‘You have not blamed me for neglecting to write.’

’No; I have had no anxiety for some time.  I knew where you were and how you were.’

‘You knew!’

’I knew that you had made friends, that you were on pay dirt at Diamond Gully, and that the good Australian sunshine had warmed your heart.’  She smiled mysteriously.

‘Ah, I know,’ he said after a moment’s thought—­’Ryder.’

’Yes, Mr. Walter Ryder.  He wrote me that he had come across you at Diamond Gully.  He seemed quite interested in you.’

‘And I am interested by him.  He is a peculiar personality.’

’Yes, so flippant; and behind it all you seem to feel something iron-like, strong and impenetrable.’

Flippant!  Ryder had appealed to Jim as anything but a flippant character.

’He is a man of good family.  He came to Australia seeking change and adventure.  He is rich—­very.  He did Mr. Macdougal some service, and we saw a good deal of him in Melbourne.  Mrs. Macdougal thinks he is an earl at least, and has woven quite a romance about him.  She will be glad to see you.’

Done’s mind had flown to Burton’s estimate of Ryder, and Lucy’s evident admiration of, him gave him a little uneasiness.

‘Is Mrs. Macdougal of Boobyalla quite well?’ he asked.

‘Quite.  But you must not laugh at her.  One gets to like her.’

‘If one is quite determined.’

‘Whether or no,’ persisted Lucy.  ’One would care for nobody if one were resolved to see only the bad points.’

‘That serves me right.  The little girl is very like her.’

’Eva is my boon companion, my confidante, my guide, philosopher, and friend—­aren’t you, dear?’

‘My oath!’ said the child in a grave, sweet voice.  Jim started at the incongruous expression, and looked inquiringly at Lucy.

‘Your teaching?’

’How dare you?  No; that is the teaching of rouseabouts and gins.  I am trying to unteach it.  Poor kiddies!  I found them queer, wild, little Bush animals, with no childish companions, so I became a child myself, and we are the best mates in the world.  The other is a boy, a monkey and a rip, but we are civilizing together.  Do you know the funniest things in the world?  Children like these and half-grown dogs.  I discovered that at Boobyalla.’

‘The world is a pretty good sort of place, after all eh?’

‘Yes.’  She did not wonder at its seeming so very delightful to her just then.  ’But you do not tell me.  Talk, talk!  I want your Australian history.’

He talked, describing his life, pleased with his own fluency, and not a little surprised at it.  In half an hour she knew his story since the day he left the Francis Cadman, with certain judicious reservations and emendations.  Aurora’s name did not appear once in the narrative.  This suppression was quite instinctive?  Lucy told something of her existence on the station, and they chatted cheerfully of the people on shipboard and the incidents of the voyage, avoiding only the most sensational incident of all—­the rescue from the sea.