“It certainly is; but I mean, did you not sometimes need the friendly offices of a lawyer after a wild few days?” “Sir,” said Despard, throwing away the end of his cigar, “if your idea of a wild few days is housebreaking or manslaughter, it wasn't ours, I can tell you. No, my boy, we never took to bushranging; and though I've had my turn with Derringer's small cannons when I was at Chokeneck Gulch, it was only because it was the custom of the country. No, sir; Oswin, though he seems to have turned against me here, will still have my good word, for I swear to you he never did anything that made the place too hot for him, though I don't suppose that if he was in a competitive examination for a bishopric the true account of his life in Melbourne would help him greatly.” “There are none of us here who mean to be bishops,” laughed Harwood. “But I understood from a few words Markham let fall that--well, never mind, he is a right good fellow, as I found when we went up country together a couple of weeks ago. By the way, do you mean to remain here long, Mr. Despard?” “Life is short, mister, and I've learned never to make arrangements very far in advance. I've about eighty sovereigns with me, and I'll stay here till they're spent.” “Then your stay will be proportionate to your spending powers.” “In an inverse ratio, as they used to say at school,” said Despard. When Mr. Harwood went into the room he reflected that on the whole he had not gained much information from Mr. Despard; and Mr. Despard reflected that on the whole Mr. Harwood had not got much information by his system of leading questions. About half an hour afterwards Markham came out upon the balcony, and gave a little unaccountable start on seeing its sole occupant. “Hallo, my boy! have you turned up at last?” cried Despard. “Our good old Calapash friend will tell you that unless you get up with the lark you'll never do anything in the world. You should have been here a short time ago to witness the hydraulic experiments.” “The what?” said Markham. “Hydraulic experiments. The patent pump of the _Dominant Trumpeter_ was being tested upon me. Experiments failed, not through any incapacity of the pump, but through the contents of the reservoir worked upon not running free enough in the right direction.” “Was Mr. Harwood here?” “He was, my boy. And he wanted to know all about how we lived in Melbourne.” “And you told him----”