me occult sympathy, Mary at once glanced up and discovered
her husband. Her face was lightly flushed from stooping--and the least
touch of colour was enough to give its delicate ivory an appearance of
vivid health. She had grown fuller of late--quite fat, said Richard,
when he wished to tease her: a luxuriant young womanliness lay over and
about her. Now, above the pale wild-rose of her cheeks her black eyes
danced with a mischievous glee; for she believed her husband intended
swinging his leg noiselessly over the sill and creeping up to startle
Purdy--and this appealed to her sense of humour. But, as he remained
standing at the window, she just smiled slyly, satisfied to be in
communion with him over their unsuspecting friend's head.

Here, however, Purdy brought his eyes back from the garden, and she
abruptly dropped hers to her needlework.

The scissors were shut with a snap, and thrown, rather than laid, to
the other implements in the workbox. "One 'ud think you were paid to
finish that wretched sewing in a fixed time, Polly," said Purdy
cantankerously. "Haven't you got a word to say?"

"It's for the Dorcas Society. They're having a sale of work."

"Oh, damn Dorcases! You're always slaving for somebody. You'll ruin
your eyes. I wonder Dick allows it. I shouldn't--I know that."

The peal of laughter that greeted these words came equally from husband
and wife. Then: "What the dickens does it matter to you, sir, how much
sewing my wife chooses to do?" cried Mahony, and, still laughing,
stepped out of the window.

"Hello!--you there?" said Purdy and rose to his feet. "What a beastly
fright to give one!" He looked red and sulky.

"I scored that time, my boy!" and linking his arm in Mary's, Mahony
confronted his friend. "Afraid I'm neglecting my duties, are you?
Letting this young woman spoil her eyes?--Turn 'em on him, my love, in
all their splendour, that he may judge for himself."

"Nonsense, Richard," said Mary softly, but with an affectionate squeeze
of his arm.

"Well, ta-ta, I'm off!" said Purdy. And as Mahony still continued to
quiz him, he added in a downright surly tone: "Just the same old Dick
as ever! Blinder than any bat to all that doesn't concern yourself!
I'll eat my hat if it's ever entered your noddle that Polly's quite the
prettiest woman on Ballarat."

"Don't listen to him, Richard, please!" and: "Don't let your head be
turned by such fulsome flattery, my dear!" were wife and husband's
simu