The news almost deprived him of the power of articulation, and for a moment I thought that he would faint, but he didn’t.  He was too eager to see her, and welcome her to her new home.

“Where is she?” he asked.

“Not far distant,” Fred answered.

“Take me to her without delay,” he cried; “I shall die with joy.”

“Softly,” replied Fred; “there are some things to be explained before we comply with your request;” and briefly he went over the girl’s narrative, as told by herself, until he gave an account of her narrow escape from the hands of the miners who suspected her of stealing their dust.

The lover moaned piteously as he heard the hardships that his mistress had suffered; and after we had persuaded him to change his clothes and remove the stains from his skin, we let him accompany us on our return to the store.

“You must promise us one thing,” I said, as we walked along, hardly able to keep up with the lover’s impetuous strides, “that you will be married this very day.”

I stole a look at Fred’s face, but he appeared to approve of the plan, and I could see no traces of disappointment.

If the girl is not obdurate, I thought, I shall save Fred many unhappy days.

“O, I’m willing to agree to that,” replied the lover, with a chuckle.

“You have the mean’s to support a wife?” I asked.

“I’ve got money enough to support her after we are married.  I’ve waited too long for her arrival to waste time with silly delays,” he answered, earnestly.

“And you love her well enough to overlook all of her faults, if she has any, and to be a kind, affectionate husband?” asked Fred.

“Of course I do,” ejaculated Herrets.  “I ain’t a particular man, by any means; and if she will only look out for my tent while I am absent, and have my dinner ready when I get home, we shall get along as happy as pigs.”

I saw that Fred gave the man a look of intense disgust, and perhaps he also thought what chance of happiness a girl would have with a man who compared his matrimonial life with a pigsty.

“Your intended wife,” I said, “has been well educated, and never known hardships or misery until she reached this country and you must carefully consider that she requires the society of her own sex to pass her time pleasantly so far from the land of her birth.  You say that you have money enough to support her; then take my advice, and remove to Melbourne or Sydney, and enter into business, and where you can form new associations.  The mines of Ballarat are no place for a young wife.”

“O, I shall be company enough for her,” he answered, carelessly, and with an air that plainly betokened that he considered I was meddling with things that did not concern me.

“You fool,” I muttered, “stay here and you will be wifeless in less than a month.  The girl will never be contented with such affection as you are disposed to give.”