, hear what kind of fellow he was.

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CHAPTER VII.

MISS GRANTLEY'S BROTHER.

MARIMOO, HOBART TOWN,
December 27th, 18--.

DEAR BESSIE,--It's time you came out here instead of staying in the old
country, even though you haven't learnt to make butter and cheese, and
don't know how to bake bread, or even to make "damper" properly. The
fact is, you must come; and if you like to take classes, you can make
use of your science degrees here, I can tell you, for they want "sweet
girl-graduates;" and even if they have grown to be severe and exacting
female professors, we take very kindly to them.

The fact is, Bess, I waited as long as I could for you to come over this
side to look after me, that I might cease wandering and settle down. As
you know, I've tried my hand at a good many occupations, often for the
freak of the thing, but always with a reserve force for doing the right
thing at last, and somehow I've mostly made bread and cheese and a
little more. The gold fever was over long before I reached Australia,
but I had a turn at the cradle and pan for all that, and turned up a
pretty good "claim"--enough to take me on my travels afterwards. I've
been out prospecting; I've had a turn in the great grazing grounds,
though I didn't care to sink the little money I had in a fancy flock in
the