‘What a brute that mare of yours is to amble, Tottie,’ said Mr. Banks, slightly out of breath; ‘can’t you make her go a more Christian pace? Come, let’s have a spin.’ ‘All right,’ said the girl, going off at speed, and sitting down to her work, ‘but it must be a very short one; my mare is as weak as a cat, and I suppose your horse isn’t much better.’ ‘He’s as strong as nothing to eat three times a day can make him. So pull up as soon as you like. I say, Tottie, I’m awfully glad you’ve come up this time to help us with our lady. It was firstrate of your mother to let you come. Fancy Miss Neuchamp coming up in the coach by herself from Sydney!’ ‘Why shouldn’t she? I wish I had the chance of going down by myself—wouldn’t I take it—quick? But I say, Mr. Banks, what am I to do when I get there? I shall be so frightened of the lady. And I never was in service before.’ ‘Oh, you must take it easy, you know,’ commenced Mr. Banks, in a very clear explanation-to-a-child sort of way. ‘Do everything she tells you, always say “Yes, ma’am,” and “No, ma’am,” and be a good girl all round. I’ve seen you _look_ awfully good sometimes, Tottie, you know.‘ ‘Oh, nonsense, Mr. Banks,’ said the nut-brown maid, blushing through her southern-tinted skin in a very visible manner. ‘I’m no more than others, I expect. What shall I have to do, though?’ ‘Well, a good deal of nothing, I should say. You’ll sleep in the room I used to have, next to hers; for you’ll be in the cottage all by yourselves all night. You’ll have to sweep and dust, and wash for Miss Neuchamp, and wait at table. The rest of the time you’ll have to hang it out the best way you can. You mustn’t quarrel with old Johnnie, the cook, or else he’ll go away and leave us all in the bush. He’s a cross old ruffian, but he _can_ cook.’ ‘I wonder if it will be very dull—but it won’t be for long, will it, Mr. Banks?’ ‘Dull? don’t think of it. Won’t there be me and Jack Windsor, and an odd traveller to talk to. Besides, Jack’s a great admirer of yours, isn’t he, Tottie?’ ‘Not he,’ quoth the damsel, with decision; ‘there’s some girl down the country that he thinks no end of; besides, father and he don’t get on well,’ added Miss Tottie, with much demureness. ‘Oh, that don’t signify,’ said Mr. Banks authoritatively. ‘Jack’s a good fellow, and will be overseer here some day; you go in and cut down the other girl. He said you were the best-looking girl on the river last Sunday.’ ‘Oh, you go on,’ said Tottie, playing with the bridle rein, and again making her mare run up to the top of her exceptional pace, so that further playful conversation by Mr. Banks was restricted by his lack of breath.