“Well。”hecontinued，“therearealotofthingsthatwantsayingwhichnoonedarestosay，alotofshamswhichwantattacking，andyetnooneattacksthem。ItseemstomethatIcansaythingswhichnotanothermaninEnglandexceptmyselfwillventuretosay，andyetwhicharecryingtobesaid。”
Isaid：“Butwhowilllisten？Ifyousaythingswhichnobodyelsewoulddaretosayisnotthismuchthesameassayingwhateveryoneexceptyourselfknowstobebetterleftunsaidjustnow？”
“Perhaps。”saidhe，“butIdon’tknowit；Iamburstingwiththesethings，anditismyfatetosaythem。”
Iknewtherewouldbenostoppinghim，soIgaveinandaskedwhatquestionhefeltaspecialdesiretoburnhisfingerswithinthefirstinstance。
“Marriage。”herejoinedpromptly，“andthepowerofdisposingofhispropertyafteramanisdead。ThequestionofChristianityisvirtuallysettled，orifnotsettledthereisnolackofthoseengagedinsettlingit。Thequestionofthedaynowismarriageandthefamilysystem。”
“That。”saidIdrily，“isahornet’snestindeed。”
“Yes。”saidhenolessdrily，“buthornet’snestsareexactlywhatI
happentolike。Before，however，IbegintostirupthisparticularoneIproposetotravelforafewyears，withtheespecialobjectoffindingoutwhatnationsnowexistingarethebest，comeliestandmostlovable，andalsowhatnationshavebeensointimespast。I
wanttofindouthowthesepeoplelive，andhavelived，andwhattheircustomsare。
“Ihaveveryvaguenotionsuponthesubjectasyet，butthegeneralimpressionIhaveformedisthat，puttingourselvesononeside，themostvigorousandamiableofknownnationsarethemodernItalians，theoldGreeksandRomans，andtheSouthSeaIslanders。Ibelievethatthesenicepeopleshavenotasageneralrulebeenpurists，butIwanttoseethoseofthemwhocanyetbeseen；theyarethepracticalauthoritiesonthequestion——Whatisbestforman？andI
shouldliketoseethemandfindoutwhattheydo。Letussettlethefactfirstandfightaboutthemoraltendenciesafterwards。”
“Infact。”saidIlaughingly，“youmeantohavehigholdtimes。”
“Neitherhighernorlower。”wastheanswer，“thanthosepeoplewhomIcanfindtohavebeenthebestinallages。Butletuschangethesubject。”Heputhishandintohispocketandbroughtoutaletter。
“Myfather。”hesaid，“gavemethisletterthismorningwiththesealalreadybroken。”Hepasseditovertome，andIfoundittobetheonewhichChristinahadwrittenbeforethebirthofherlastchild，andwhichIhavegiveninanearlierchapter。
“Andyoudonotfindthisletter。”saidI，“affecttheconclusionwhichyouhavejusttoldmeyouhavecometoconcerningyourpresentplans？”
Hesmiled，andanswered：“No。Butifyoudowhatyouhavesometimestalkedaboutandturntheadventuresofmyunworthyselfintoanovel，mindyouprintthisletter。”
“Whyso？”saidI，feelingasthoughsuchaletterasthisshouldhavebeenheldsacredfromthepublicgaze。
“Becausemymotherwouldhavewisheditpublished；ifshehadknownyouwerewritingaboutmeandhadthisletterinyourpossession，shewouldaboveallthingshavedesiredthatyoushouldpublishit。
Thereforepublishitifyouwriteatall。”
ThisiswhyIhavedoneso。
WithinamonthErnestcarriedhisintentionintoeffect，andhavingmadeallthearrangementsnecessaryforhischildren’swelfareleftEnglandbeforeChristmas。
Iheardfromhimnowandagainandlearntthathewasvisitingalmostallpartsoftheworld，butonlystayinginthoseplaceswherehefoundtheinhabitantsunusuallygood-lookingandagreeable。
Hesaidhehadfilledanimmensequantityofnote-books，andIhavenodoubthehad。Atlastinthespringof1867hereturned，hisluggagestainedwiththevariationofeachhoteladvertisement’twixthereandJapan。Helookedverybrownandstrong，andsowellfavouredthatitalmostseemedasifhemusthavecaughtsomegoodlooksfromthepeopleamongwhomhehadbeenliving。HecamebacktohisoldroomsintheTemple，andsettleddownaseasilyasifhehadneverbeenawayaday。
Oneofthefirstthingswedidwastogoandseethechildren；wetookthetraintoGravesend，andwalkedthenceforafewmilesalongtheriversidetillwecametothesolitaryhousewherethegoodpeoplelivedwithwhomErnesthadplacedthem。ItwasalovelyAprilmorning，butwithafreshairblowingfromoffthesea；thetidewashigh，andtheriverwasalivewithshippingcomingupwithwindandtide。Sea-gullswheeledaroundusoverhead，sea-weedclungeverywheretothebankswhichtheadvancingtidehadnotyetcovered，everythingwasoftheseasea-ey，andthefinebracingairwhichblewoverthewatermademefeelmorehungrythanIhaddoneformanyaday；Ididnotseehowchildrencouldliveinabetterphysicalatmospherethanthis，andapplaudedtheselectionwhichErnesthadmadeonbehalfofhisyoungsters。
