“I’m all right,” She replied, noticing a red rose in his coat but saying nothing of it.  “Nothing seems to touch me.  Did you come straight through?”

“Straight through.  We rushed things all we could but I couldn’t get away before.  Besides, as long as I get Saturday’s boat in Brisbane it’ll be as soon as it’s possible to get on.  That gives me time to stay over to-night here.  I didn’t see you going down and I began to wonder if I’d see you going back.  You can do a pitch, Nellie.  When a fellow’s waiting for you, too.”

Nellie laughed, then sobered down.  “The baby’s dead,” she said, sadly.  “You recollect it was born when you were here before, the day we went to the Strattons.”

“I don’t wonder,” he answered, looking round at the closed-in street, with its dull, hopeless, dreary rows of narrow houses and hard roadway between.  “But I suppose you’re tired, Nellie.  Let’s go and get some oysters!”

“I don’t care to, thanks.  I feel like a good long walk,” she went on, taking his arm and turning him round to walk on with her.  “I’m thirsting for a breath of fresh air and to stretch myself.  I’m a terrible one for walks, you know.”

“Not much riding here, Nellie;” walking on.

“That’s why I walk so.  I can go from here right down to Lady Macquarie’s Chair in under half-an-hour.  Over two miles!  Not bad, eh, Ned?”

“That’s a good enough record.  Suppose we go down there now, Nellie, only none of your racing time for me.  It’s not too late for you?”

“Too late for me!  My word!  I’m still at the Phillipses and they don’t bother.  I wouldn’t stay anywhere where I couldn’t come and go as I liked.  I’d like to go it you’re not too tired.”

“It’ll do me good,” said Ned, gleefully.  So they set off, arm in arm.  After they had walked a dozen yards he stopped suddenly.

“I’ve brought you a rose, Nellie,” he exclaimed, handing it to her.  “I’m so pleased to see you I forgot it.”

“I knew it was for me,” she said, fondly, pinning it at her throat.  “How ever did you recollect my colour?”

“Do you think I forget anything about you, Nellie?” he asked.  She did not answer and they walked on silently.

“Where is Geisner?” he enquired, after a pause.  “I don’t know.  Why?”

“Oh, nothing.  Only he’d advise us a little.”

After a pause:  “What do you think of things, Ned?”

“What do I think?  We couldn’t get any wires through that explained anything.  There was nothing on but the ordinary strike business when I came down.  I suppose some of the chaps have been talking wild and the Government has snapped at the chance to down the union.  You know what our fellows are.”

“Yes.  But I don’t quite see what the Government’s got to gain.  Proclamations and military only make men worse, I think.”

“Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t,” answered Ned.  “A crowd that’s doing no harm, only kicking up a bit of a row, will scatter like lambs sometimes if a single policeman collars one of them.  Another time the same crowd will jump on a dozen policemen.  The Government thinks the crowd’ll scatter and I’m afraid the crowd’ll jump.”