The Marriage of Esther

side by a miniature cliff and on the other by a dense tropical jungle; through this latter looked out the white roofs of the boat-sheds and houses of the pearling stati

ht, rather higher on the hill, with its long low roof, the station house itself. As he approached it, two or three mongrel curs ran out and barked vociferous defiance, but he did not heed them. He passed the store, and made towards the veranda. As he came closer, a strange enough figure in his dripping rags, he saw that he was observed. A young woman, possibly not more than three-and-twenty, was standing on the steps awaiting him. She was, if one may judge by what the world usually

She looked him up and down with the conscious

, without embarrassment,

the straits with a companion; he was nearly drowned,

the directio

e picked up a sun-bonnet lying on a chair beside her,

son wearing a widow's cap

se a minute." Then turning to the astonished Ellison she said:

s to her errand, she reappeared w

as bad as you say, there

h, and as they passed the

y Rho

rolled out of

ong Alligator B

reached the open land on the other side of the headland, she paused and looked about her; then, making out the figure stretched upon the sands, she ran towards it. With a swiftness that betokened considerable experience she placed her hand upon his heart. No, he was not dead; it

afing his left hand. "But it was a very close thing.

for men to be. We tried the settlement yesterday for work, but nothing offe

ike the look of either of you. Be

call us beach-combers, now I come to think of it. However, if you can give us work, I can promise you we'll do it, and d

ust get your mate up to the station. Jimmy, you

Cuthbert

ou take his heels. That's r

took a key from a bunch in her pocket, unlocked the door, and threw it open. It was small, but scrupulously clean. Two camp bedsteads were ranged beside the wall, fur

efore I take it away give him a drop more brandy. That's right. I think h

of glass, and then followed her out of the hut, and across the yard to the veranda opposite. Arriving t

e told me you were an Engli

riosity. He was watching the shapely fee

I should convince myself by your walk. Have you ever noticed that your countrymen" (she spoke as if Australians were not Englishmen), "Britishers, I mean,

f more importance to

I had quite forgotten. S

and she disappeared inside the house. In less than

n country, who went to the bottom six months ago in one of our luggers, a degree east of the D'Entrecasteaux group.

strange thrill. Ashamed as he was of his sordid rags, there was something to him indescribably beautiful about these neat tweeds, linen shirts, collars, socks, and white canvas shoes. Selecting those which looked nearest his own size, he prepared to make his toilet. A razor lay upon the dressing-table, a shaving brush stood on a tiny bracket above the tin wash-hand basin. A shave was a luxury he had not indulged in for some time. He lathered his face, stropped the razor on his belt, and fell to work. In three minutes the ugly stubble on his cheeks and chin had disappear

id she, referring to the cloth

old self once more. I tremble to think wha

Now come and have

persed with curiosities of the deep, native weapons, and other odds and ends accumulated from among the thousand and one islands of the Southern seas. In the furthest corner Ellison noticed an open piano, with a piece of music on the rest. But the thing which fascinated him beyond all others was the meal spread upon the centre-table. Its

hink that black eye is

if he would like

d yourself this morning. I wonder who gave it you? for of c

you in such a bad light, for natur

e billet. Well, will you tell me

think it will make

that it will, but

was an expression on it he had not expected to find there; its presence harmonised with the pictures and the piano and

nto a quarrel and obliged to fight a man.

e and then to his ear. She

u have come out of t

I don't quit

for your deformed friend and thrashed the man who was coward enough to strike him. That is the correct version, I think, isn't it? Ah, I see it is. Well, Paddy the Lasher, the man you fought,

thes his old manner, in a measure, came back to him, and he felt able to do things with a grace that ha

our goodness to me? I have never

ok better than you did an hour ago

teful to you for relieving it.

had better go and look after him? I have told the cook to se

will. I'll

her toying with the keys hanging from her belt. The fresh breeze played through the palm fronds beyond the ver

