name," said she impressively. "I recollect you well on
Bendigo."

"Many's the time I've seen you there," said Smith, in an embarrassed
tone of voice. "I hope as how you have your health, Mrs. Peck. Susan,
my dear, you'd better give Mrs. Peck some refreshments. Step in, Mrs.
Peck, I'm just a day home, and I ain't come back too soon, neither, as
it appears. Susan, my dear, get out the spirit bottle. Will you have
brandy with hot water or cold, Mrs. Peck?"

"With cold this hot day. I've been half baked travelling in that mail
omnibus twenty miles, and the wind blowing through it like a flaming
furnace; and now your Adelaide dust is making me as grimy as I'm not
fit to be seen," said Mrs. Peck, wiping her face with her handkerchief,
and watching how Smith mixed her brandy and water. "There's nothing
pleases me like meeting with an old friend."

"Nor me," said Smith, "if so be as she is friendly. Now, Susan, sit
down and have a glass with us. Why, the woman looks handsomer nor the
day I married her. I don't wonder at the risk I ran of being choused
out of you; but it was rather too bad, too, was it not, Mrs. Peck? If
my letters hadn't a miscarried you would never have thought of such a
thing, Susan," said he, with an insinuating smile, handing his wife a
mixture similar to that he presented to his old friend.

"If they had been written there would have been no fear of their
miscarrying," said she rather sulkily.

"Here's Mrs. Peck--my good friend, Mrs. Peck--who will be a warrant how
often I used to be a speaking of you, and a wondering what made me give
up writing."

"That I will," said Mrs. Peck, who felt this little bit of romance was
quite in her line. "Many's the time I've heard him speaking about you
and the children."

"Take another drop of brandy, Mrs. Peck," said her newly-found friend.

"Thank you," said she; "it's better brandy than we used to get at
Bendigo, but really I am in too much trouble just now to enjoy it, and
I won't take no more nor the single glass. It's a bad world and a sad
one, and I seem to have more than my share of trouble."

"Dear me! Mrs. Peck, I am sorry to hear that; and I am sure I wish I
could do anything to help you," said Smith.

"I don't like imposing on people that I haven't no claims on, but I am
in great need of twelve pounds just for a little while. I have an
annuity, as I dare say you heard at Bendigo."

"Yes, I heerd on it," said Smith, who appeared indisposed to con