CHAPTER II.
BRANXHOLM AND ARALEWIN.
Allan was relieved when he came within sight of home. His mother and his sister Jessie were better able to comfort the poor little orphan than he could be: and then Mr. Hammond might be sent for, and he and his wife might be able to suggest something that could be done to send her to her friends, though in that case, of course, he would see her no more, nor have any opportunity of asking a thousand questions, which the daughter of an Oxford student and author might be able to answer, about things which in his bush life he had had no opportunity of hearing.
Branxholm was an irregular-looking building. It had been put up at different times upon no sort of plan. As an addition had been needed, it had been placed somewhere, without any consideration as to symmetry, and often with
