urra. Then, his grievance aparently coming back on him,
he put the child abruptly aside, and leaving valise and horse at the
Bachelors' Quarters, walked with determined steps and frowning visage
down the track to the veranda. There, his wife was standing, very pale,
very erect, her eyes glittering ominously.

McKeith was through the gate and up the flight of steps in three or
four strides.

He seemed to sense the antagonism in her, and demanded at once, without
waiting to give her any greeting.

'Biddy, what's this I'm hearing about Wombo and that gin?'

'I think you might have asked me before going to Mrs Hensor for
information,' she answered with equal curtness.

He stared at her for a moment or two as if surprised; his face
reddened, and his eyes, too, glittered.

'I don't know what you mean. I had to speak to Mrs Hensor about beds
being wanted up there, and of course I asked her how things had been
going on.'

'And did she tell you that she had been inhuman and insolent?'

'Inhuman... Insolent!'

'She spoke to me impudently. She defied my orders.'

'I am given to understand that she was carrying out mine,' said McKeith
slowly. 'And if that's so, Mrs Hensor was in the right.'

'You put that woman before ME--before your wife?'

'There's not another woman in the universe I'd put before my wife. But
that's no reason for my giving in to her when she does what I know to
be folly.'

'I see. You call an act of common humanity folly--doing what one could
to relieve the agony of a fellow creature. I am glad that I differ from
you--and from your servant. Mrs Hensor refused to help that poor gin
who had a spear through her arm and was shrieking with pain.'

'Oh, you don't know black-gins as well as I do. They'll pretend they're
dying in agony just to wheedle a drop of rum or a fig of tobacco out of
a white man; and they'll take it quite as a matter of course when one
of their men bashes their head in with a NULLA-NULLA.'

'I suppose you'll allow that a spear wound may hurt a little,' said
Bridget. 'I believe that you yourself suffered from the effect of one
at least, you once told me so.'

And memory--so active these late days, brought suddenly back the vision
of him as he had approached her that evening at Government House. What
a great Viking he had looked!--in modern dress, of course, but bearing
mark of battle in a slight drag of the left leg, only noticeable, she
knew now, when he was shy and proud, and