"Then good-bye," she cried, "Mrs Hallam, Miss Hallam, accept my thanks for your kindness to my boy here. Lady Eaton appointed me her deputy, but I'm tired of my sorry task. Good-bye. Are we to be companions back, Sir Gordon?" "Yes--yes--yes," said the old gentleman, "I am coming. Remember," he said, in a low tone to Mrs Hallam. "I never forget such kindness as yours, Sir Gordon," she replied. "Good-bye, Julia, my child," he said, kissing her hands. "If ever you want help of any kind, come straight to me. Good-bye." "If she would only make some appeal to me," he muttered. "But I can't interfere without. Poor things! Poor things!" "_I_ beg your pardon, Sir Gordon," said Mrs Otway. "What are poor things?" "Talking to myself, ma'am--talking to myself." "You don't like Philip Eaton," she said quickly. "Eh? Well, to be frank, ma'am, no: I don't." "Because he likes your little _protegee_?" "I'm sorry to say, madam, that she is not my _protegee_. Poor child!" "Hadn't we better be frank, Sir Gordon? Suppose Philip Eaton wanted to marry her--what then?" "Confound him! I should like to hand him over to the blacks!" "What if she loved him?" "If she loved him--if she loved him, Mrs Otway?" said the old man dreamily. "Why, then--dear me! This love's one of the greatest miseries of life. But, there, ma'am, I have no influence at all. You must _go_ to her father, not come to me." VOLUME FOUR, CHAPTER THIRTEEN. IN THE TOILS. "So he goes to-day, eh?" said Crellock. "Yes; I've seen him, and he's going to-day." "Lucky for him, for I've got into a state of mind that does not promise much good for any one who stands in my way," said Crellock, with an unpleasant look in his eyes. "And now, mind this: as soon as he is gone, and we are alone, the matter is to be pressed home. Here, I'll be off. I don't want to say good-bye." He picked up his whip and stepped out into the verandah, walking along past the dining-room window, which was open, and through it came the voice of Julia in measured cadence, reading aloud. Crellock ground his teeth and half stopped; but he gave his whip a sharp crack and went on. "A row would only frighten her, and I don't want to _do_ that. The coast will be clear this afternoon." He went on round to the stable, saddled and mounted his horse, and turned off by the first track for the open country. "A good ride will calm me down," he said; and he went off at a gallop for a few miles, but with his head down, seeing neither green tree with its tints of pearly grey and pink, nor the curious tufts of grass in his path. A mob of kangaroos started before him and went off with their peculiar bounds; flock after flock of parrots, with colours bright as the most gorgeous sunset, flew screaming away; and twice over he passed spear-armed blacks, who ceased their task of hunting for grubs to stare at the man riding so recklessly through the bush.