"I wish to take entire charge of his education, if you will allow me.
He is a very promising boy, and should have all his chances. Let me
send him to the Melbourne Grammar after Christmas, and as a boarder, if
you don't mind. There are such advantages, both in position and for
study, in living at the school."

"I leave everything--everything, in your hands," murmured the
grateful father.

"By the way"--as an after-thought--"what about your little girl?"

She was not a little girl now, and had finished with school; but, oh,
the boon that a few good lessons in music and languages would be to
her!

That matter was settled.

"Well, now," said Deb, "we must think about Mary. She is frightfully
thin. I can see that she has had too many worries, as you say. She must
be taken out of them. I want to have her at Redford with me--as soon
as she can get ready--and give her a good long rest, and feed her up,
and make her fat and strong."

"I only wish you could prevail on her," he sighed. "But I am afraid you
will not get her to go anywhere without me. I have a devoted wife, Miss
Pennycuick"--even if she had not tacitly forbidden "Deborah" in her
poor days, he would not have ventured upon the liberty now that she was
rich--"too devoted, if that can be. She insists upon sharing all my
burdens, though I fain would spare her. I know well that, say what I
will, she will never consent to leaving me to struggle with them