house was quite furnished now, guest room and all. It was indeed amansion, though I would not like to say how much money it had costArchie to make it so. However, he had determined, as he said himself toBob, to do the thing properly while he was about it.
And there is no doubt he succeeded well. His garden too was all he haddepicted it in his letter home.
That Archie had succeeded to his heart's content in breaking ties withthe old country was pretty evident, from a letter received by him fromhis father about mid-winter.
"He had noticed for quite a long time," the Squire wrote, "and wasgetting more and more convinced, that this England was, agriculturallyspeaking, on its last legs. Even American inventions, and Americanskill and enterprise, had failed to do much for the lands of Burley. Hehad tried everything, but the ground failed to respond. Burley was agood place for an old retired man who loved to potter around after thepartridges; but for one like himself, still in the prime of his life, ithad lost its charms. Even Archie's mother, he told him, did not see theadvisability of throwing good money after bad, and Uncle Ramsay was ofthe same way of thinking. So he had made up his mind to let the placeand come straight away out. He would allow Archie to look out for landfor him, and by-and-bye he would come and take possession. Australiawould henceforth reap the benefit of his genius and example; for hemeant to show Australians a thing or two."
When Archie read that letter, he came in with a rush to read it to Bob,Harry, and Sarah.
"I think your father is right," said Bob.
"I tell you, Bob, my boy, it isn't father so much as mother. The dearold mummy speaks and breathes through every line and word of thisepistle. Now I'm off to astonish Elsie and Roup. Come along, Bounder."
Meanwhile Findlayson became a regular visitor at the farm.
"_Why_," Archie said to him one evening, as he met him about the outerboundary of the farm, "why, Findlayson, my boy, you're getting to be aregular `sundowner.' Well, Miss Winslow has come, and Craig is with us,and as I want to show Branson a bit of real Australian sport, you hadbetter stop with us a fortnight."
"I'll be delighted. I wish I'd brought my fiddle."
"We'll send for it if you can't live without it."
"Not very weel. But I've something to tell you."
"Well, say on; but you needn't dismount."
"Yes, I'll speak better down here."
Findlayson sat up on top of the fence, and at once opened fire bytelling Archie he had fallen in love with Elsie, and had determined tomake her his wife. Archie certainly was taken aback.
"Why, Findlayson," he said, "you're old enough to be her father."
"A' the better, man. And look here, I've been squatting for fifteenyears, ever since there was a sheep in the plains almost. I have a nicelittle nest egg at the bank, and if your sister doesna care to live inthe Bush we'll tak' a hoose in Sydney. For, O man, man, Elsie is thebonniest lassie the world e'er saw. She beats the gowan [mountaindaisy]."
Archie laughed.
"I must refer you to the lady herself," he said.
"Of course, man, of course--
"`He either fears his fate too much, Or his deserts are small, Who dares not put it to the test To win or lose it all.'"
So away went Findlayson to put his fate to the test.
What _he_ said or what _she_ said does not really concern us; but fiveminutes after his interview Archie met the honest Scot, and wondrouslycrestfallen he looked.
"She winna hae me," he cried, "but _nil desperandum_, that'll be mymotto till the happy day."
The next fortnight was in a great measure given up to pleasure andsport. Both Branson and Bounder received their baptism of fire, thoughthe great Newfoundland was wondrously exercised in his mind as to what akangaroo was, and what it was not. As to the dingoes, he arrived at aconclusion very speedily. They could beat him at a race, however; butwhen Bounder one time got two of them together, he proved to everybody'ssatisfaction that there was life in the old dog yet.
Gentleman Craig never appeared to such excellent advantage anywhere asin ladies' society. He really led the conversation at the dinner-table,though not appearing to do so, but rather the reverse, while in thedrawing-room he was the moving spirit.
He also managed to make Findlayson happy after a way. The Scotchman hadtold Craig all his troubles, but Craig brought him his fiddle, on whichhe was a really excellent performer.
