War to the Knife or Tangata Maori

r, who called upon him, in form, the day after his arrival, and ag

, much to Mr. Lexington's disappo

-seems sensible and experienced. I shall give him his own way chiefly. He knows the place and the people, which of course I don't. My children, being Australians, are fond of horses; they are so much pleased with your lot, that you may be sure of their being well treated-and pensioned, when their time

rted, leaving a pleasant impr

for some 'rough colonist' to break into our sacred county enclosure. This man is a thorough gentleman, liberal and right-feeling; besides, with pots of money too, he will be able to do far more

ous question of emigration. He had purchased a quantity of colonial literature, and had made some headway through the handbooks thoughtfully provided for the roving Englishman of the period. The difficulty lay in deciding between the different offshoots of Brita

rang the hall-door bell somewhat impatiently, having only partially got over the feeling of strangeness at being invited to dinner at his own house, so to speak, and being shown

ladies, the son of the house, and his host. "Mrs. Lexington, Miss Lexington

his own wines, glass, and table decorations were in the same order as before. Could he have given a dinn

the parish (a few minutes late), to his reasons for expatriating himself,

d voluntarily quit such a paradise, as it appears to

46] tired of comfort in this dear old country, where everything goes on by itself apparently, and even

n the country from which you came," replied

haps the more fitted to enjoy life's luxuries, when they come in their turn. Tell Sir Roland

t, except in a deeper tint of bronze, present any point of departure from the home-grown product. "Tell him one

day when 'cock' may be expected, and though he doesn't hunt now, he used to be in the first flight; as for fishin

uch a day," remarked Mrs. Lexington; "and as we have none of

always cool. That's one comfort. I always feel like putting a new line in my prayers of thankfulness for there being hardly any flies and

dless days and merely bracing mornings and evenings. I dare say we shall miss them here in 'chill October.' Sir Roland will give us his impressions when he returns, perhaps," she continued. "It is hard to find a climate which is pleasant all the year round. A

ht that possible," said the

ost, good-humouredly; "but the mails are carried on snow-shoes in the winter se

," said Miss Violet, "if we don't turn the conversation. Do

g

His daughters are great performers, and at the last tou

except dad and mother, so we sh

ot in the Australian

ry. We couldn't do without them, so the weather must take its chanc

ng the girl's well-developed figure, re

Roland had not been dead to all sympathetic consideration of the great world of woman, it would have occurred to him that a man might "go farther and fare worse" than by c

overed from the merciless blow dealt him by fate, no s

te the consideration with which he felt they [Pg 49] had regarded him. But they might have been any one's maiden aunts, or indeed grandmothers, for all the personal interes

ost, he began to show increased interest, as the questio

cattle and sheep (we went through them this morning) do the management credit, and the bailiff tells me that you directed it in a general way. The crops and the gras

lf to any particular pursuit or investment. I sh

ustralia, and until lately the largest, so that there was always plenty of scope. We have never, like most of the larger p

led," interposed Massinger, who was begin

g

o the squatters. They follow farming exclusively as an occupation, and are chiefly tenants, or men of small capital. The squatter, on the other hand, is the Australian country gentleman-the landlord, where he is a free

stir a man's blood in managing a property fifty miles square, with plain, forest, and river to match. Then twenty thousand head of cattle, or a hundred thousand sheep to organize a com

ssary occupations?" queri

to our doors, more cheaply than we could grow it. Our work in life, so far, is to produce cheap beef, mutton, and wool, to feed your people

r a great country like yours. Couldn't

nd you butter and bacon, cheese, honey, fruit, flour, sugar, wine, and oil-even rabbits, confound them!-by the million. These products, when we h

ely I have heard that your country is very s

country in the world; horses possessing extraordinary courage, stoutness, speed, and constitution. From the way in which they are reared on the natural grasses in the open air, they have the best feet and legs in the world. The Indian buyers find them more suitable for cavalry and artillery than Arabs or their own stud-breds, but as yet they only take a tenth p

d make physically-a description once applied to him by an enthusiastic admirer at an up-country race meeting. Standing somewhat over six feet in height, he was admirably proportioned, and not less for strength than activity. His features were regular, approaching the Greek ideal in outline, while his steady eye and square jaw denoted

was but one of a class of the present generation of Australians

come to a conclusion, however

adjourn the debate, if [Pg 53] you won't take another glass of port, or his

in the drawing-room the o

ere? I suppose, though, that you were giving Sir Roland a lecture on colonial experience, and Frank had fallen foul of the shoot

se Sir Roland knows as little of colonial life as your father does a

've rarely known dad take any one's opinion but his own; and as to advising new-er-that is-new

