ra is no place for the sort of wife I want,' he returned
shortly.

'I don't see that. It isn't as if you were going to stop there always.
When you're rich enough you can put on a manager. You've got an
enormous piece of pretty good country, haven't you?'

'One thousand square miles--and a lot more to be got for the
taking--mostly fair cattle pasture--now that we're going in for
Artesian bores. But it means capital, sinking wells three thousand feet
and more. It'll be three or four years at least before I can see a trip
to Europe--doing the thing in the way I mean to do it.'

'Must you go to Europe for a wife? Aren't Australian girls good enough?'

'I've always meant to try for the best. You taught me that, Joan, I
shall follow your example. You were an Australian girl.'

Mrs Gildea's face saddened. 'Well,' was all she said.

'You see,' he went on, and the eyes took their narrow concentrated look
and suddenly blazed out as he straightened himself against the veranda
post, 'I know something of what marriage in the back block means: and
I've studied women--don't laugh--I mean theoretically--from books. I've
read history--always managed a couple of volumes or so in my
swag--nights and nights, by the light of a fat lamp and a camp fire.
I've studied the women of great times--ancient and modern--they're
always the same--and I've remarked the type of woman that's got
grit--capacity for fine things--You understand all that as well as I
do, Joan. Look at the women of the French Revolution for one
instance--the aristocrats, you know--well, I've realised that it takes
blood and breeding and tradition behind to carry a woman to the block
with a sure step and a proud smile ...' Suddenly, he became aware of
Joan's gaze, half surprised, wholly interested.... He reddened and
pulled himself up gruffly.

'Sentimental rot, d'ye call it?'

'No, Colin, I believe in all that and so do you.'

'Blood and breeding and tradition--all the grand stuff that's been
grown in them on the NOBLESSE OBLIGE principle--self-respect, courage,
dignity--the stuff that gives staying power as well as the fire for
making good spunk.... Not that I'd put a pure-blood racer to haul up
logs for an iron-bark fence: any more than I'd set out to plant an
English lady of that sort to rough it on the Leura.'

'Well, why not? Do you want your wife to be like a canary in a cage?'

'You know I don't hold with gilded cages and spoiling a woman who is
there to be