I don't appear to very great adv

l see if I can't let by-gones be by-gones. Remember, however, if I

I will pro

o much afraid of your mate as of yourself. I

man; he is not. If either of us fails

r for sticking up

because you may thin

to tell you about t

the veranda to the hut. Murkard was

I get here? My memory's gone all to pieces, and, from the parched condition

to you. We were swimming the strait, don't you remember,

u saved

k would call i

for benefits conferred. Be sure, however, I'll not forget it if ever the opportunity occurs. And now

d Rhotoma Jimmy ap

is send thi

there. I believe I'm famished enough t

ace, your scheme has succeeded admirably. I have spoken to th

diplomatist afte

over this. If we get the billets we must pla

hort time, eh? Well, I suppose it'

hing, but nothing more. She has been very good to us, and I'd rather clear ou

n the bed. "Now let me get to sleep again. I'm utterly played out. Drunk last

ts for company, and they were in the main pleasant ones. He had landed on his feet once more, just when he deemed he had reached the end of his tether. Whatever else it might be, this w

of raiment very acceptable. When he was ready he looked at himself in the glass with a new interest, wh

he said meditatively. "And yet there was a time when my socie

rather than, diminished the angularity of his hump, and went out into the world. Esther McCartney was sitting in the veranda sewing. She looked up on hearing his step and motioned him towards her. He glanced at her with considerable curiosity, and

s morning. Your friend only

ly my life. It is a faculty of mine to be always in debt to somebody. I may probably repay you w

her a strange w

ot be like other men. I don't know altogether whether I'm the worse for it. I'm a l

you'll find it

chairs were hard-backed, and it proved that she had been thinking of his deformity when she chose this one. He seated himself and placed his hat on t

you employment. Until a minute ago I had not

w you

d you k

ing about us, however, remember that. Don't trust us too far until you are more certain of our honesty. Sir Walter Raleigh,

me into your employ, instead o

hinking the same thing myself. I

talk in a way I'm not quite used to, bu

faults, but I'll do my best to amend

ut how did

unkard. I need make no secret of it. I have fought against it, how hard you would never guess; but

life! What d

lives. You don't surely suppose I was alwa

t think a

s one of the first thoughts in your mind w

can read my tho

y of faces, that's al

? It seems such a pity that a man should throw himself away

all right to self-respect-suppose he has been kicked out of house and home, deprived of his honour, disowned even by th

ou tha

le and her voice soft,

ct? What is my work to be? Much must of course depend on that. Like the elepha

us a month ago. Since then I have been

d would, I believe, enable me to give you satisfaction

he evening sunlight. His borrowed plumes fitted and suited him admirably. He lif

said to Murkard, who was examining him

already said, a

happier, c

d my appointment to

t the woman. She

eper and store-man. It's a billet

ry genero

ere will be a good deal that will want looking to now that you've disabled Paddy the Lasher. You can occupy

how ourselves wort

ne you're wearing the better I shall like you. You'll find my father, when he retur

ed to look round. Her head was half turned, and she was watching him

reached it, they sat themselves down on their respective be

you cannot imagine why she h

g to do so. How on ea

uncertainty written in her face and, well, if I must say it, a little bit of distrust of you, until I appeared upon the scene. Then you know my way with women. I told her the plain, unvarnished truth, without any compliments or gilt edging of any sort. Painted myself as a gentleman gone a-mucker,

are playing fa

rned white

devil makes you use those infernal words to me again? My G

who sat too astonished at this sudden outburst to speak. But after a

bring up like a flash the very things one's been trying for years to forget. Yes, yes! I intend to do my duty by

that was all. What are yo

not. I was on

thed his soul like sweetest music. He was happier than he had been for months, nay, years past. It seemed to him that he was in a new world-a world as far removed from that of the morning as is heaven from hell. He almost found it difficult to believe that he, the well-dressed, well-fed man, leaning against the doorpost, was the same being who only that morning had contemplated suicide on the pier-head over yonder, in that abject and black despair engendered of starvation. With this feeling of wonderment still upon him he turned his head in the directio

bed inside, smoking. Esther had brought her work on to the veranda, but had discarded it when the light failed, and now sat looking out across the sea. Ellison made

leam of crimson low down upon the horiz

y reply for a minute, a

this eight years

t to have let

ad her guilty secret to keep as well as my own. Bah! what a fool I

my guesses,

something devilish

ove myself ungrateful. Bear with my crotchets-for as surely as I stand before you now, the day will come when you will regret any harsh wor

earth do

ht on the wharf in Sydney, I knew you to be the man for whom I was sent into the world.

d on the small man'

grasp what you

at I'm a little mad. I shall never speak of it to you again. But to-night I

d-ni

e stood looking out across the bay. A clock in the Kanakas' hut struck ten. Then she too turn

!" he calle

the world seemed to e