A Houseful of Girls

, while he sipped his glass of sherry and ate his biscuit, before retiring for t

down on the spectacled face which had once been round, rosy, and very comely. He was at least twenty years older than his wife. The old-fashioned practice had prevailed in the old-fashioned town, of elderly men, whether bachelors or widowers, ending

ges of what was called "an elegant figure" in her youth. Now she was large and heavy, with a mixture of unconscious stateliness and wistful motherliness in her gait and gestures. Like Dr. Millar, she ought to

trouble was more in apprehension than in reality. As yet it had not caused the sufferers to change any one of the domestic habits which had grown second nature to them. It had not induced them to darken the sunny sky over their young daughters' heads with a shadow of the clouds which were already looming black on the p

fe had spent the last part of the evening there, for four-and-twenty years, every night they were in Redcross, when the Doctor was not kept out late, or when the couple were not abroad in company, or seeing company at home. Dr. Millar, in his sl

ilting forwards or backwards on the brown hair, still abundant and just streaked with gray; so that one or other of her daughters was constantly calling Mrs. Millar's cap to order and setting it right. She was sitting in an arm-chair, opposite her husband. Mechanically she put one daintily slippered, very neat foot, considering the weight it helped to carry, beyond her skirts, and stretched it towards the fire. The

fellow and would have made Dora the best of husbands-given her a safe and happy home, and all that sort of thing; but in case of anything happening, I am co

we know. Your practice is not so lucrative as it used to be; how can it, in these bad times, with so many poor young fellows of doctors settling here and there and everyw

man is my age and has plenty of the young rivals you refer to, it is high time he should be looking out for something happening. A family of girls, too. God help me! If they had been

eart sank while she spoke. "I should not have expected you to give way in this manner." She gave a quick push back to her unru

he said grimly, "and the affairs of the b

gested breathlessly, as she c

impleton who might not draw half a dozen of the dividends of which I have drawn scores. Besides,

ted Mrs. Millar in a praiseworthy

uld not dare to propose to sell out at such a loss; it would not only be to impoverish myself at once in order to avoid the risk of greater ruin, it would draw

any day-you told me the last time you spoke of business-wit

And I cannot approve of the bolstering up of Carey's cousins, the Carters, in their chemical works at Stokeleigh, which it strikes me will never do much good. It-the bolstering up-has been going on for a long time now, to what extent I am not prepared to show. Unfortunately I have a bad head for figures," he shr

erturbed woman found voice to reassure her husband. "I know you did it for the best; and for

r as a much younger and more irresponsible being than he was. As he spoke he took up the hand which lay in her lap and held it for a moment clasped in h

his praise with a momentary choke in her voice, and a b

Russell, and I-not to say Carey himself. We all wished to increase our incomes with as little trouble and risk as possible-so it se

, don't think of it," cried

than you are, though a foreign climate has told a good deal on him; still, he is patched up, and with care ought to have lasted as long

ia to redeem a wrecked fortune. She pulled herself together, however, and set herself to the good woman's business of comforting and encouraging her husband. "I am certain it is right to go on hoping. You often say that in your profession you have no such helpful allies as hope and courage; you must practice what you've preached, Doctor," and the fai

ays of disposing of their capital where it was more under their own inspection and control. If that foolish girl of ours, Maria, could only have brought herself to listen to Robinson," he worked himself up into a fresh

m of her cap-"you cannot surely think that Tom Robinson would have been a fit match for Dora, or any of her sisters. He is well enough in himself, I say nothing against him, bu

low the indignity cheerfully. Why, my father kept on his dispensary in the days when the practice was at its best. The greater fool I to give it up. I tell you England will never be what it was till it gets

ayer-books. There are such things as education and culture-not to speak of good birth. You yourself, Dr. Millar, are fairly well born and well connected for a professional man." She instanced this with an imperceptible bridle and toss of her matronly head, which hinted broadly, "If it had not be

that you-" ("were such a fool," he was going to say, when he caught himself up.) He was quick-tempered and impulsive, but he was also suave by nature, and his long habit

y one of the Beauchamps of Wa

bar! I dare say not. And he was no quicker-witted or longer-sighted in Australia. You must have heard me say how grieved I was once when I came across a fellow from Sydney who had been up the country, and remembered something of the Beauchamps and t

home?" inquired Mrs.

a better born woman than she was has not done as much and thought little of it, only it was not in Aunt Penny's line. I can just remember her when I was a small boy, a pretty creature who read Italian, sang to her guitar, and made bread seals for her amusement. She had such a mortal terror where cows were concerned that she

of her voice which said, "I am of my own opinion still." She illu

who was thankful to serve shepherds and bush-rangers for aught I know. She lost one child in the bush, God help her! The little thing wandered away an

he perception that she had the advantage of her husband at last-"your Aunt Penny married the man she cared

me the justice of owning that I have done nothing to force Dora's inclinations. Indeed, I am not clear that I have done my duty. I ought

Farm, for a wife!" exclaimed Mrs. Millar, st

heir husbands happy-you know I mean nothing personal, Maria. Whether she was quite happy herself is a different question, of which I have had no means of judging. But I have heard you yourself say that she never presumed on her rise in rank, or sought to thrust h

ke one of Rose's beautiful water-colour sketches, or read Greek and Latin like 'little May,' or even talk to the point on every subject under the sun like Annie, still I should not be happy if I had to keep company with Wilkins the butcher's or Ord the baker's wife, and they would not be happy either. It would not matter, in one sense, though I knew they were respectable, worthy women, and were ever so much

Dr. Millar, shaking his white head, and

we were born, and the associations among which

cence. "Does she pretend that Tom Robinson has not been educated-stamped, for that matter, with the last univ

to comprehend, for her comfort, that to a man like him an argument is both rousing and refreshing. In the middle of her remorse she instinctively held up her head, and balanced her cap as a Dutchwoman of the last century balanced her milk-pail, or a girl of th

slaughter-house, and the eldest journeyman baker sees to the setting of the sponge. Why don't you say, noblesse oblige, Maria? But I think I know the name of the inconsiderate individual who has interrupted our conversation, and I assure you he would not if he could. It is little Johnny Fleming-Fleming the grocer's son-whose case is critical, I fear. I told his

ght for Newton or Capes from Woodleigh-it is only a step for an

enty years ago, but I put it off till it was too late. Perhaps it was a mistake; we all make mistakes,"

"Nobody would have looked at him when they

ake the bad with the good. It is the fortune of war