, the charge of once having been a convict will be repeated
in his ears until he is no longer able to hear it. God knows I have
repented of my crime, and only ask an opportunity to commence a new
life; and I heard the very man who should have shielded me, say, 'he's
only a convict,' and wonders that you dare trust your lives with me."

"He don't know you, Smith," replied Fred, consolingly. "Wait until he
hears of your bravery, and knows what you have done, and then you'll see
how quickly he will shake you by the hand, and congratulate you."

"Do you think so?" asked Smith, musing over Fred's words.

"I know it will be so; but be you ever so exalted or humble, Smith,
there's no man on the island we would sooner call friend."

"Then let them call me convict--if I but possess the esteem of two
honest men, who know me thoroughly, hard epithets will fall harmless."

Not another word was spoken during our walk through the streets of the
city to the suburbs, where stood the rough board house of Smith, exactly
as we had left it a month before. A dozen or twenty buildings had been
thrown together in the vicinity during our absence, and were occupied by
respectable looking people, who were engaged in business in Melbourne.

A number of fresh, rosy-faced women, true models of English wives, came
to their doors as we stopped, and apparently wondered who we were.

We unlocked the door, and found every thing undisturbed; and while Smith
drove off his team for the purpose of taking his oxen to pasture, I
started a fire in the old stove, and Fred went after water, and to get
the materials of a good supper together, which, by long fasting, we
keenly felt the need of.

By the time we had eaten our meal it was past sunset, when, recollecting
the business which was laid out for the morrow, we pressed Smith into
service, and started towards Collins Street for the purpose of buying
clothing suitable to wear when ushered into the presence of the
lieutenant-governor, who, we were given to understand, did not relish
flannel shirts and heavy boots, even if they did cover valued colonists.

By good luck we found a man who kept an assortment of really excellent
ready-made clothing, and after chatting with the fellow until he had
reduced his prices one half, we purchased two complete suits.

Pleased with our purchases, we carried them to the house, drank one bowl
of good punch, which Smith made as a sort of night-cap, as he termed it,
and