heads. Besides, you have so mothered them, dear Sophy, that I could
not bear to make a sudden parting."

"There will be pain, especially over little Thekla and Polly. But if
George comes home this spring, and I go out to Queensland with him,
perhaps I should have asked you to take this house off my hands. May
be it would be prudent in you to do so even now, considering all
things; only I believe that transplanting would be good for them
all."

"I am glad you think so, for I have a perfect longing for that little
house of my own."

"You will be able to give them a superior kind of society to what
they have had access to here. There is a good deal that I should
like to talk over with you before they come in."

"Agatha seems to be in despair at her failure."

"So is all the house, for we were very proud of her, and, of course,
we all thought it a fad of the examiners, but perhaps our
headmistress might not say the same. She is a good, hardworking girl
though, and ambitious, and quite worth further training."

"I am glad of being able to secure it to her at least, and by the
time her course is finished I shall be able to judge about the
others."

"You thought of taking them in hand yourself?"