of this finger without irritation: it seemed
to sum up Sarah's whole outlook on life.

Meanwhile Polly's fresh voice went on, relating Purdy's fortunes. "He
took part, you know, in the dreadful affair on the Eureka last
Christmas, when so many poor men were killed. We can speak of it, now
they've all been pardoned; but then we had to be very careful. Well, he
was shot in the ankle, and will always be lame from it."

"What!--go hobbling on one leg for the remainder of his days? Oh, my
dear!" said Sarah, and laughed.

"Yes, because the wound wasn't properly attended to--he had to hide
about in the bush, for ever so long. Later on he went to the Beamishes,
to be nursed. But by that time his poor leg was in a very bad state.
You know he is engaged--or very nearly so--to Tilly Beamish."

"What?" said Sarah once more. "That handsome young fellow engaged to
one of those vulgar creatures?"

"Oh, Sarah ... not really vulgar. It isn't their fault they didn't have
a better education. They lived right up-country, where there were no
schools. Tilly never saw a town till she was sixteen; but she can sit
any horse.--Yes, we hope very much Purdy will soon settle down and
marry her--though he left the Hotel again without proposing." And Polly
sighed.

"There he shows his good taste, my dear."

"Oh, I'm sure he's fond of Tilly. It's only that his life is so
unsettled. He's been a barman at Euroa since then; and the last we
heard of him, he was shearing somewhere on the Goulburn. He doesn't
seem able to stick to anything."

"And a rolling stone gathers no moss!" gave back Sarah
sententiously--and in fancy Mahony saw the cut-and-dried nod with which
she accompanied the words.

Here Hempel passed through the store, clad in his Sunday best, his hair
plastered flat with bear's-grease.

"Going out for a stroll?" asked his master.

"That was my h'intention, sir. I don't think you'll find I've left any
of my dooties undone."

"Oh, go, by all means!" said Mahony curtly, nettled at having his
harmless query misconstrued. It pointed a suspicion he had had, of
late, that a change was coming over Hempel. The model employee was a
shade less prompt than heretofore to fly at his word, and once or twice
seemed actually to be studying his own convenience. Without knowing
what the matter was, Mahony felt it politic not to be
over-exacting--even mildly to conciliate his assistant. It would put
him in an awkward fix, now that he was on the ve