* * * * *

At the last moment Rose broke down, and wept upon the breast of her favourite sister in the act of bidding her goodbye—­perhaps because Frances chanced to be absent at the time.

“Oh, Debbie darling, I won’t deceive you—­I am not going shopping; I am going into Melbourne to get married—­to get married quietly and have done with it, so as not to be a nuisance to you any more.”

“Married!” gasped Deb, holding the agitated creature at arm’s-length.  “What—­now?  And you spring this on us without a word of warning—­”

“What was the use, Deb?  You know what you would have said.  I have got to have him, dear—­I really have—­and this seemed the only way.”

“Where is he?”

“Waiting till I’m ready.  They have a carriage outside.  His mother and sister are going with us.  His father will join us when we get there.  And Alice Urquhart, who is in town, and one of his cousins from Bundaboo—­quite respectable and above-board, you see, only very quiet, so as not to trouble you and the girls and poor dear Bennet Goldsworthy more than we can help—­”

“Not trouble us!” broke in Deb, her face, that had paled a moment ago, flaming scarlet.  “Rose, in your wildest aberrations, I did not credit you with being capable of humiliating us to this extent.”

“Ah, you always say that!  If you only knew him; but some day you will, and then you will wonder how you could have set yourself against us so.  I can’t help it, Deb.  I did it for the best.  Marry him I must and will, and I am only trying to do it in a way as inoffensive to you as possible.”

“You call this an inoffensive way?  But those people cannot be expected to know—­”

“They can—­they do.  Don’t insult them any more.  They are giving me everything they can think of to make me happy, and here I have no home—­no love—­no sympathy from anybody—­”

Tears gushed from her eyes and Deb’s as from the same spring; they were instantly locked in each other’s arms.

“Poor little Rosie!  Poor dear child!  But you don’t understand pet—­you don’t know what you are doing—­going right out of your class—­out of your world—­”

“But to a good husband, Debbie, and the man I love—­and that’s first of all!  And I must go to him now—­I must not keep him waiting.  Bless you, dearest!  I am happy now.  Never mind the others.  You can tell them after I’m gone.  But I felt that I must speak to you before I went.  Oh, I am so glad I did!  Goodbye, darling!  I must go.”

“You must not go,” said Deb, swallowing her tears and resuming her imperious air.  “Not this way, Rose, as if your family had cast you off.  How can you treat us so, child?  But perhaps we deserve it; only you don’t see what you are doing as clearly as we do—­”

“Deb, Deb, don’t stop me!  They are waiting.  It is late now!”

The bride-elect, pale with fright, struggled in her sister’s strong hands, which held her fast.