"Not in the least. I hope Mr. Macjean will follow your example."
Mr. Macjean was only too happy to so far indulge himself. So the gentlemen sat and smoked with great enjoyment, while the feminine element of the party smiled serenely and impartially on both; smiles quite wasted on the misogamistic Eustace, but then Victoria, with that unerring instinct of coquetry implanted in every woman's breast, took a delight in behaving thus, simply because she saw Otterburn admired her. He on his part naturally began to grow jealous, and being without the self-control habitual to those who live long in society, would doubtless have shown his irritation very plainly, only Eustace, taking in at a glance the whole situation, and being by no means agreeable to gratifying Victoria's love of conquest, arrested the storm at once by beginning to talk with judicious diplomacy of the first thing that came into his mind.
"Tell me," he said, addressing himself to the volatile Victoria, "Do you not find our narrow English life somewhat irksome after the freedom of Australia?"
"Not so much as you would think," replied Miss Sheldon promptly, "for after all there is a good deal of similarity between home and the colonies."
"You still call England 'home,' I observe," said Eustace with a smile.
"We do, because most of the generation who emigrated are still alive, but even now the term is dying out, and in another fifty years I don't suppose will be in use."
"I should awfully like to go out to Australia," observed Otterburn languidly. "I'm sick of civilisation."
"Oh don't imagine you leave civilisation behind when you come out to us," retorted Victoria sharply, with rising colour, "that is a mistake many English people make. They think Australia is like the backwoods of America, but it's nothing of the sort. Melbourne is just as cultured and wealthy in its own way as London, with the additional advantage of having a better climate and being smaller."
"Do you think the latter quality an advantage then?" asked Gartney with ironical gravity.
"I should just think so, rather," said Miss Sheldon nodding her head emphatically. "London is a delightful place, I grant, but it's a terrible nuisance visiting your friends and going out to amusements."