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262 but time was precious, and they took the road by Grant's station, which George and Jessie had done.

Mr. and Mrs. Lindsay were greatly disconcerted by George Copeland's change of plans for life. They had hoped, by coming out to Australia, to be able to keep their children near them for their lives, and that had been one main reason for emigrating. The scatterings of Scottish families of all ranks, and especially in Hugh Lindsay's own rank, are far and wide, and often result in lifelong separations. As he had accumulated property in the colony, Mr. Lindsay had felt that there was room enough on his own land for his sons and his daughters; and be dealt fairly and kindly by them all, so that there was little inducement for them to go far from him. But here was another father and mother claiming a son to whom his eldest and his favourite daughter was irrevocably bound, and against whom he had no. right to claim her. Little as the old man showed his affection in words, it was very evident that this departure of Jessie cost him a great deal—more even than it cost her mother. She, good woman, had left home and kindred to go to the ends of the earth with him, and would cheerfully do it again with or for him, and she knew that Jessie accepted this trial as one of the