eard Tony had gone back to the diggings, and she
attributed his not returning to the station to that cause.

Later there came words of the gathering of the diggers at Birralong, and
Dickson, who was often away, at the township, he said, brought word of
Tony's return. Then Ailleen expected and hoped to see him again, but she
only heard of him through Dickson, only heard of him under conditions
which made her resentful. Not only had Tony apparently forgotten her,
but Nellie Murray also had done so. She happened to remark to Dickson on
one occasion how curious it was that Nellie had not been over to the
station.

"Oh, I don't know," he answered, with what struck her as uneasiness in
his voice and manner. "Why should she come?"

"Why?" she repeated. "Why, to see me, of course. I have not seen her
since--since----"

"Oh, she's all right," he put in, as she hesitated. "At least, I suppose
so. How should I know? Tony could tell you more about that than I can."

"Tony?" she asked quickly.

He stood looking at her with the uneasy grin which usually came to his
face when he was uncertain.

"What do you mean? Tony could tell me more----"

"Oh, I don't know," he interrupted. "I thought you'd have known--it's
all over the place, and the township's full of it--how Tony and Nellie
have fixed things up. Whenever he comes in from the diggings he goes
straight to the Murrays first."

It had been in his mind for some time that before he could prosecute his
own suit with Ailleen he would have to do something to overthrow--and
make certain that he had overthrown--the supremacy of Tony. Here was the
chance to do so, and as she listened he was taking full advantage of the
opportunity to say as much as he could which was likely to rankle in
Ailleen's memory against Tony. It was his very anxiety to do as much as
possible which defeated him. The uneasy grin, the gleam in the watery,
shifty eyes, and the haste he made to blurt out what he had previously
kept so secret, roused the anger of the girl against him instead of
against his absent rival.

"That's a lie!" she exclaimed, as she looked at him with eyes that were
dangerously bright.

"I only told you--you need not believe it. Go and ask in the township,"
he replied lamely, his eyes avoiding hers.

She turned away from him at the moment, full of resentment and anger. An
hour later, when her indignation had had time to calm somewhat, she came
back to where she had left him on the