In this far country spendthrift November used up one by one its days. Each noontide pulled the sun a little higher into the sky. His way was set in a wide field of blue, where seldom came one timid cloud to loiter an hour and float fearfully away. The season of the rains drew near; but as yet was no sign of the storm , which drifts up evening by evening and drifts away—a of the which presently shall burst upon the land. Night, hot and , followed night, hot and passionate—each night roofed with high white twinkling stars. The was falling from his lofty place, and Orion carried his sword and belt up from the horizon.
In the mornings of those long November days as the eight o'clock whistle blew from the engine house, the men of Surprise Valley into the of the hills, there to drive and to stope, to put up their rises and put down their winzes, to employ hammer and drill in the[Pg 242] damp places and in the hot places, to push their trucks, to set their fuses, to with their spluttering machines until the day was worn out, and the five o'clock whistle called them to the surface. A strange land theirs of gloomy tunnelled ways; a land of shadows dancing before moving candles; a land of roofs which dipped and soared; a land of grim, cheerless walls and floors, patched with damp, where black holes opened out and ladders led up and ladders led down; a land of changing colours as here and here the green looked out from its hiding place. In such a country lived the men of Surprise Valley between the two whistles of the day.
At the house of Mr. Neville, manager of Surprise, November was accepted with small complaint. Many a dawn of day, every set of sun found Selwyn striding like an honest man into the bush. Lean and pinched he showed at early morning, hat forward, cigarette end pushed out below his clipped moustache, trusty gun under hooked right arm. Leaner still he looked at evening, as he followed his long shadow across the ground, marching towards a gully in the hills, where one might blunder on the Lord knew what—kangaroo, wallaby, or even a python. A python, be ! at one's very back door!
Each November morning Mrs. Selwyn, after counting off one more day to departure, took a book to the verandah, and sat in the cool to read a little and observe a good deal more. She was watching for evidence of the truth of Hilton's news. It was more than likely that he had got hold of the wrong end of the stick; still it was worth while discovering if there was anything in the story. If there was truth, the girl certainly had no inkling of the matter. She looked a little tired and worried now and then; but this impossible country would wear anyone out. It was a shame to think of her buried here indefinitely. She must think about asking her down for the summer. Thank goodness half the stay was over. Their rainy season began next month, and she was going to make certain of not being cooped up here then.
Of that household only Maud Neville found November more miserly of the hours than October. She was living her tragedy alone.
She explored the of the human spirit—found the heights it could climb in a hour, and followed it down into dark ways. It seemed angel and devil waited on her, clanging in turn for entrance. When she opened to the kind spirit she grew careless of her own hurts, and only was glad that she loved a man[Pg 244] who was in trouble and whom she might have skill to help. When the came in at the door he whispered her she was a woman who loved a man, and who had been loved by him once upon a time. Now, with lips which had kissed her, the man kissed the robber who had stolen him away, and held that robber in the arms which once supported her. At such times she cried she was learning to hate this turncoat. If presently he would come riding up to sit beside her with long face, she would cry, "Begone to your child who bids you click and unclick her gate."
One terrible minute spent at this time with her father, more than all her resolutions, saved her from the which was falling upon her, and her to carry abroad again an untroubled face. She stood in the dining-room before lunch, the moments away, when the old man stamped in, hat cocked to one side, pipe in mouth, heavy walking-stick in clutch. He was flushed from the sun and short of breath; but he blundered to the attack.
"Hey, Maud, what's this that's running round the place? Jim Power playing the double business with you. In a mess with that girl of Gregory's. I may be wrong, but I reckon I know how to settle that kind of thing. I may be wrong, huh, huh! No man plays fast and loose with a girl of mine. I'll have the blackguard kicked off the lease next time he——" The old man came to a standstill.
She had shown him a face grey with rage. Her words were colder than drops of ice falling upon snow.
"How dare you come in like this, father, your way into a business where you have no concern! Jim and I can keep our house in order, and our very best thanks to you. How dare you............