tched out in front of him, in
well-earned rest, under the shelter of his verandah, was no longer
manifest; his own society and the companionship of his stock brought no
comfort into his life, now strangely restless and uneasy. It was not in
the nature of the man to reason it out, but dimly into his mind there
came a connection between the state of affairs and his visit to the
southern township. There had been a light spring-cart in the place which
had attracted his fancy and roused as much covetousness as his nature
was capable of feeling, and to that he attributed his dissatisfaction,
persuading himself that the possession of that spring-cart would bring
back all the old lethargic content of his life.

He returned to the township, and peace came to his mind as he sat at the
long, bare table which occupied the centre of the living-room of the
hotel, munching the beef and damper the red-cheeked girl brought to him.
Vaguely the idea came to him that the presence of such a girl at his
homestead would be a decided improvement to the loneliness he had for
the first time experienced on his return from his former visit to the
township, and with characteristic brevity he made the suggestion to her
that if she were in want of another place, he was prepared to offer her
one at his selection, where she would have no mistress but herself, and
none to attend to but him. She jumped at the chance of peace and quiet
in the bush, and closed upon his offer there and then.

Two days later, Taylor, peaceful and contented, was returning to the
selection, driving the spring-cart which had roused his fancy, and in
which there also travelled his wife--the red-cheeked girl--and her few
belongings.

For a time everything went well, and both yielded to the conviction that
they had obtained all that was necessary to insure their earthly
happiness. Then the life began to pall.

She was the first to feel it. Brisk and energetic, she was through with
her house-work before the day was many hours old, and the time hung
terribly on her hands, for the peace and calm she had so longed for at
the bush hotel began to grow very monotonous and trying.

Taylor had enough to keep him going all the day out on his land, but she
had nothing when the work round the house was done. He, moreover, had
the chance of an occasional chat with a passing traveller along the
road; but she never saw a woman's face during her first year at the
Flat, and however much a wom