I am a business man, you see, and can't afford to take a long holiday from the City." Mrs.Lister laughed.

"My brother is utterly devoted to commercial pursuits," she said; "I think he believes every hour wasted that he spends out of his counting-house." "And yet I was thinking in church this evening, that a man's life might be happier in such a place as this, drifting away in a kind of dreamy idleness, than the greatest successes possible to commerce could ever make it." "You would very soon be tired of your dreamy idleness," answered his sister, "and sigh for your office and your club." "The country suits old people, who have played their part in life, and made an end of it," said the Captain.

"It suits my little girl here very well, too," he added, with a fond glance at his companion; "she has her birds and her flowers, and her books and music; and I don't think she ever sighs for anything gayer than Lidford." "Never, uncle George," said the girl, slipping her hand through his arm.
And Gilbert Fenton saw that those two were very fond of each other.
They came to the end of a shady winding lane at this moment, and Captain Sedgewick and Miss Nowell wished Mrs.Lister and her brother good-evening, and went away down the lane arm-in-arm.
"What a lovely girl she is!" said Gilbert, when they were gone.
"Lovely is rather a strong word, Gilbert," Mrs.Lister answered coldly; "she is certainly pretty, but I hope you are not going to lose your heart in that direction." "There is no fear of that.

A man may admire a girl's face without being in any danger of losing his heart.

But why not in that direction, Belle?
Is there any special objection to the lady ?" "Only that she is a nobody, without either money or position and I think you ought to have both when you marry." "Thanks for the implied compliment; but I do not fancy that an Australian merchant can expect to secure a wife of very exalted position; and I am the last man in the world to marry for money." "I don't for a moment suppose you would marry any one you didn't like, from mercenary considerations; but there is no reason you should make a foolish match." "Of course not.