As for her, it was not clear what she thought, but the next day she wrote to London for a second-hand Dutch dictionary, and then went to call at the house with the largest library that she knew.  When she came away from there she carried with her a book she had borrowed, a Dutch version of Gil Blas, which she remembered to have once seen tucked away in a corner.  Shortly afterwards, as soon as the dictionary came, she set to reading the edifying work, and found it easier than she expected.  What one learns from necessity in childhood stays in the memory, and a good knowledge of German and a smallish one of Dutch will carry one through greater difficulties than Gil Blas.

Before her mother and sisters came back to Marbridge, Julia had written to the old Dutchman.

When Mrs. Polkington heard Julia wanted to go to Holland and live in a Dutch family she was surprised.  This news was not given to her till the spring had fairly set in, for it was not till then that Julia had been able to get everything arranged.  It is no use telling people your plans unless you are quite sure of carrying them out, and you are never sure of that long before starting; at least, that was Julia’s opinion.  It was also her opinion that it was quite unnecessary to tell all details.  She said she was tired of being at Marbridge, and wanted a complete change; also that when there were three grown-up sisters at home it seemed rather desirable that one should go away, for a time at least.  When Violet suggested that it was odd to have chosen Holland in preference to France or Germany, she replied truthfully that the one was possible to her, the others were not.

Mrs. Polkington, who quite approved of the plan, saw no objection to Holland, adding as a recommendation, “It is so much more original to go there.”  She did not fail to remark on the originality when she embroidered Julia’s going to her friends and acquaintances.

Captain Polkington was the only member of the family who regretted this going.  He had always regarded Julia as something between an ally and a tolerant go-between; and since she had wrung from him the confession of his difficulties, and helped in the arrangement of them, his feeling for her had leaned more and more towards the former.  He had even come to feel a certain protectiveness in her presence, which made him really sorry she was going.  Johnny Gillat was sorrier still.

Johnny had gone back to dismal lodgings in town now; he only heard of the plan by letter, and the Captain’s letters were very prolix, and not informing.  Mr. Gillat’s own letters were even worse, for if they lacked the prolixity, they lacked the little information also.  On receipt of the Captain’s information he merely wrote to ask when Julia was going, and what time she would be in London, as he would like to give himself the pleasure of meeting her train.