“Very happily, I think,” said Jane.

“Oh, yes, he is good-natured enough, and I dare say, very kind to her, and she seems quite satisfied.  But I have been just thinking how difficult it would have been for me to have been suited in such a colony as this if I had not been so fortunate as to meet with Dr. Grant.  Being a professional man, he is necessarily an educated man, and you know how much that weighs with me; and he has the manners of a gentleman, which are also indispensable to my happiness in marriage.  None of your rough, boorish bushmen, who can only talk of sheep and cattle, could possibly have done for me.  Then, his family connections are most unexceptionable; my own relations cannot feel in any way compromised by such an alliance.  The near neighbourhood (as I suppose it must be called) to Wiriwilta, and even to Barragong, makes it very pleasant.  I should not have at all liked marrying to be at distance from my brother and his family.  Coming out, as I did, on their account principally, it would be dreadful for all of us if we were separated.  I am sure I am quite pleased, too, to have your sister and Brandon as neighbours.  Alice looks quite a different person now she has a house of her own.  I don’t call her pretty—­I never did; but she looks very well indeed at Barragong, and seems to get on wonderful well, considering.”

“Considering what?” was about to come from Jane’s lips, for she had never liked Miss Phillips’s condescending way of talking about her sister; but she checked herself, for it was no use to argue with the bride on the eve of her wedding-day, and gave an indifferent and conciliatory reply; but the conversation was here interrupted by the entrance of two old friends, not any of the party invited for the morrow, but two large beautiful dogs, who ran up to Jane with the wildest expressions of canine delight.

“Oh, Nep! oh Flora!” said Jane, “where have you come from?  Who can have brought you here?  Poor old fellows! dear old fellows!” And the favourites from Cross Hall laid their happy heads in her lap, and rejoiced in their old mistress’s caresses.

“What beauties!” said Miss Phillips; “but I do not like dogs in the drawing-room.”

“I will take them out,” said Jane, trembling with wonder and agitation.  She went out of the room, and at the hall door, which stood (bush fashion) hospitably open, she saw Francis standing, allowing Nep and Flora, who seemed to know there was a friend in the house, to make an entrance and introduce themselves.  She extended her hand, but he clasped her in his arms.

“Not farewell this time, dearest Jane.  I have come for you, and I will not be refused.  When we parted I said you knew I loved you, and now I believe you love me.  I have given up everything—­the property, the seat in Parliament; and now that I have no career to relinquish, perhaps you will acknowledge that you love me?”

“Oh, Francis, I have always loved you! but I could have lived without you all my life if I had thought it for your good and your happiness.  I could not bear to be your stumbling-block.  But is it really the case? did you believe that strange story? have you given up what you made such good use of?”