"What do you think, Carew?" said Charlie, cutting Briney Donohoe
off again. "Don't you think that old fellow was telling the truth
when he said he married Peggy?"
"Sure he was," said the Englishman. "Never saw a fellow in such a
funk in my life."
"What about Peggy?" said Pinnock. "How did she take it?"
"Bold as brass! I thought she was going to kiss Charlie there, when
she found out who he was."
Pinnock laughed. "Funny thing," he said, "a woman like Peggy having
the chance to choose between two fortunes. Pity we couldn't induce
her to take the old bushman and be done with it. How much money
has he come into, Carew?"
"Oh, plenty of money. But of course there's an old place to keep
up, and the death duties are very heavy. Very expensive thing having
money left you in England, you know."
Charlie Gordon turned to Pinnock. "What you ought to do," he said
(the far-out man who has to shift for himself is always quite sure
he can settle all difficulties better than those whose profession
it is), "what you ought to do," he repeated, "is to send someone
to Peggy and tell her not to be such a fool. Tell her to stick to
old Considine. That's what you ought to do."
"Well, suppose you go and do it. You know the lady better than
anyone here, seemingly. But if she has been to see Blake, I expect
the fat's in the fire by this time."
"I don't think much of Blake takin' up the case," said Binjie,
"after the old lady asked him here. It's doing the black-snake act,
I call it. I don't suppose he'll come here any more after this."
Hugh still sat looking out of the window, smoking silently. "Here
comes Blake now, anyhow," he said. "He's just coming up the flat."
"Wants to see me, I expect," said Pinnock. "We'll know all about
it now. Must have heard I was here, and is come to declare war or
sue for peace. Someone had better go and meet him, I suppose."
"Dashed if I'll go," said Poss. "I don't care about a chap that
doesn't act white. I saw Red Mick's and Peggy's horses at his office
to-day, and now he comes up here as bold as brass."
"Let him go round to the front," said Hugh, "and then he can ask
the servants for whoever he wants. If we go out and meet him, we'll
have to ask him to stay."
The approach to houses in the bush is generally by way of the yard
where the horses arrive, and it is very unusual for anyone, except
a stranger making a formal visit, to be allowed to find their way
round to the front.