"My dear fellow, she is not of an age yet to trouble you much. Wait till
she gets a bit older. When her education is finished, and she takes
possession of you and your house, will be the time for you to look to
us for pity!"

"Look here, Sir Edward," said a bright looking youth from the other side
of the room, "I'll give you a bit of advice. Send the child straight off
to school. Is she coming to-day? Good. Then pack her off to-morrow, and
keep her there as long as is needful. Then I will go down and inspect
her, and if she grows up to be a moderately decent-looking girl, I will
do you a good turn by taking her off your hands. She will have a nice
little fortune, you informed us, and if you will give her something in
addition, out of gratitude to me for relieving you of all responsibility
concerning her, upon my word I think I should not do badly!"

But Sir Edward was not in a mood to joke. He looked gloomily around upon
his friends as they gathered around the smoking-room fire after a hard
day's shooting, and remarked--

"I know what is before me. I have seen it in my sister's family, and
have heard something of all her toils and troubles. How thankful I was
when she and hers were translated to Australia, and the sea came between
us! It is first the nurses, who run off with one's butler, make love to
the keepers, and bring all kinds of followers about the house, who
sometimes make off with one's plate. Then it's the governesses, who come
and have a try at the guests, or most likely in my case they would set
their affections on me, and get the reins of government entirely into
their hands. If it is school, then there is a mass of correspondence
about the child's health and training; and, in addition, I shall have
all the ladies in the neighborhood coming to mother the child and tell