you."

"Indeed we shall," urged Connie. "Don't wait to come with Nellie. Come
and see us any time you're in Sydney. Day or night, come and see if we're
in and wait here if we're not."

Geisner and Stratton put on their hats and went with them down the
verandah stops to the little stone quay below. Josie was standing there,
in the drizzle, wrapped in a cloak and holding a lantern. In a rowing
skiff, alongside, was George; another lantern was set on one of the
seats.

"Are you busy to-morrow afternoon?" asked Geisner of Ned, as Nellie was
being handed in, after having kissed Josie.

"Not particularly," answered Ned.

"Then you might meet me in front of the picture gallery between one and
two, and we can have a quiet chat."

"All aboard!" shouted George.

"I'll be there," answered Ned, shaking hands again with Geisner and
Stratton and with Josie, noticing that that young lady had a very warm
clinging hand.

"Good-bye! Good-bye! Good-bye!" From the three on shore.

"Good-bye! Good-bye! Good-bye!" From the three in the boat as George
shoved off.

"Good-bye!" cried Connie's clear voice from the verandah. "Put up the
umbrella, Ned!"

Ned obediently put up the umbrella she had lent him, overcoming his
objections by pointing out that it would keep Nellie's hat from being
spoiled. Then George's oars began to dip into the water, and they turned
their backs to the pleasant home and faced out into the wind and wet.

The last sound that came to them was a long melodious cry that Josie sent
across the water to George, a loving "Good-bye!" that plainly meant "Come
back!"

CHAPTER IX.

"THIS IS SOCIALISM!"

The working of George's oars and the rippling of water on the bow were
all that broke the silence as the skiff moved across the harbour.
Suddenly Ned lost sight of the swinging lantern that Josie had held at
the little landing stairs and without it could not distinguish the house
they had left. Here and there behind them were lights of various kinds
and sizes, shining blurred through the faint drizzle. He saw similar
lights in front and on either hand. Yet the darkness was so deep now that
but for the lantern on the fore thwarts he could not have seen George at
all.

There were no sounds but those of their rowing.

Nellie sat erect, half hidden in the umbrella Ned held over her. George
pulled a long sweeping stroke, bringing it up with a jerk that made the
rowlocks sound sharply. When he bent back they