ancy, Uncle Ted!"--and as she
spoke, she lifted the slip-rails in place again and turned to him with
a beaming face, out of breath, and so wildly excited that she could
scarcely speak.

"What is the matter, young 'un?" and the big man bent down and swooped
her up into the saddle in front of him.

"Oh, Uncle Ted, this is the very, very first time in my life that I was
glad you were away!"

"How's that?"

"Aunt Lizzie let me sleep with her last NIGHT."

A great joy came into Westonley's heart. "Did she? Really and truly?"

"Really and truly! And oh, Uncle Ted, it was lovely! We talked and
talked and talked for such a long time, and she told me such a lot
of things about the school she was at in England, and about the girls
there--some were very nice, but there were some horrid ones. Oh, she
told me heaps of things. It was lovely, and we had Bunny in the room,
too"--here she paused to catch her breath--"he tried to get in through
the mosquito curtains, and got all tangled up, and tore a most enormous
hole in them, and Aunt Lizzie only laughed, and said it didn't matter!"

"You _must_ have had a bully time."

"Splendid! And Aunt Lizzie and I are going to the beach together one
day next week to get pippies, and she says she won't mind if she gets
sopping wet right up to her face."

When they reached the house they found Mrs Westonley awaiting them on
the verandah, and when her husband put his arms around her and kissed
her repeatedly, she blushed like a young girl. And as the days went on
he saw with delight that she had at last taken the child to her heart.

*****

Breakfast was over, and Westonley in his study was talking to his head
stockman when he saw Brooke riding up.

"Lizzie," he called to his wife, "here is Brooke. I expect he will have
some breakfast, so tell Mrs Patton."

Brooke, a tall, powerfully-built man, and usually as boisterous as a
school-boy in his manner, seemed very quiet as he dismounted, shook
hands with Westonley and his wife, and patted Mary's head.

"Just in time for breakfast, Mr Brooke."

"No, thank you, Mrs Westonley. I had mine at five o'clock--I made an
early start, as I wanted to get here as soon as possible, thinking that
very likely Westonley might be going out on the run somewhere, and that
I might miss him. I want to have a talk with you, old man."

Mrs Westonley and Mary at once left the room, both wondering what was
the matter with Brooke--he looked so worried and de