Ah, how good it was to get out of the circle of social prophecy! It was like breathing the very mid Atlantic sky to talk gaily and freely of things wherein no theory was involved, which left aside every ideal save that of joyous living.

Thyrza listened.

He--he before her--had trodden lands whereof the names were to her like echoes from fairy tales; he had passed days and nights on the bosom of the great sea, which she looked forward to beholding almost with fear; he had seen it in tempest, and the laughing descriptions he gave of vast green rolling mountains made to her inward sight an awful reality.
'You never thought of going to one of the Colonies ?' Egremont asked of Gilbert.
'Yes, years ago,' was the reply, in the tone of a man who sees the trouble of life behind him.

'I think at one time my mother rather despised me because I couldn't make up my mind to go and seek my fortune.' 'I never despised you, my dear,' said the old lady, 'but that was when some friends of ours were sending wonderful news from Australia, sir, and I believe I did half try to persuade Gilbert to go.

His health was very bad, and I thought it might have done him good in all ways.' 'By-the-by,' remarked Gilbert, 'Ackroyd talks of going to Canada.' 'Ackroyd ?' said Egremont.