Page:Authors daughter v1.djvu/301

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AN INVITATION FROM A BROTHER.
297

name well; he changed colour and was about to speak.

"She is a poor orphan whose father was accidentally killed as he was going to be tutor to one of their neighbours, and as she had no friends in the colony, or in the world either, by what I can make out, Mrs. George's father and mother took her home. You have got a much better likeness than that, Jessie, my dear; let Mr. Derrick see what a lovely girl she is. I never saw a more beautiful photograph," said Mrs. Copeland.

"Would Mr. Derrick like to see it ?" said Jessie. " Photographs are seldom interesting to folk that don't know who they are meant for."

"Oh, yes! certainly, let me see your Australian beauty by all means," said Mr. Derrick, nervously. He could not help noticing Jessie's strong Scotch accent, and observing that she placed the accent of the word interesting on the penultimate. Was this one of the family of wealthy squatters among whom he had heard that his half-sister was so fortunately placed?

"This is a vignette of Amy, which of course I shows her face more distinctly! but I am very fond of that one on Brownie, it gives her figure and the way she holds her head so well," said a Jessie.

At home in his own private drawer Mr. Derrick