Dick, I am going on to Captain Brentwood's.

If you like to go back to Toonarbin and stay a day or two with Lee, you can do so." "I would rather come on with you, sir," he said eagerly.
"Are you sure ?" I said.
"Quite sure, sir." And Lee said, "You go on with Mr.Hamlyn, Dick, and do your duty, mind." I thought this odd; but, knowing it was useless to ask questions of an old hand, or try to get any information which was not volunteered, I held my tongue and departed, taking Dick with me.
I arrived at Captain Brentwood's about three o'clock in the afternoon.
I flatter myself that I made a very successful approach, and created rather a sensation among the fourteen or fifteen people who were sitting in the verandah.

They took me for a distinguished stranger.

But when they saw who it was they all began calling out to me at once to know how I was, and to come in (as if I wasn't coming in), and when at last I got among them, I nearly had my hand shaken off; and the Doctor, putting on his spectacles and looking at me for a minute, asked what I had given for my hat?
Let me see, who was there that day?
There was Mary Hawker, looking rather older, and a little worn; and there was her son Charles sitting beside pretty Ellen Mayford, and carrying on a terrible flirtation with that young lady, in spite of her fat jolly-looking mother, who sat with folded hands beside her.

Next to her sat her handsome brother Cecil, looking, poor lad! as miserable as he well could look, although I did not know the cause.