‘And pea-souper and lime-juicer?’

’They’ve been hazing you properly, mate.  Pea-soupers and lime-juicers are strangers off shipboard.  They’d never have spotted you, though, without the bundle.  There’s no raw-meat tint about you; you’re tanned like a native.  Buy a blue jumper and get a cabbage-tree up in place of that cap, and you’d pass muster as a Sydney-sider born and bred.’

‘A cabbage-tree?’

’Hat—­straw.  Get a second-hand one if you can:  they’re more appreciated.  Usually a man likes to colour his own hat as he colours his own pipe; but you’re eager to meet the Australian prejudice against newness.  Another bit of advice,’ continued the bar-man, who was glad of the chance to turn his vast antipodean experience to some account.  ’If you happen to be anybody in particular, as you love your peace of mind and your bodily comfort, don’t speak of it.’

‘Luckily, I’m nobody in particular.’

’That’s all right.  I was idiot enough to let it be known that I was afflicted with an aristocratic name, and I had to hold this job against banter enough to drive a cow daft.  Now my name’s Smith.’

‘Are you a new chum, then?’

‘Lord no!  I’ve been out seven weeks.’

It was Jim’s turn to laugh.  ‘Well,’ he said, ’if a man can qualify as a representative Australian in seven weeks, I’m not going to complain.’

The barman provided much more valuable information.  Bed and board could not be had at that establishment for love or money, and, furthermore, it was unlikely Jim would be able to find lodgings anywhere in Melbourne.

‘I suppose you can take care of yourself—­you look a likely man,’ he said.  ’Well, the nights are so warm no man needs a dwelling.  When you’re tired of knocking round to-night, take your traps down by the river, roll yourself in your blanket in the lee of a gum-tree, and sleep there.  Did it myself for a week, and only had to put up one fight all the time.  Sleeping out’s no hardship here.  Meanwhile, in exchange for the latest news from down under, I’ll dump your swag, and keep an eye on her till you call again.’

The young fellow’s ready friendship was most grateful to Done, and he remained in the bar till a run of business rendered further conversation impossible, picking up useful knowledge by the way, and presently discovering the barman to be a gentleman with an expensive polish, whose most earnest desire was to hide his gentility and disguise the contingent gloss under a brave assumption of the manners and speech peculiar to the people of the rough young democracy.