"Rouse out, Mr Findlayson, and join the ladies at the piano."
"But, man," the squatter replied, "my heart's no in it; my heart isbroken. I can play slow music, but when it comes to quick, it goes hardagainst the grain."
Nevertheless, Findlayson took his stand beside the piano, and the icethus being broken, he played every night, though it must be confessed,for truth's sake, he never refused a "cogie" when the bottle came roundhis way. Towards ten o'clock Findlayson used, therefore, to becomesomewhat sentimental. The gentleman sat up for a wee half hour afterthe ladies retired, and sometimes Findlayson would seize his fiddle.
"Gentlemen," he would say, "here is how I feel."
Then he would play a lament or a wail with such feeling that even hislisteners would be affected, while sometimes the tears would bequivering on the performer's eyelashes.
At the end of the fortnight Findlayson went to Brisbane. He had somemysterious business to transact, the nature of which he refused to telleven Archie. But it was rumoured that a week or two later on, draysladen with furniture were seen to pass along the tracks on their way toFindlayson's farm.
Poor fellow, he was evidently badly hit. He was very much in loveindeed, and, like a drowning man, he clutched at straws.
The refurnishing of his house was one of these straws. Findlayson wasgoing to give "a week's fun," as he phrased it. He was determined,after having seen Archie's new house, that his own should rival and evenoutshine it in splendour. And he really was insane enough to believethat if Elsie only once saw the charming house he owned, with the wildand beautiful scenery all around it, she would alter her mind, and lookmore favourably on his suit.
In giving way to vain imaginings of this kind, Findlayson was reallyignoring, or forgetting at all events, the sentiments of his ownfavourite poet, Burns, as impressed in the following touching lines:
"It ne'er was wealth, it ne'er was wealth, That bought contentment, peace, or pleasure; The bands and bliss o' mutual love, O that's the chiefest warld's treasure!"
His sister was very straightforward, and at once put her brother down asa wee bit daft. Perhaps he really was; only the old saying is a trueone: "Those that are in love are like no one else."
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It was the last month of winter, when early one morning a gay party fromBurley New Farm set out to visit Findlayson, and spend a week or two inorder to "'liven him up," as Harry expressed it.
Bob was not particularly fond of going much from home--besides, Winslowand he were planning some extensions--so he stopped on the Station. ButHarry went, and, as before, when going to the kangaroo hunt, GentlemanCraig was in the cavalcade, and of course Rupert and Elsie.
It would have been no very difficult matter to have done the journey ina single day, only Archie was desirous of letting his brother and sisterhave a taste of camping out in the Bush.
They chose the same route as before, and encamped at night in theself-same place.
The evening too was spent in much the same way, even to singing andstory-telling, and Craig's lullaby to Baby, when she and Elsie had goneto their tent.
Morning dawned at last on forest and plain, and both Harry and thebrothers were early astir. It would have been impossible to remainasleep much after daybreak, owing to the noise of the birds, includingthe occasional ear-splitting clatter of the laughing jackasses.
Besides, towards morning it had been exceedingly cold. The first thingthat greeted their eyes was a thorough old-fashioned hoar frost, thelike of which Archie h
ad not seen for many a year. Everything gleamed,white almost as coral. The grass itself was a sight to see, and theleaves on the trees were edged with lace. But up mounted the sun, andall was speedily changed. Leaves grew brightly green again, and thehoar frost was turned into glancing, gleaming, rainbow-coloured drops ofdew.
The young men ran merrily away to the pool in the creek, and mosteffectually scared the ducks.
The breakfast to-day was a different sort of a meal to the morsel ofstiff damper and corned junk that had been partaken of at last bivouac.Elsie made the tea, and Etheldene and she presided. The meat pies andpatties were excellent, and everyone was in the highest possiblespirits, and joyously merry.
Alas! and alas! this was a