mornings later uncle Jay-Jay took him to Gool-Gool EN ROUTE for
Sydney. When departing he bade me a kindly good-bye, made me promise to
write to him, and announced his intention of obtaining the opinion of
some good masters re my dramatic talent and voice, when I came to Sydney
as promised by my grandmother. I stood on the garden fence waving my
handkerchief until the buggy passed out of sight among the messmate-trees
about half a mile from the house.

"Well I hope, as that dandified ape has gone--and good riddance to
him--that you will pay more heed to my attentions now," said Mr Hawden's
voice, as I was in the act of descending from the fence.

"What do you mean by your attentions?" I demanded.

"What do I mean! That is something like coming to business. I'll soon
explain. You know what my intentions are very well. When I am
twenty-four, I will come into my property in England. It is considerable,
and at the end of that time I want to marry you and take you home. By
Jove! I would just like to take you home. You'd surprise some English
girls I know."

"There would be more than one person surprised if I married you," I
thought to myself, and laughed till I ached with the motion.

"You infernal little vixen! What are you laughing at? You've got no more
sense than a bat if such a solemn thing only provokes your mirth."

"Solemn--why, it's a screaming farce!" I laughed more and more.

"What's a farce?" he demanded fiercely.

"The bare idea of you proposing to me."

"Why? Have I not as much right to propose as any other man?"

"Man!" I laughed. "That's where the absurdity arises. My child, if you
were a man, certainly you could propose, but do you think I'd look at a
boy, a child! If ever I perpetrate matrimony the participant in my
degradation will be a fully developed man--not a hobbledehoy who falls in
love, as he terms it, on an average about twice a week. Love! Ho!"

I moved in the direction of the house. He barred my path.

"You are not going to escape me like that, my fine lady. I will make you
listen to me this time or you will hear more about it," and he seized me
angrily by the wrist.

I cannot bear the touch of any one--it is one of my idiosyncrasies. With
my disengaged hand I struck him a vigorous blow on the nose, and
wrenching myself free sprang away, saying, "How dare you lay a finger on
me! If you attempt such a thing again I'll make short work of you. Mark
my words, or you'll get something mor