sque English; and
Billy, arriving from some remote corner of the run, left his horse at
the gate and came up to the verandah, standing a black statue in shirt,
moleskins and leggings, his stockwhip over his arm, while Mr. Linton
asked questions about the cattle he had been to see. Afterwards Mrs.
Brown brought out tea, having met and routed with great slaughter
Sarah, who was anxious to have the honour that up to to-day had been
Norah's alone.

"It's dull for you, sir," she said. "No mistake, it do make a
difference when that child's not in the house!"

"No doubt of that," Mr. Linton said. "But I'm getting on very well,
Brownie, although I certainly miss my nurses."

"Oh, we can make you comferable an' all that," Brownie said,
disparagingly. "But when it comes to a mate, we all know there ain't
any one for you like Miss Norah--though I do say Master Jim's as handy
in a sick-room as that high-flown nurse from Melbourne ever was--I'm
glad to me bones she's gone!" said Brownie, in pious relief.

"So am I," agreed the squatter hastily. "Afraid I don't take kindly to
the imported article--and I'm perfectly certain Norah and she nearly
came to blows many times."

"An' small wonder," said Brownie, her nose uplifted. "Keepin' her out
of your room, if you please--or tryin' to--till Miss Norah heard you
callin' her, an' simply came in at the winder! An' callin' her 'ducksy
bird.' I ask you, sir," said Brownie, indignantly, "is 'ducksy bird'
the thing anybody with sense'd be likely to call Miss Norah?"

"Poor Norah!" said Mr. Linton, laughing. "She didn't tell me of that
indignity."

"Many a trile Miss Norah had with that nurse as I'll dare be sworn,
she'd never menshin to you, sir," Brownie answered. "She wouldn't let a
breath of anything get near you that'd worry you. Why, it was three
weeks and more before she'd let you be told about Bobs!"

David Linton's brow darkened.

"I couldn't have done any good, of course," he said. "But I'm sorry I
couldn't have helped her at all over that bad business. Well, I hope
Providence will keep that young man out of my path in future!"

"An' out of Billabong," said Brownie with fervour. "Mr. Cecil's safer
away. I guess even now he'd have a rough time if the men caught him--an'
serve him right!"

"He seems penitent," Mr. Linton said, "and even his mother wrote about
him more in sorrow than in anger. The atmosphere of admiration in which
he has always lived seems to have cooled, wh