it was
ridiculous the way he fussed with the child, and that he had her with him
more than half his time. She also asked me what I thought of her nephew.
I evaded the question by querying if he was always so quiet and
good-tempered.

"Oh dear, no. He is considered a particularly bad-tempered man. Not one
of the snarling nasty tempers, but--"

Here the re-entry of the owner of the temper put a stop to this
conversation.

Harold gave O'Doolan rides on his back, going on all-fours. She shouted
in childish glee, and wound up by curling her small proportions on his
broad chest, and going to sleep there.

Mrs Benson had sent for little O'Doolan, and Harold took her home next
day. He invited me to accompany him, so we set out in the sulky with
O'Doolan on my lap. It was a pleasant drive of twelve miles to and from
Wyambeet. O'Doolan was much distressed at parting from Mr Beecham, but he
promised to come for her again shortly.

"One little girl at a time is enough for me to care for properly," he
said to me in the winning manner with which, and his wealth,
unintentionally and unconsciously made slaughter among the hearts of the
fair sex.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

When Fortune Smiles

"Now, Harold, you have compelled Sybylla to come here, you must not
let the time drag with her," said Miss Beecham.

It was the second day after my arrival at Five-Bob. Lunch was over, and
we had adjourned to the veranda. Miss Beecham. was busy at her
work-table; I was ensconced on a mat on the floor reading a book; Harold
was stretched in a squatter's chair some distance away. His big brown
hands were clasped behind his head, his chin rested on his broad chest,
his eyes were closed, he occasionally thrust his lower lip forward and
sent a puff of breath upwards to scatter the flies from his face; he
looked a big monument of comfort, and answered his aunt's remarks lazily:

"Yes, aunt, I'll do my best;" and to me, "Miss Melvyn, while here, please
bear in mind that it will be no end of pleasure to me to do anything for
your enjoyment. Don't fail to command me in any way."

"Thank you, Mr Beecham. I will not fail to avail myself of your offer."

"The absurdity of you two children addressing each other so formally,"
said Miss Beecham. "Why, you are a sort of cousins almost, by right of
old friendship between the families. You must call me aunt."

After this Mr Beecham and I called each other nothing when in Miss
Beecham's hearing,