Part 50 (2/2)

Nevertheless, I collected the wreckage of what had been very fair faculties, and attegested

Finding this impossible, I made a mental memo of the inspiration--and by the same token, I neatly utilised it within the next few hours Your attention will be drawn to the circumstance in due season

At mid-day, the bell sounded from the hut Pawsome and the tribesmen quitted their work, and went to dinner Priestley had started an hour before, bound for Nalrooka, with the re half of his load

All the Levites, except Moriarty, were out on the run, but Martin, the head boundary rider, had timed himself for lunch This man's status was a vexed question He certainly rated--but did he rate high enough for the barracks? As head boundary man, decidedly not; but as recent proprietor of a small station absorbed by Runnymede, he was not destitute of pretensions Out in the open air, he was, of course, as good as any Levite, but----Well, though we rather resented his presence in the Inner Court, we yielded him the benefit of the doubt; and he took that benefit, just as if he had been born in the purple, like ourselves

Martin was an Orangeree

It hispered that he held all the loyal brethren of Riverina under the whip, by reason of his being the only ee who could confer the Purple Degree For, owing to an inherent haziness in the theses and aieism, there are Orders in the Society as hard to attain as those Gerrees which no h, to be sure, there is a certain difference in the relative value of the two species of attainment

Moriarty--whose front na, a Catholic; and, partly on this account, partly on account of his being a young fellow, and partly on account of Miss King, the governess, Martin set him Now, there was just one man within a hundred miles who knew less of Irish History than Martin, and that man was Moriarty; consequently, the two jostled each other as they rushed into that branch of learning where scholars fear to tread--each repeatedly appealing to me for confirmation of his outlandishand everything

Having lost allJohn lost his regalia, namely, in the Wash, the line of least resistance was the line for me

After a hearty lunch, I ainst the wall, while Moriarty lounged across to the store, and Martin went to speak to the High Priest at the door of the Sanctum Sanctorum Then Martin mounted his horse, and rode away; and presently the tribesomery and Folkestone--the latter in knickerbockers--took their seats in the buggy, and whirled away down the horse-paddock fence Then all was still, save for the faint pling-plong of a piano in the Holy of Holies

Whom have we here? Moriarty to disturb me Let him come It is meat and drink to ood wits have ; we cannot hold----

The young Levite, closing the door of the store behind him, advanced with the indescribably weary step of a station man when the day is warm and the boss absent, and seated hi one of your quiet palavers with Mrs Beaudesart?” he asked

”Prithee be silent, boy; I profit not by thy talk,” II wanted to ask you, Collins,” he resuared if I can think what it is Slipped away like a snake, while you're looking round for a stick Singular how a person can't reet it; and suddenly it crops up of its own accord when you're not thinking of it”

”Parse that,” said I, listlessly

”Parse your granny!” he retorted ”I don't believe you could parse it yourself, as clever as you think you are Beggar conceitedness; beggar everything I wish I was about forty”

”And know as much as you do now?” I barely articulated

”Yes--and know as edly ”In fact, I never met anyone that knows asfellow, no matter if he was Solomon That Martin wants a lift under the ear”

”Does he?” I asked faintly ”I did n't hear him express the desire”

”Gosh!+ you've been on the turkey; you'll be cutting yourself some of these tiet to ask for your letters”

”Now the Lord lighten thee; thou art a great fool,” I sighed ”What tiet back?”

”Any ti, according to the state of the ar such a life as this

At it, early and late; working through accounts, and serving-out rations, and one thing or another; and noer, and what's ot a presentiood this time

If you don't speculate, you won't accu is; and if a , he ht-off But the first rise is the difficulty; and, of course, you've got to take the risk”

”What do you do with the rise when you get it?” I asked, drowsily

”Why, distinguish yourself, of course--what else? There's a great future sticking out for a fellow, if he's got his head screwed on right”