THE «PEOS AND CONS.” 
Mr. Brown came back ; he seemed cheerful, but 
neither himself nor Mr. Jones said anything about 
the Berdy Eeckoner. He resumed the conversation 
himself: — “ Why don’t you get married? How can a 
fellow marrj^ upon £150 a year ? and with this wretch- 
ed house accommodation. Besides, if he could, there 
is no one to marry : for is it not a fact that the few 
European ladies in the country are all married ? I can’t 
afford to go home, and even if I could what sort 
of a house or rather hovel is this to bring an edu- 
cated, relined lady to reside in ? How would she feel 
— left alone here all day, when I am out at woi k ? 
The life is bad enough for me, but then I have my 
work, and yourself and Wildgoose are capital neigh- 
bours. ' She would get sick, have to go home, and we. 
would practically, from the force of circumstances, 
not from our own faults or wishes, be separated, 
you may say, for life, for if I can’t get a rise of 
screw, a considerable one too, 1 ’ll have just to stick 
on and grind away, until I am ‘laid, to moulder in 
the forest glade,’ unless I can manage to save a few 
thousands, make a dash for it, go in for a piece of 
land, which will turn up trumps.” 
Mr. Brown paused, got more melancholy than ever, 
and said bitterly : — Save a few thousands ! it vras 
only the other day, I had to sell my gun, a part- 
ing gift from my father, to pay Solomon account, a 
petty sum of £20, and here am I now talking of sav- 
ing a few thousands. Absurd, dismiss the subject, cut 
it, never to be resumed. Jones, have a horn.” But 
Jones would neither dismiss the subject, nor have a 
horn . H e said : — ^ ^ Let us refer the matter to W ildgoose, 
and see what he says,” but Brown laughed, and saici 
scornfully, almost sarcastically : — ‘‘ Ihefer to Wild- 
goose, What does he know or care about theee mat- 
ters ? The man’s name is his character.” 
But Brown was wrong. Wildgoose was that sort 
of fellow, well up in all the “ways of the world,” 
one who had received a first-class education, one who, 
if a friend went up to him in sober mood, in trouble 
or difficulty, asking his advice, all his nonsense speedily 
disappeared, he wmuld sit down quite gravely, listen 
to all the “outs and ins” of your case, and give 
lirst-i’ate advice, in a quiet, gentlemanly, sympathizing 
way, so tliat even the manner in and by which his 
advice was given inspired confidence in the recipient. 
And this was Mr. Wildgoose’s opinion. It was 
something similar tq St. Paul’s. If a planter loves 
a girl, and the girl loves him, thej^ marry for the 
sake of each other, irrespective altogether of any 
other consideration, such as bungalows or any other 
“bungle.” The sooner they marry the better, for the 
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