“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。