“Powell was very angry at me for stopping, and took quite a spite to the little lassie that caused my stay.  The way he spoke of that bairn decided me.  If he could not be fashed with one, how could he be fashed with five?  I was determined on one thing, that I should not have a house of my own unless there was room in it, and a welcome in it, for Bessie’s orphans; so it was settled in my mind that day that I never could be Mrs. Powell.

“I stopped at the Phillips’s for more than eighteen months.  The mistress got used to me, and the bairn Emily was as fond of me as bairn could be.  I had more freedom from sweethearts there at first, for the men were greatly taken up with Martha; but by the time I had been three months there I had nigh hand as many followers, as she called them, as she had herself.  And followers she might well call them.  I could not go out with the bairn for a walk, or out to the kye, or turn my head any way, without one or other of them being at my heels.  And when Martha got married to one of the men on the place, which happened ere long, I seemed to have the whole station bothering me; but I would have nothing to do with any of them.  Mr. Phillips gave more credit than any of the folk I had ever seen to my yearnings after Bessie’s orphans, and my resolutions to live single for their sake; but he never could see that they would be such a drawback to any decent man that liked me; but I knew there were few men so taken up with bairns as he was.

“Well, as I said, Mrs. Phillips, finding I did my work well and quietly, gave over interfering with me, and seemed to get to like me; but when her time was drawing near again, she was not disposed to trust herself to my care altogether, nor, indeed, was I very keen of the responsibility.  She wanted to go to Melbourne, but the master would not hear of it; and not all her fleeching, nor her tears, nor three days’ sulks, in which she would not open her mouth to him, would make him give in to that.

“He seemed to have the greatest dread of parting with her, particularly to go to Melbourne; and it was a busy time of the year, so that he could not stay with her there.  But he said he would go and fetch a doctor, if one was to be had, and keep him in the house till he was needed, and for as long as she was in any peril; and with that she behoved to be contented.  He was as good as his word, for he fetched one from the town.  I did not much like the looks of the man, but I said nothing, and the mistress seemed quite satisfied.

“But Mr. Phillips took me by myself, and says he to me, ’I believe this man is skilful enough and clever enough, but he has one fault—­we must keep drink from him and him from drink, or we cannot answer for the consequences.  But for this fault he would have had too good a practice in Melbourne for us to be able to have him for weeks here.  There is no place near where he can get drink, so I think we can easily manage to keep him all right.  We need not tell Mrs. Phillips, Peggy.’