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Updated: May 11, 2025
Dickson, his face changing colour and his eyes flickering and quivering, interposed before her. "There are snakes in the scrub. You get back. They might hurt you," he said abruptly. "And besides " he added, and paused. Ailleen stood in front of him, straight and erect, and with a glance fixed upon him which made him keep his eyes looking anywhere rather than into hers.
"You know how anxious he is, and how he is always seeking to please you. He is such a good boy, too. He would make " "I'd rather not talk about it, Mrs. Dickson," Ailleen interrupted. She was growing impatient of the constant reference which the blind woman made to Willy and his excellent qualities, and his sadness at her distant bearing towards him.
Don't you know?" "Know what?" Tony asked. "Why, about about Slaughter and the girl." "Slaughter and the girl? What girl? You don't mean " Tony, filled with admiration for Ailleen, the greater because it was suppressed, immediately became alert and suspicious. "His sister," Marmot answered under his breath, jerking his head towards Murray. Tony looked at him for a moment too surprised to speak.
"Oh, bother Tony!" she exclaimed sharply. "Nellie and I said we would go over on Thursday. Nellie said she would make Bobby come as well. Do you see the idea? He and I can ride together, and that leaves " "Oh, that's it, is it?" Godson asked, with a smile. Ailleen nodded, and the smile grew on Godson's face. It pleased him better than if it had been the other way about.
Taylor had asked him, and the introduction of Dickson's name before the mention of Ailleen, re-awakened not only the smart he was suffering from, but also a suspicion which had come into his mind a suspicion that Dickson and his wealth were not entirely dissociated from Ailleen's change of manner.
Ailleen, seeing him coming, met him with some water, and between them they bathed his head and hands until there was some sign of returning vitality. But consciousness was longer in reviving, and Slaughter still lay insensible when a rescue party from the men who were fighting the fires pressed through the lines and reached Barellan.
It occurred to her then that if she were also to ride into Birralong she would be able to hear what was said about Tony and Nellie, for now that the first flush of anger had passed away, Ailleen was beginning to feel something akin to jealousy. She had her horse saddled and bridled, and was away, with the intention of riding direct to the Murrays and learning the real state of affairs.
Unfortunately, both Tony and Ailleen possessed the free-born Australian spirit to a degree which made it more than difficult to guide or counsel them only could one stand idly by and, apparently without noticing anything, chafe and worry lest the break away should come. And the break away had come.
At any moment almost it might snap, and then he always turned with a shudder away from the thought. "What are you thinking of, Dad?" Ailleen asked suddenly. "I was thinking " Godson began. "So was I," she interrupted, with a laugh. "I was thinking of Mrs. Dickson." "What about her?"
The line of flame was already far beyond it, passing over the open grass country at the back with towering masses of dead white smoke rolling along overhead. On the verandah the blind woman sat, huddled up against the wall, and beside her Ailleen was standing. She turned as she heard him, and took a step towards him with outstretched hands.
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