harlie there, when she
found out who he was."

Pinnock laughed. "Funny thing," he said, "a woman like Peggy having the
chance to choose between two fortunes. Pity we couldn't induce her to
take the old bushman and be done with it. How much money has he come
into, Carew?"

"Oh, plenty of money. But of course there's an old place to keep up, and
the death duties are very heavy. Very expensive thing having money left
you in England, you know."

Charlie Gordon turned to Pinnock. "What you ought to do," he said (the
far-out man who has to shift for himself is always quite sure he can
settle all difficulties better than those whose profession it is), "what
you ought to do," he repeated, "is to send someone to Peggy and tell her
not to be such a fool. Tell her to stick to old Considine. That's what
you ought to do."

"Well, suppose you go and do it. You know the lady better than anyone
here, seemingly. But if she has been to see Blake, I expect the fat's in
the fire by this time."

"I don't think much of Blake takin' up the case," said Binjie, "after
the old lady asked him here. It's doing the black-snake act, I call it.
I don't suppose he'll come here any more after this."

Hugh still sat looking out of the window, smoking silently. "Here comes
Blake now, anyhow," he said. "He's just coming up the flat."

"Wants to see me, I expect," said Pinnock. "We'll know all about it now.
Must have heard I was here, and is come to declare war or sue for peace.
Someone had better go and meet him, I suppose."

"Dashed if I'll go," said Poss. "I don't care about a chap that doesn't
act white. I saw Red Mick's and Peggy's horses at his office to-day, and
now he comes up here as bold as brass."

"Let him go round to the front," said Hugh, "and then he can ask the
servants for whoever he wants. If we go out and meet him, we'll have to
ask him to stay."

The approach to houses in the bush is generally by way of the yard where
the horses arrive, and it is very unusual for anyone, except a stranger
making a formal visit, to be allowed to find their way round to the
front.

Blake rode up and gave his horse to the horse-boy. "Put him in the
stable for a while," he said. "I may want him again." Then he went round
to the front door and asked for Mrs. Gordon.

"I have come to see Miss Grant on very important business," he said when
the old lady came in. "Would you ask her if she would see me?"

The old lady was in a quandary. She had