I see then that it is your due that we
should bring no one here of whom you do not fully approve."
"It is not only a matter of approval," I explained. "There are many
with whom I could freely associate in general society, or if I had
any lady with me, whom I ought not to have constantly here with only
you two."
"England is different from the Bush," he answered, and meditated for
ten minutes more, for no doubt it was the Australian practice to
offer free quarters to all comers without Mrs. Grundy, who had hardly
yet had her free passage. My heart smote me lest I were acting
unkindly for her sake, but then surely I was saving my allegiance to
my dead mother, and while I was still thinking it over, Harold said:
"You are more to us than any one could be; Eustace shall see the
thing rightly, and while you are good enough to make this our home, I
promise you that no one shall be invited here but as you like."
It was a bold promise, especially as it turned out that Eustace had
been making large invitations to the Arghouse fishing to Dermot Tracy
and some officer friends whom he had found at Biston, and who seemed
to have made themselves very pleasant. I bade Harold never mind
about that sort of invitation, as it need not affect Dora or me,
since we could keep out of the way of it, being unconcerned with
gentlemen's parties. Miss Woolmer said I had done right, and gave us
a general invitation to spend the evening with her if Eustace wished
to entertain his friends, though she hinted, "Don't be too ready to
leave the coast clear.
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