st rather difficult.
Sir Luke a little too conscious of his responsibilities towards the
British Throne: Lady Tallant so brilliant as to be bewildering. But
except as it concerns Lady Bridget and McKeith, the Tallant's first
dinner-party at Government House is not of special importance in this
story. Mrs Gildea, very well occupied with Dr Plumtree, only caught
diagonal glimpses of her two friends a little lower down on the
opposite side of the table, and, in occasional lulls of conversation,
the musical ring of Lady Bridget's rapid chatter. Colin did not seem to
be talking much, but every time Mrs Gildea glanced at him, he appeared
absorbed in contemplation of the small pointed face and the farouche,
golden-brown eyes turned up to him from under the top heavy mass of
chestnut hair. Lady Bridget, at any rate, had a great deal to say for
herself, and Mrs Gildea wondered what was going to come of it all.

Conversation became more general as champagne flowed and the courses
proceeded.

Sir Luke, discreetly on the prowl for information, attacked Antipodean
questions--the Blacks for instance. He had observed the small company
of natives theatrically got up in the war-paint of former times, which,
grouped round the dais on which he had been received at the State
Landing, had furnished an effective bit of local colour to the pageant.
Up to what degree of latitude might these semi-civilised, and he feared
demoralised beings, be taken as a survival of the indigenous population
of Leichardt's Land? Did wild and dangerous Blacks still exist up north
and in the interior of the Colony?

'You'd better ask McKeith about that, your Excellency,' said the
Premier. 'He knows more about the Blacks up north than any of us.'

The Governor enquired as to the amenability of the Australian native to
missionary methods of civilisation, and one of the other Ministers
broke in with a laugh.

'Bible in one hand and baccy in the other! No, Sir, the Exeter Hall and
General Gordon principles aren't workable with our Blacks. Kindness
doesn't do. The early pioneers soon found that out.'

Lady Bridget had stopped suddenly in her talk with Colin, and was
listening, her eyes glowering at her companion.

'Why didn't kindness do?' she asked sharply.

'Yes; Mr McKeith, tell us why the early pioneers abandoned the gentle
method,' said the Governor.

McKeith's face changed: it became dark and a dangerous fire blazed in
his blue eyes.

'Because they