was in Harold's eyes. I was
standing over him, putting some fresh warm water on his hand. He put
back his head and looked up earnestly in my face, as if to see whether
I meant it, then said, "We are very thankful to you for thinking so."

I could not help bending and touching his forehead with my lips. His
eyes glistened and twinkled, but he said nothing for a little space,
and then it was, "If any one like you had been out there--"

I don't think I ever had a compliment that gave me more pleasure, for
there was somehow an infinite sense of meaning in whatever Harold said,
however short it might be, as if his words had as much force in them as
his muscles.

After a good deal more of silent sponging and some knitting of his
brows, either from thought or from pain, he said, "Then, as I
understand, you cast in your lot with us, and give us the blessing of
your presence and care of poor little Dora, to help to set Eustace in
his proper place in society. I see then that it is your due that we
should bring no one here of whom you do not fully approve."

"It is not only a matter of approval," I explained. "There are many
with whom I could freely associate in general society, or if I had any
lady with me, whom I ought not to have constantly here with only you
two."

"England is different from the Bush," he answered, and meditated for
ten minutes more, for no doubt it was the Australian practice to offer
free quarters to all comers without Mrs. Grundy, who had hardly yet had
her free passage. My heart smote me lest I were acting unkindly for
her sake, but then surely I was saving my allegiance to my dead mother,
and while I was still thinking it over, Harold said:

"You are more to us than any one could be; Eustace shall see the thing
rightly, and while you are good enough to make this our home, I promise
you that no one shall be invited here but as you like."

It was a bold promise, especially as it turned out that Eustace had
been making large invitations to the Arghouse fishing to Dermot Tracy
and some officer friends whom he had found at Biston, and who seemed to
have made themselves very pleasant. I bade Harold never mind about
that sort of invitation, as it need not affect Dora or me, since we
could keep out of the way of it, being unconcerned with gentlemen's
parties. Miss Woolmer said I had done right, and gave us a general
invitation to spend the evening with her if Eustace wished to entertain
his friend