tened
themselves, were sending to Queensland the hard cash that turns doubtful
battles. If Melbourne was cool yet, it was only because she did not
understand; she would swing in before it was over, he knew it. The
consciousness of a continent throbbing in sympathy, despite the frowns
and lies and evil speakings of governments and press and capitalistic
organisations and of those whom these influence, dawned upon him. All the
world over it was the same, two great ideas were crystallising, two great
parties were forming, the lists were being cleared by combats such as
this for the ultimate death-struggle between two great principles which
could not always exist side by side. The robbed were beginning to
understand the robbery; the workers were beginning to turn upon the
drones; the dominance of the squatter, the mine-owner, the ship-owner,
the land-owner, the shareholder, was being challenged; this was not the
end, but surely it was the beginning of the end.

"Curse them!" muttered Ned, grinding his teeth, as he gazed out upon the
moonlit country-side. "What's the good of that?" he thought. "As Geisner
says, they don't know any better. A man ought to pity them, for they're
no worse than the rest of us. They're no better and no worse than we'd be
in their places. They can't help it any more than we can."

A great love for all mankind stole over him, a yearning to be at
fellowship with all. What fools men are to waste Life in making each
other miserable, he thought! Why should not men like Strong and Geisner
join hands? Why should not the republican kiss pass from one to another
till loving kindness reigned all the world round? Men were rough and
hasty and rash of tongue and apt to think ill too readily. But they were
good at heart, the men he knew, and surely the men he did not know were
the same. Perhaps some day----He built divine castles in the air as he
twisted Nellie's rose between his fingers. Suddenly a great wonder seized
him--he realised that he felt happy.

Happy! When he should be most miserable. Nellie would not be his wife and
his union was in danger and prison gates yawned in front and already he
was being hunted like an outlaw. Yet he was happy. He had never been so
happy before. He was so happy that, he desired no change for himself. He
would not have changed of his free will one step of his allotted path. He
hated nobody. He loved everybody. He understood Life somewhat as he had
never understood before.