trides to meet them.

"Hardress told me you had suddenly turned into a Marathon runner at
the sight of three big hats!" he said. "How are you, Harry? It's an
age since we saw you."

"Yes, isn't it?" Harry shook hands warmly, and introduced his friends.
"You haven't changed either, Mr. Linton."

"I ought to be aging--only Norah won't hear of it," said Mr. Linton,
laughing. "She bullies me more hopelessly than ever, Harry."

"She always did," Trevor agreed. "Oh, I want to talk about Billabong
for an hour! How's Brownie, Nor? and Murty O'Toole? and Black Billy?
How do you manage to live away from them?"

"It isn't easy," Norah answered. "They're all very fit, only they
want us back. We can't allow ourselves to think of the day that we'll
get home, or we all grow light-headed."

"It will be no end of a day for all of us," said Harrison. "Think of
marching down Collins Street again, with the crowd cheering
us--keeping an eye out for the people one knew! It was fairly beastly
marching up it for the last time."

"It's not Collins Street I want, but a bit of the Gippsland track,"
said Jack Blake. "You know, Dick, we took cattle there last year.
Over the Haunted Hills--aren't they jolly in the spring!--and down
through the scrub to Morwell and Traralgon. I'd give something to see
that bit of country again."

"Ah, it's all good country," David Linton said. Then they were at the
house, and a buzz of conversation floated out to them from the hall,
where tea was in progress.

"Your father simply made me promise to go on without you," said Mrs.
West, as Norah made her apologies. "I said it was dreadful, but he
wouldn't listen to me. And there are your friends! Dear me, how
large they are, and so brown! Do introduce them to me: I'm planning
to hear all about Australia. And a sergeant and lance-corporal!
Isn't it romantic to see them among us, and quite at their ease.
_Don't_ tell them I'm a Colonel's wife, my dear; I would hate them to
feel embarrassed!"

"I don't think you need worry," said Norah, smiling to herself. She
brought up the three newcomers and introduced them. They subsided
upon a sofa, and listened solemnly while Mrs. West opened all her
conversational batteries upon them. Norah heard the opening--"I've
read such a _lot_ about your charming country!" and felt a throb of
pity for the three wanderers from afar.

Hardress came towards her with a cup of tea, his limb a little more
evident.