resh attack on her husband.
Reminding herself, however, that Polly was excited and over-wrought,
she did not speak out the defence that leapt to her tongue. She said
staunchly: "As you put it, Polly, it does seem as if we haven't acted
rightly towards Ned. But it wasn't Richard's doing alone. I've been
just as much to blame as he has."

She sat on, petting the fractious children and giving kindly
assurances: as long as she and Richard had anything themselves, Ned's
wife and Ned's children should not want: and as she spoke, she slipped
a substantial proof of her words into Polly's unproud hand. Besides,
she believed there was every chance now of Ned soon being restored to
them; and she told how they were going, that very morning, to invoke
Mr. Smith's aid. Mr. Smith was in the Police, as Polly knew, and had
influential friends among the Force in Melbourne. By to-morrow there
might be good news to bring her.

Almost an hour had passed when she rose to leave. Mrs. Ned was so
grateful for the visit and the help that, out in the narrow little
passage, she threw her arms round Mary's neck and drew her to her
bosom. Holding her thus, after several hearty kisses, she said in a
mysterious whisper, with her lips close to Mary's ear: "Mary, love, may
I say something to you?" and the permission granted, went on: "That is,
give you a bit of a hint, dearie?"

"Why, of course you may, Polly."

"Sure you won't feel hurt, dear?"

"Quite sure. What is it?" and Mary disengaged herself, that she might
look the speaker in the face.

"Well, it's just this--you mentioned the name yourself, or I wouldn't
have dared. It's young Mr. Smith, Mary. My dear, in future don't you
have 'im quite so much about the house as you do at present. It ain't
the thing. People WILL talk, you know, if you give 'em a handle." ("Oh,
but Polly!" in a blank voice from Mary.) "Now, now, I'm not blaming
you--not the least tiddly-wink. But there's no harm in being careful,
is there, love, if you don't want your name in people's mouths? I'm
that fond of you, Mary--you don't mind me speaking, dearie?"

"No, Polly, I don't. But it's the greatest nonsense--I never heard such
a thing!" said Mary hotly. "Why, Purdy is Richard's oldest friend. They
were schoolboys together."

"May be they were. But I hear 'e's mostly up at your place when
Richard's out. And you're a young and pretty woman, my dear; it's
Richard who ought to think of it, and he so much older than you.