‘Hello!’ she cried.  ‘Look now! if it ain’t the boy wid the blushes, an’ there’s the blush to prove it agin’ him.’

Jim was blushing; his rebellious blood gave the lie to his assumption of easy indifference.

‘How are you?’ he said.  ‘I knew you at once.’

’To be sure.  ‘Twould be indacent to forgit, seem’ it’s my debtor ye are, for the price of a dance.’

‘Which you gave me for natural love and affection.’

’’Deed, then ‘twas because you were poor an’ motherless in a strange land, but now the gold’s a worry to you, I doubt.’

Jim laughed and shook his head.  ‘I want a loaf,’ he said.  ’My mate is hungry and waiting.’

‘Heigho!’ sighed Aurora; ’devil a scrap of gallantry have these slips of boys, Quigley!  You wouldn’t leave me for all the mates on earth, would you, now?’

The big bearded digger banged his fist on the counter, and swore a firm, fluent oath that he would not.

‘Worse luck,’ added Aurora, with a twinkling eye.  ’Here’s yer bread, Teddy-was-me-darlin’, an’ ye’d have it fer love if ‘twas me own to give.’

Aurora assumed and dropped the musical brogue according to her whim.  Ordinarily her English was as pure as Mrs. Kyley’s, and Mrs. Kyley had the reputation of being a lady of vast attainments.

‘There’s the money,’ said Jim, ‘and will you take this for the dance?’ He offered her a nugget he had picked from the week’s yield, a flat, heart-shaped slug, curiously embossed.

‘’Deed, an’ it’s mighty fine,’ said the girl, ’but I’d rather have ye me debtor for life.’

‘Take it for natural love and affection, then.’

‘Ah, if it’s the heart you’re givin’ me, I’ll be uncommon greedy, so I will.’  She kissed the nugget, and slipped it into her breast.

Jim went away, glowing with the satisfaction a very young fellow feels in having provoked the admiration of a woman and the jealousy of a man.  Aurora’s of interest was open and unabashed.  Quigley’s jealous passion was just as artless and free from disguise.  Done had intended to send that nugget as a natural curiosity to Lucy Woodrow.  He put the shade of regret the recollection provoked hastily out of his mind.  Mike had heard a good deal of talk about the new girl at Mrs. Kyley’s, now Jim swelled the chorus of admiration.  Both young men spent that evening at the washerwoman’s tent.

The Kyley establishment consisted of a tent some fifty feet long, divided into two compartments with a canvas partition.  This screen ran just behind the counter, and through it Mrs. Kyley dived to replenish her jug of rum; but that room at the back represented the sanctity of the Kyley home-life, and to it the diggers never penetrated.  The public portion was furnished with two long deal tables, at which the men sat on the Bush stools and diced and drank, or played monotonous, if noisy, games of euchre and forty-fives.