l of affectations.
Underneath it, however, lay commonsense and sympathy. She became
suddenly simple and direct.

'Well, now, Mrs Gildea, let us look at the matter without prejudice.
You are fond of Biddy and so am I, but we know her drawbacks.
Naturally, it wouldn't be a good thing under ordinary conditions, but
is she likely to do much better?'

'She has had plenty of chances.'

'And thrown them all away. And though she looks so young, she is close
on thirty. Of course, with her looks and her fascination she ought to
have married well. I'm sure her friends have tried hard enough for her.
But what can you do with a girl who throws herself at the heads of
ineligibles, and when one trots out an unexceptionable PARTI and does
one's best to bring them together, goes off at a tangent and lets the
whole thing drop through. You know how it was with....' Lady Tallant
enumerted names.

Mrs Gildea acquiesced mournfully. Lady Tallant continued:

'The truth is, Biddy has tired out the patience of her relatives and
friends. Molly and Chris Gaverick got the hump over Willoughby
Maule--who would have done well enough if he had only had more money.
Old Eliza'--so Lady Tallant irreverently styled the Dowager Countess of
Gaverick--'told me herself that she was going to wash her hands of
Biddy. I shouldn't wonder if she didn't leave her a penny. And, after
all, it was her own fortune, and she has a horde of needy relatives.
She will consider that she has done her duty to the Gavericks if she
lets Chris have the Castle. When all's said and done, I don't see that
it would be such a bad thing for Biddy to marry a rich Australian
squatter.'

'Colin McKeith is not rich.'

'Oh, he will be. Sir Luke has been hearing all about him.'

'He's not her equal. His father was just a land bailiff, and his
grandfather a crofter.'

'Oh, what DOES that matter! In these days any of us would marry the
roughest of rough diamonds, provided he was decently well off. Biddy
has always been mad after adventure and an open-air life. She's an
original, and everything would be in keeping.' Lady Tallant went on
briskly. 'She would enjoy living among the blacks, provided they did
not murder her, and I suppose one could trust Mr McKeith for that.'

'Oh, there's no danger from the blacks now,' put in Mrs Gildea.

'And then she needn't be buried for ever in the Bush. Luke tells me
that Colin McKeith is certain to come to the fore in politics--I
daresay he wi