Whilewewerestillaquarterofamileoffweheardshoutsandchildren’slaughter，andcouldseealotofboysandgirlsrompingtogetherandrunningafteroneanother。Wecouldnotdistinguishourowntwo，butwhenwegotneartheyweresoonmadeout，fortheotherchildrenwereblue-eyed，flaxen-patedlittlefolks，whereasoursweredarkandstraight-haired。
Wehadwrittentosaythatwewerecoming，buthaddesiredthatnothingshouldbesaidtothechildren，sothesepaidnomoreattentiontousthantheywouldhavedonetoanyotherstranger，whohappenedtovisitaspotsounfrequentedexceptbysea-faringfolk，whichweplainlywerenot。Theinterest，however，inuswasmuchquickenedwhenitwasdiscoveredthatwehadgotourpocketsfulloforangesandsweeties，toanextentgreaterthanithadenteredintotheirsmallimaginationstoconceiveaspossible。Atfirstwehadgreatdifficultyinmakingthemcomenearus。Theywerelikealotofwildyoungcolts，veryinquisitive，butverycoyandnottobecajoledeasily。Thechildrenwerenineinall——fiveboysandtwogirlsbelongingtoMrandMrsRollings，andtwotoErnest。IneversawafinerlotofchildrenthantheyoungRollings，theboyswerehardy，robust，fearlesslittlefellowswitheyesasclearashawks；
theeldergirlwasexquisitelypretty，buttheyoungeronewasamerebaby。IfeltasIlookedatthem，thatifIhadhadchildrenofmyownIcouldhavewishednobetterhomeforthem，norbettercompanions。
GeorgieandAlice，Ernest’stwochildren，wereevidentlyquiteasonefamilywiththeothers，andcalledMrandMrsRollingsuncleandaunt。Theyhadbeensoyoungwhentheywerefirstbroughttothehousethattheyhadbeenlookeduponinthelightofnewbabieswhohadbeenbornintothefamily。TheyknewnothingaboutMrandMrsRollingsbeingpaidsomuchaweektolookafterthem。Ernestaskedthemallwhattheywantedtobe。Theyhadonlyoneidea；oneandall，Georgieamongtherest，wantedtobebargemen。Youngduckscouldhardlyhaveamoreevidenthankeringafterthewater。
“Andwhatdoyouwant，Alice？”saidErnest。
“Oh。”shesaid，“I’mgoingtomarryJackhere，andbeabargeman’swife。”
Jackwastheeldestboy，nownearlytwelve，asturdylittlefellow，theimageofwhatMrRollingsmusthavebeenathisage。Aswelookedathim，sostraightandwellgrownandwelldoneallround，I
couldseeitwasinErnest’smindasmuchasinminethatshecouldhardlydomuchbetter。
“Comehere，Jack，myboy。”saidErnest，“here’sashillingforyou。”
Theboyblushedandcouldhardlybegottocomeinspiteofourpreviousblandishments；hehadhadpenniesgivenhimbefore，butshillingsnever。Hisfathercaughthimgood-naturedlybytheearandluggedhimtous。
“He’sagoodboy，Jackis。”saidErnesttoMrRollings，“I’msureofthat。”
“Yes。”saidMrRollings，“he’sawerrygoodboy，onlythatIcan’tgethimtolearnhisreadingandwriting。Hedon’tlikegoingtoschool，that’stheonlycomplaintIhaveagainsthim。Idon’tknowwhat’sthematterwithallmychildren，andyours，MrPontifex，isjustasbad，buttheynoneof’emlikesbooklearning，thoughtheylearnanythingelsefastenough。Why，asforJackhere，he’salmostasgoodabargemanasIam。”Andhelookedfondlyandpatronisinglytowardshisoffspring。
“Ithink。”saidErnesttoMrRollings，“ifhewantstomarryAlicewhenhegetsolderhehadbetterdoso，andheshallhaveasmanybargesashelikes。Inthemeantime，MrRollings，sayinwhatwaymoneycanbeofusetoyou，andwhateveryoucanmakeusefulisatyourdisposal。”
IneedhardlysaythatErnestmadematterseasyforthisgoodcouple；onestipulation，however，heinsistedon，namely，therewastobenomoresmuggling，andthattheyoungpeopleweretobekeptoutofthis；foralittlebirdhadtoldErnestthatsmugglinginaquietwaywasoneoftheresourcesoftheRollingsfamily。MrRollingswasnotsorrytoassenttothis，andIbelieveitisnowmanyyearssincethecoastguardpeoplehavesuspectedanyoftheRollingsfamilyasoffendersagainsttherevenuelaw。
“WhyshouldItakethemfromwheretheyare。”saidErnesttomeinthetrainaswewenthome，“tosendthemtoschoolswheretheywillnotbeonehalfsohappy，andwheretheirillegitimacywillverylikelybeaworrytothem？Georgiewantstobeabargeman，lethimbeginasone，thesoonerthebetter；hemayaswellbeginwiththisaswithanythingelse；thenifheshowsdevelopmentsIcanbeonthelook-outtoencouragethemandmakethingseasyforhim；whileifheshowsnodesiretogoahead，whatonearthisthegoodoftryingtoshovehimforward？”
Ernest，Ibelieve，wentonwithahomilyuponeducationgenerally，anduponthewayinwhichyoungpeopleshouldgothroughtheembryonicstageswiththeirmoneyasmuchaswiththeirlimbs，beginninglifeinamuchlowersocialpositionthanthatinwhichtheirparentswere，andalotmore，whichhehassincepublished；
butIwasgettingoninyears，andthewalkandthebracingairhadmademesleepy，soerewehadgotpastGreenhitheStationonourreturnjourneyIhadsunkintoarefreshingsleep。