memory, and a good knowledge of German and a smallish one of Dutch
will carry one through greater difficulties than _Gil Blas_.

Before her mother and sisters came back to Marbridge, Julia had
written to the old Dutchman.

When Mrs. Polkington heard Julia wanted to go to Holland and live in a
Dutch family she was surprised. This news was not given to her till
the spring had fairly set in, for it was not till then that Julia had
been able to get everything arranged. It is no use telling people your
plans unless you are quite sure of carrying them out, and you are
never sure of that long before starting; at least, that was Julia's
opinion. It was also her opinion that it was quite unnecessary to tell
all details. She said she was tired of being at Marbridge, and wanted
a complete change; also that when there were three grown-up sisters at
home it seemed rather desirable that one should go away, for a time at
least. When Violet suggested that it was odd to have chosen Holland in
preference to France or Germany, she replied truthfully that the one
was possible to her, the others were not.

Mrs. Polkington, who quite approved of the plan, saw no objection to
Holland, adding as a recommendation, "It is so much more original to
go there." She did not fail to remark on the originality when she
embroidered Julia's going to her friends and acquaintances.

Captain Polkington was the only member of the family who regretted
this going. He had always regarded Julia as something between an ally
and a tolerant go-between; and since she had wrung from him the
confession of his difficulties, and helped in the arrangement of them,
his feeling for her had leaned more and more towards the former. He