“And the young people are very fond of each other,” said Peggy.  “All very right, but I don’t like to see them make too much fuss.  Tom and Grace are very ridiculous whiles.”

“Well, I must say I like to see it,” said Brandon.  “I quite enjoy seeing Emily stealing out with Edgar in the gloaming, and meeting him in the hall when she hears his knock, and getting into corners with him.  Harriett, who has some notion what the thing means, has patience with it, but Constance, who is younger, despises all this philandering.  I said to her the other day, when she was expressing her disgust at these proceedings, ’Ah, Constance! three years or so, and you will be doing just the same.  I have another nephew coming out next month, and a fine fellow he is said to be.  You’ll be just as foolish.’  ’You’ll see me boiled first!’ said Constance, with a vehemence which startled her aunt Harriett, and brought down a serious rebuke, though she herself thought the young people rather ridiculous, to use Peggy’s phrase.  But I know very well that one great reason for Emily’s fancy for Edgar is her wish to call Elsie and myself aunt and uncle.  I think it likely that that weighed with you, Mrs. Lowrie.”

“None of your nonsense, Mr. Brandon,” said Peggy.  “Who would care to be connected with an old woman like me?” and yet she was pleased with Brandon’s remark, notwithstanding.

“Well, joking apart, I think it is really a great thing for a girl to marry into a family where they are prepared to love her, and to put the most charitable construction on all she does and all she does not do,” said Brandon.

“But, Mr. Hogarth,” said Mr. Dempster, “you promised at this family party to tell me the whole story of which I have got some separate threads.  You recollect that we had some curious revelations one evening at a seance at my house in London.  Shortly after I returned to Adelaide, I met in a wayside inn an old woman whom I took to be your mother, who entered into conversation with me; but as the spiritual directions had been to have nothing to do with her, I did not inquire sufficiently to get much information from her.  Some time after that, I heard of your giving up your property in Scotland, sailing for Australia, marrying your cousin, and settling here; but what connection these three things have with each other, I never knew.  Will you be good enough to explain?”

“The spirit was in the wrong on that occasion in two important particulars.  The letter I had in my pocket was from Mrs. Peck, but she was not my mother; Mr. Hogarth was not my father,” said Francis.

“Not your mother! not your father!” said Mr. Dempster; “can you prove that?”

“No; but I am quite convinced of it,” said Francis.

“I would believe the spirits always, if I had no positive proof to the contrary,” said Mr. Dempster.

“Mrs. Peck confessed to Brandon that as her own child died suddenly she had picked up another, with the view of imposing on Mr. Hogarth and getting a handsome allowance from him; but when he saw me he preferred keeping me out of her hands, and educated me, but never loved me,” said Francis.