firmly, as she laid her hand in a restraining fashion on the shoulder of
Rumple.

"I was going to say," continued Mr. Wallis, "that I should have been
very delighted to have taken you out to Mosman's Bay, where my home is,
but unfortunately the house is at present shut up, as my wife is away
visiting her mother at Auckland, in New Zealand, and I am staying at my
club in the city, where no ladies are admitted; but I can put you up at
a nice quiet hotel where you will be quite comfortable; indeed I told
Captain Moore that I would do so."

"You are most kind, and we are very grateful," said Nealie in a rather
hesitating tone. "But I am afraid that we cannot afford to stay much at
hotels, for Mr. Melrose told us they were very expensive, and if we are
not careful our money will not last us until we reach Hammerville. There
are so many of us, you see, and we all want so much to eat that our food
bills must of necessity be very expensive."

Mr. Wallis waved his hand with a deprecating air. "Of course, of course,
and it is really a very fine thing to be hungry; I often wish that I
could get up a vigorous appetite myself, but I can't. I hope that while
you are in Sydney you will consider yourselves my guests; it will be a
very great pleasure to show you some of the sights of the city. Suppose
you stay over to-morrow--we can get a large amount of sightseeing into
that time--and then the wagon shall be ready for you to make an early
start. The captain understands that you are to be my guests, and that is
why he is willing to let you come ashore with me. Please collect the
baggage that you want to take with you, then I will give orders for the
remainder of your luggage to be sent to the hotel. We ought to get away
as quickly as we can, so that no time may be lost."

There was no stopping the cheers this time, and Nealie put her fingers
in her ears because of the noise, but Mr. Wallis looked actually pleased
at the commotion he had evoked; and then there was a great rush for the
cabins, where each one had a bag or a bundle ready.

"What a delightful sensation it is to find firm ground under one's
feet!" cried Nealie, as she walked with a springy step by the side of
Mr. Wallis.

"I expect it is; but all the same you will be wise not to do too much
walking at first, for land is apt to prove very trying to the person who
has just arrived after a long voyage," replied Mr. Wallis, who had
noticed how lame Rupert was, and guessed