cakes, and toys, and by offers to take the whole family to every attainable amusement, he was first reasoned with, and then, as he was not convinced, he was put down, his gifts returned, and the children instructed to say that they would rather not have the treats he offered.  He certainly preferred the wild spirits and rebellious conduct of the little Phillipses, even in their worst days, to the prim good-child behaviour of his own nephews and nieces.

He had the pleasure of telling Mrs. Holmes on this occasion that the wild young Australians had been reduced to something like order by an admirable governess whom he had been the means of procuring for them:  that in spite of all the overindulgence she had suffered from, Emily was proving a very tolerable scholar—­that she had good abilities and an excellent heart, though she did climb on his knee for comfits, and beg to be taken to Astley’s.  Mrs. Holmes wondered at his procuring a governess for the children, and asked a good deal about her, with the view of ascertaining if her brother was fixed at last; but he talked about her with perfect nonchalance, saying that she was a particular favourite of an old servant of his called Peggy Walker, and that her account of Miss Melville’s qualifications was perfectly satisfactory, as the result had proved.  Mrs. Holmes was bewildered as to the curious social relations of Australian people, but her mind was set at rest about Jane Melville.

“But, Fanny,” said he to his sister, “you know I have come to bid you goodbye in a week or ten days.  I cannot help it; things look so badly just at present that unless I am on the spot I cannot see my way at all clearly.  I have little doubt that I will work things all right again; the master’s eye makes all go well.  There need be no difference in the little allowance I sent to my mother and you—­that will be sent home regularly as before.  But I want to assist you otherwise if you will allow me to do it.  You have enough to do to bring up those six children of yours, even with my little help.  I will take your boy Edgar with me; as I am not going overland it will not be so expensive.  I will train him to be useful to me, and make a man of him.”

“No, no, Walter, I could not let him be away from under my own eye; he is so young—­his education is not finished,” said Mrs. Holmes.

“And never will be, if you keep him always at your apron-string.  You cannot do it, Fanny; you must turn him into the world some day, and surely he will be better turned out under my guidance than under none at all.  Why, the lad is sixteen, and though he is uncommonly ignorant of the world, he knows enough of books and that sort of thing to acquit himself very fairly in Australia.  I promise to do my very best for him, and he can be of great service to me very soon, if he has only a head on his shoulders.  And though it is very hard to find out what your children are fit for, I dare say the boy has average intelligence.”