Part 2 (2/2)
”She didn't say so,” Eustace argued ”She refused to have either of theit”
”Then what did you mean?” de hi his book ”Don't let's talk about it”
”That is nonsense,” Nesta said ”How can I helplike that?”
”Well, but what's the good of talking?” Eustace exclaio; we can't prevent that if we talk for ever”
”Yes; but if it is dangerous--” Nesta began in a loe-struck voice
”Dangerous!” Eustace repeated ”What could there be dangerous about it?”
”You knoell as I do,” Nesta replied ”Supposing the blacks were to coht ere here all alone!”
”Oh, do shut up!” Eustace said sharply ”Why should the blacks happen to come just because father is away? They hbourhood”
”Yes; but you remember that horrid story Kate told us,” Nesta said, al but women and children in the house--”
”Oh, stop, Nesta!” Eustace said ”Of course I re all over again What is the good of frightening ourselves all for nothing? Don't you know that father wouldn't go if he could possibly help it? And if he ot toto read, so do shut up”
Nesta stood silently staring at hiotten her very existence
”Well, you are a queer boy,” she said, in what the boys always called her ”huffy” voice
Still Eustace took no notice
”Perhaps you will be sorry soulp, and turned away to Becky, as calling her
Eustace was apparently engrossed in his book, but not a word did he see on the page he stared at so intently He had done a stupid thing, and he regretted it, for the mischief was past remedy now
Quite unintentionally he had made Nesta as nervous as he was hiht say would reassure her
He was quite right that there was no use in talking about it; he felt sure that his father would say he ought not to have said so much, and he was vexed with himself for his carelessness Silence seemed the only course open to him--silence on the subject for the present, and for the future a great, whole-hearted resolve to play the ht
CHAPTER II
BOB
Eustace was right: their father would not have gone to Brisbane had it not been necessary; but this was not because Mr Orban was troubled by any fears for the safety of his fa in North Queensland that he was used to the solitude, and thought nothing of the dangers surrounding theo away simply because he knew that his ould be terribly nervous without him Fifteen years in the colony had not accustomed her to the loneliness of their position
Besides the two engineers, and the field er, Mr Ashton, who all lived at the foot of the hill, the Orbans had no white neighbours nearer than five miles off The field hands were coloured men of some five or six different races, chiefly Chinese or Malays--the good-for-nothing riff-raff of their own countries co elsewhere
There was no society, no constant dropping in of friends, nothing to relieve the monotony of daily life But none of this did Mrs