Part 56 (1/2)
Sylvia was compelled to smile at the compliment, made in the presence of so the various trunks and packages up the hill, and she rerinned at the Coess, Maurice,”
she said, in the interval before dinner ”I dare say he did flog that poor fellow to death He looks as if he could do it”
”Nonsense!” said Maurice, pettishly; ”he's a good fellow enough
Besides, I've seen the doctor's certificate It's a trumped-up story I can't understand your absurd sympathy with prisoners”
”Don't they sometimes deserve sy scoundrels You are alhining over them, Sylvia I don't like it, and I've told you before about it”
Sylvia said nothing Maurice was often guilty of these small brutalities, and she had learnt that the best way to meet them was by silence Unfortunately, silence did notstings a woess had prepared a feast, and the ”Society” of Port Arthur was present Father Flaherty, Meekin, Doctor Macklewain, and Mr
and Mrs Datchett had been invited, and the dining-roolass and flowers
”I've a felloas a professional gardener,” said Burgess to Sylvia during the dinner, ”and I make use of his talents”
”We have a professional artist also,” said Macklewain, with a sort of pride ”That picture of the 'Prisoner of Chillon' yonder was painted by hiot the place full of curiosities,” said Burgess; ”quite a collection I'll show thes wereup the daintily-carved bone, ”very neat!”
”That is some of Rex's handiwork,” said Meekin ”He is very clever at these trifles He made me a paper-cutter that was really a work of art”
”We will go down to the Neck to-ess, ”and you shall see the Blow-hole It is a curious place”
”Is it far?” asked Sylvia
”Oh no! We shall go in the train”
”The train!”
”Yes--don't look so astonished You'll see it to-morrow Oh, you Hobart Town ladies don't knoe can do here”
”What about this Kirkland business?” Frere asked ”I suppose I can have half an hour with you in the , and take the depositions?”
”Any tiess ”It's all the same to me”
”I don't want to etically--the dinner had been good--”but I must send these people up a 'full, true and particular', don't you know”
”Of course,” cried Burgess, with friendly nonchalance ”That's all right I want Mrs Frere to see Point Puer”
”Where the boys are?” asked Sylvia
”Exactly Nearly three hundred of 'eo down to-morrow, and you shall be my witness, Mrs Frere, as to the way they are treated”
”Indeed,” said Sylvia, protesting, ”I would rather not I--I don't take the interest in these things that I ought, perhaps They are very dreadful to me”
”Nonsense!” said Frere, with a scowl ”We'll coess, of course”
The next two days were devoted to sight-seeing Sylvia was taken through the hospital and the workshops, shown the semaphores, and shut up by Maurice in a ”dark cell” Her husband and Burgess seemed to treat the prison like a tame animal, whom they could handle at their leisure, and whose natural ferocity was kept in check by their superior intelligence
This bringing of a young and pretty woman into iruity which pleased them Maurice penetrated everywhere, questioned the prisoners, jested with the gaolers, even, in the munificence of his heart, bestowed tobacco on the sick