and wore as adornment--roses. Crimson and
cream roses paid the penalty of peeping in the window. Aunt Helen plucked
some of them, which she put in my hair and belt, and pinned carefully at
my throat, and then we were ready. Miss Beecham assured us there was
nothing to be done, as the maids had set the table and prepared the
viands for a cold meal before leaving in the morning, so we proceeded to
the drawing-room to await the arrival of the other visitors. They soon
made their appearance. First, two stout old squatters with big laughs and
bigger corporations, then Miss Augusta Beecham, next Joe Archer the
overseer, and the two other jackeroos. After these appeared a couple of
governesses, Mr, Mrs, and Miss Benson, a clergyman, an auctioneer, a
young friend of Harold's from Cootamundra, a horse-buyer, a wooll-classer,
Miss Sarah Beecham, and then Miss Derrick brought herself and her dress
in with great style and airs. She was garbed in a sea-green silk, and had
jewellery on her neck, arms, and hair. Her self-confident mien was
suggestive of the conquest of many masculine hearts. She was a big
handsome woman. Beside her, I in my crushed white muslin dress was as
overshadowed as a little white handkerchief would he in comparison to a
gorgeous shawl heavily wrought in silks and velvet. She was given the
best scat as though she were a princess. She sat down with great
indifference, twirled a bracelet round her wrist, languidly opened her
fan, and closed her eyes as she wafted it slowly to and fro.

"By Jove, isn't she a splendid creature?" enthusiastically whispered a
gentleman sitting beside me.

I looked at her critically. She was very big, and in a bony stiff way was
much developed in figure. She had a nice big nose, and a long well-shaped
face, a thin straight mouth, and empty light eyes. If my attention had
not been called to her I would not have noticed her one way or the other,
but being pointed to as a beauty, I weighed her according to my idea of
facial charm, and pronounced her one of the most insipid-looking people I
had set eyes upon.

She was the kind of woman with whom men become much infatuated. She would
never make a fool of herself by letting her emotions run away with her,
because she had no emotions, but lived in a sea of unruffled
self-consciousness and self-confidence. Any man would be proud to
introduce her as his wife to his friends whom he had brought home to
dinner. She would adorn the head of his t