st them, as our admirals used to do to the French, in the war.
By-the-bye, how is Tom Troubridge? He is quite a stranger to me. I have
only seen him twice since he was back from Port Phillip."

"He is off again now, after some rams, up to the north."

"I hope he won't fall in with the bushrangers. Anybody with him?"

"William Lee," answered Charles.

"A good escort. There is lunch going in,--come along."

Chapter XXIX

SAM MEETS WITH A RIVAL, AND HOW HE TREATED HIM.

That week one of those runs upon the Captain's hospitality took place
which are common enough in the bush, and, although causing a temporary
inconvenience, are generally as much enjoyed by the entertainer as
entertained. Everybody during this next week came to see them, and
nobody went back again. So by the end of the week there were a dozen or
fourteen guests assembled, all uninvited, and apparently bent on making
a good long stay of it.

Alice, who had expected to be rather put out, conducted everything with
such tact and dignity that Mrs. Buckley remarked to Mrs. Mayford, when
they were alone together, "that she had never seen such beauty and such
charming domestic grace combined, and that he would be a lucky young
fellow who got her for a wife."

"Well, yes, I should be inclined to say so too," answered Mrs. Mayford.
"Rather much of the boarding-school as yet, but that will wear off, I
dare say. I don't think the young lady will go very long without an
offer. Pray, have you remarked anything, my dear madam?"

Yes, Mrs. Buckley had remarked something on her arrival the day before
yesterday. She had remarked Sam and Alice come riding over the paddock,
and Sam, by way of giving a riding-lesson, holding the little white
hand in his, teaching it (the dog!) to hold the reins properly. And on
seeing Alice she had said to herself, "That will do." But all this was
not what Mrs. Mayford meant,--in fact, these two good ladies were at
cross-purposes.

"Well, I thought I did," replied Mrs. Buckley, referring to Sam. "But
one must not be premature. They are both very young, and may not know
their own minds."

"They seem as if they did," said Mrs. Mayford. "Look there!" Outside
the window they saw something which gave Mrs. Buckley a sort of pang,
and made Mrs. Mayford laugh.

There was no one in the garden visible but Cecil Mayford and Alice, and
she was at that moment busily engaged in pinning a rose into his
buttonhole. "The audacious girl!"