Fane. He resolved that on his return to England he would seek for her. After he had seen his dear love buried in the illimitable sea, he thought more of this last fancy of hers than even of his little unconscious daughter.

This little baby girl was the pet of the ship. She was called Miranda. She was happy enough for there were cows on board, and plentiful milk there were also ladies on board, and plentiful petting. Harold Tachbrook was miserable. He could not bear to look at his little girl: she was such a dread reminder of her mother's death. The only thing that consoled him was his firm faith that his mother's spirit communicated with him and gave him guidance. He had left his father; he had lost his wife; his child was a baby: but he was not alone, for he recognised the spirit of his mother. That spirit had in a vision of the night mapped Melbourne before his eyes, and had pointed to a place in that map as if ordering him to go thither. Harold resolved to go.

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CHAPTER IV.

UNDER THE SOUTHERN CROSS.

"Born far from merry England, English folk

See her in dreams. For them the summer breeze
Murmurs through mighty woods of beech and oak:
They hear her minster bells across the leas;

In vision they behold her cities fair,

And drink her rivulets, and breathe her happy air."

MELBOURNE was a small place when Harold Tachbrook reached it, bringing his baby-girl, much wondering what he could do with her. The famous English city was but a few years old, and scanty signs appeared of its marvellous development. When Harold landed, he seemed to recognise in its right-angled streets the town of his dreams; and he made his way to the particular point which he fancied had been indicated to him. What he found was a rather dingy lodging-house. It was kept by a

middle-aged woman called Brown, who had come out with her husband. That gentleman had gone into the bush some years before, and Mrs Brown had pretty well given him up altogether. She was a Wiltshire farmer's daughter, homely and good-natured. Harold's interview with her resulted in his leaving his hotel to lodge there, while he decided what he would do; and kind-hearted Mrs Brown, who had no children, except a married daughter in England, took to little Miranda at once.

Close to Mrs Brown's establishment, rather dingy, but not uncomfortable, there was a large piece of waste ground, where rubbish was thrown, and dogs and cats congregated. The old lady one day remarked that she wished she could rent it. At present it was quite a nuisance, and she might make a useful garden of it in time. Harold Tachbrook, who was wandering about the infant city in search of adventure, amused himself by making inquiry as to the ownership of this waste spot, and found its proprietor in the person of an oystervendor, who was only too glad to sell his property for fifty pounds. Mrs Brown was delighted, especially when he set to work

energetically to make a fence round it, and to lay out a kitchen-garden. It took some time, some money also, for garden-seeds were at that time scarce in Melbourne. But Harold worked hard, and made Mrs Brown quite a pleasant garden in a month or two.

One day Harold was down at the docks, smoking a short pipe (for tobacco is always your Englishman's consoler when other consolation fails), and saw a ship come in-the Albatross from Liverpool-with a large number of emigrants. Looking curiously at the motley groups that landed, he was specially struck by a boy of about fourteen, in jacket and trousers of blue serge, who sprang ashore with only a small bag in his hand, and walked the beach as if he meant to annex Australia. "I'll talk to that young gentleman," said Harold to himself; "he's a runagate, I guess."

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So he accosted the boy, and asked him where he thought of going.

"O, I don't care," said the youngster, laughing; "I've run away from home, and mean to see the world. If there's any place you think will suit me, I shall feel thankful for knowing it.'

"Well," said Harold Tachbrook, much amused, "I lodge at a pretty comfortable place; will you come and look at it? But where is your luggage?"

Luggage! this bag is all I have. I may as well tell you that I ran away from school, and determined to put myself a good way off. The fact is, my governor hates me—I don't know why; and though he has plenty of money, he sent me to a wretched little school, where nothing was taught, and where the fool of a master took delight in flogging. One day I thought I wouldn't stand it any longer; so, when this fool wanted to flog me, I gave him a jolly good licking, and packed up my bag and went off. I had plenty of money, for an aunt of mine had given me a lot of jewellery my grandmother left for me, and one ring paid my passage out here. Look! here's a satisfactory roll of paper."

The mad boy took from his pocket a roll of bank-notes, and handed them to Harold. "What are you going to do?" asked the latter.

"O, I don't know. Enjoy myself and see Australia."