g saucy,

ny common sense, he would soon find out everything for himself; a

lian young ladies' manners. For a change, Marion might try this lov

ing an afternoon tea at the Court on the way back from a tennis match, of which he had received timely notice, he had

old-had, indeed, been sent up to a morning-room; just

ple have in their drawing-rooms. I'm afraid you won't make much of a fortune in Australia if you'r

d he, smiling at the girl's earnestness. "Advice will be throw

nces, the bad seasons, the dull life; and then perhaps nothing at the end-absolutely nothing! And to come away from this!" And she looked round the noble room, which, if not magnifi

with an air of smiling b

g

that an Englishman is likely to find himself at fault among his countrymen in any of

oke into one of Schubert's wild, half-mournful "Momens Musicals," which she played with such feeling and power as rather to surprise her hearer, who, a fair judge, and something of an amateur, was no mean critic. She did not sing, she ex

ree of surprise, as he wondered how systematic training wa

s my wife and the girls lived in Sydney during the summer, and only went to our principal station, which is near a large inland town in the interior, for

g

t ideas about our colonial possessions. However, I shall have a

t is just as likely that we shall see you back again with a colossal fortune in five years. Mr. Hazelwood that bought Burrawombie did, you know! You remember him

n England before that takes place. I couldn't endure returning under those circumstances. As a girl with a 'record,' as that Am

tly turned out to do honour to their late landlord and employer, and when Sir Roland deposited himself in an engaged carriage by insistence of

f house and home," as some familiarly expressed it-quitted for ever the old hall which had been in the possession of his f

t insufficient reason,

ole life, which had made havoc of all previous aims and prospects? Merely the too

ad proved the possession of one of the finest intellects of t

nce, Toujours femme varie, bien fol qui s'y fie. But was sh

Would that she had not been so steadfas

ey, "Civilization," falsely so called! Confessedly a lofty ideal. Yet how needless a devotion of her glorious beauty, her precious, all too fleeting youth, her divine intellect, to the thankless task of helping those to whom Providence had [Pg 58] denied the po

borne to remain and continue the daily round of country life, the rides and drives, the tennis and afternoon teas, the fishing, the shooting, when he knew the e

of Roland Massinger. His passage was already secured in one of the staunch seaboats which justify the maritime pride of the Briton; he was pledged to sail for the uttermost inhabit

ony still seemed to be

fusing his [Pg 59] mind, and delaying any advance to a purpose which he might have gained. Finally, he fixed, half by chance, upon Britain's farthest southern possession-New Zealand-the Brit

hrew down the gage of battle to the "might, majesty, and dominion" of England, obstinately resisting her overwhe

es had but an uninteresting aboriginal population, small in number and scarcely raised above the lowest races of mankind. They held few attributes valuable to a student in

edilections, and finally decided his resolution to adopt New Zealand as his abiding-place-that wonderland of the Pacific; that region of everlasting snow, of glaciers, lakes, hot

h with the land of Maui the fortunes of

sy. Luxuriously appointed steamers await his choice, distances are apparently shortened. Time is certainly economised. Agreeable society, if not guaranteed, is generally provided. Tradesmen contend

s of every imaginable shade of experience, diver

le the regretful tone of farewell irresistibly impresses the mind of the wanderer that, u

gave no reasons, and assented to many of the opinions as to the patent disadvantage of living out of England. He resisted the outfitter successful

uld take there,

s clothes,

u're asked to dinner here, you wouldn't go in a shooting-coat; neither d

and pistol

ind of firearm there at half the price you would pay here-equally good, mostly unused, the property of young men who have been induced to load them

ssinger, appalled at this stern dismis

voyage, and what other articles may be contained in a Gladstone bag an

w about

oyage-thirty would be ample, but it is as well to leave a margin. And of course half or a quarter of your availabl

greater part of it i

w Zealand. Look out when you do buy. Some fellow told me there was trouble with t

nd as this happened in London, the two young men had dined together at the Reform Club, of which Massinger was a member, and

among others, a letter of feminine form a

Dear Sir

your temporary grief about Hypatia, you are right to do something desperate. She will respect you all the more for this piece of foolishness. (Excuse me.) Women mostly do, if they have hearts (some haven't, of course), but they themselves generally [Pg 63] believe they are not worth any serious sacrifice. A really 'nice' woman i

Doing all this with a view of knocking all the nonsense, as we girls say, out of your head. Time will probably cure you, as it has done many another man. With us women-foo

r I refuse to believe you will never see Massinger Court aga

ificing herself for the heathen, and will hear reason; or you will find a replica of her in Australia or Kamtsch

platonic [Pg 64] interest in your concerns. I have been engaged to Harry Merivale for nearly three years. It was a dead secret, as he was too poor to ma

will give me joy, a

ere friend and

nksome." <