THE GIRLS.
Had Reg and Hal not been in such a great hurry when they landed at
Sydney, they might have noticed a young lady not unlike May standing on
the wharf scanning the passengers very closely. When she caught sight of
the Goodchilds, she jumped on board and embraced both May and her
father.
"I have had your wires, May, and all arrangements are made," she said,
with an air of decision.
"Have you seen him, Hil?"
"Yes, he went to Brisbane two days ago. We will follow him, May," she
answered, quietly; then, turning to Goody, said, "you will, of course,
stay at the 'Grosvenor', uncle."
"Well, I don't know, Hilda. What is May going to do?"
"I have my carriage here. You had better come with us and send your
luggage on to the hotel," said she, in her decisive way, as if she were
accustomed to help people make up their minds.
"As you please," said Goody, with a sigh, resigning himself to the
inevitable.
All three stepped into Hilda's conveyance, and were rapidly driven in
the direction of Potts' Point and set down at the door of a handsome
mansion surrounded by extensive grounds that overlooked the bay.
"Now, uncle, you must excuse us for a little while, as we have a lot to
talk about," said Hil, leading May away to her own room, and leaving
Goody to amuse himself in the drawing-room.
"Now then, May, to business," said she, promptly seating herself by her
cousin's side. "When I received your wires I was rather upset, and spent
a good deal of my anger on that man. I went off to the 'Grosvenor,'
where I found out he was staying, and saw him come out with a
low-looking fellow. They both got into a cab on which was a lot of
luggage, and I guessed he was off, so I hailed another cab and followed
them. We came to the wharf where the _Glanworth_ was lying, and they
went on board. I waited till the boat sailed, saw him bid good-bye to
his companion, who seemed very excited, and then came home. That we had
to follow him I looked upon as certain, but how? We could not follow him
in the costume of ladies, that would make us look ridiculous."
"How are we to go then?" asked May, impatient with excitement.
"Please don't interrupt. You shall hear all if you are patient," said
Hil, smiling. "I thought over it a good deal, and then the idea struck
me that we would go to Brisbane as ladies disguised and, if he cleared
to the country, we would follow as men."
"Oh, Hil!" cried May, laughing.
"Of course, you know when I am out on my station and there is a
buck-jumper to ride I always wear trousers, as one can get a better
grip."
"Yes, I have heard father speak of that. Now, go on."
"Another thing, I have done a lot in private theatricals, and I
invariably take a man's part, and I flatter myself I am so _au fait_ at
the make-up that I can easily pass as a man. I have several suits of
men's clothes among my 'props,' and as you are about my size, they will
fit you well. Now, what do you say?"
"That you are a darling old girl. Come here and be hugged."
"Then that's settled. Now we had better leave to-day. There are two
boats starting, one at twelve and the other at two and, as they are both
good boats, I think we had better go by the later one, as it will give
us more time to get ready."
"I am quite agreeable, my dear. But we must tell dad what we intend
doing."
"Not about the men's clothes."
"No, that we will keep to ourselves. What fun it will be!"
"Well, have you settled your plans?" asked Goody, as they entered the
drawing-room, which they found him pacing restlessly.
"We leave for Brisbane to-day," said May.
"So you are going to leave your old dad again," he asked, sorrowfully.
"Yes, father, duty calls us and we must obey."
"Uncle," said Hil, coming to him and taking his arm, caressingly. "Your
daughter was saved by two Australians from the clutches of one of
England's gentlemen. If you were young and strong it would be your duty
to avenge your daughter's wrongs; if you had a son the duty would fall
on her brother, but you are too old for work of that kind and
consequently the duty falls on her."
"But, my dear girl, I--"
"Stay, uncle, hear me out. She does not go alone, for I go with her. She
is my cousin, for her mother was my mother's sister, so we are of the
same blood, and our blood calls out for revenge."
"Really, you are--"
"We are going, yes; I'll tell you why. An Australian girl has been
wronged by an Englishman and, though we may be proud to count England as
our mother-country, we are not going to allow her sons to insult us with
impunity. We Australians are made of as good grit, and one day we shall
put Australia in its true place, when we have Australia for the
Australians."
"Hear, hear, Hil! That's the true Australian sentiment."
"My dear children, you are young and foolish and do not know what you
are talking of," said Goody, becoming annoyed.
"Don't we," continued Hil, with imperturbable good-humour. "We leave
loyalty and bowing down to Her Most Gracious Majesty to you old people.
When our young generation grows strong enough to assert itself, you'll
see what you will see," and she touched a bell and ordered refreshments.
"It's eleven o'clock now, Hil," said May.
"Then we must be getting ready. You will go to the hotel, uncle, and we
will send you word how we are getting on."
"Yes do, father," said May, throwing her arms round his neck. "Let me go
this time and then we will stay at home together, and never be parted
any more."
"As you will, my dear," said he, giving in, with evident reluctance.
"Now then, May," said Hil, when they had bidden the old man good-bye, "I
want you to tell me how you became mixed up with that fellow, for I must
confess I saw nothing striking in him."
"I'll tell you all about it. My father and I started on our journey as
usual. When we were on deck, it came on to blow and we decided to go
below. I was going down the companion-way, dad following behind, when
he trod on my skirt, which gave me a sudden jerk, just at the same
moment that the ship lurched, and I lost my balance and fell. I had
noticed a young man waiting below for me to come down. He saw my danger
and, instead of falling on the floor, I fell into his arms. I came down
pretty heavily, for we both landed on the floor, I on the top. Several
men came to our assistance, and when I was getting up, I found a button
of his coat had become fixed in my hair. I had to lean over while he
released it, and in doing so my face came close to his, and, looking up,
I found him gazing at me in a curiously fixed way. Here the strange part
of it comes in. I found it difficult to take my eyes off him and, as he
gazed, I felt a peculiar sensation through me, and instantly realized he
was to be my fate. As I left with dad my brain seemed to be fixed on
him. I seemed to belong to him and, when he asked me to walk on deck
with him, I was literally powerless to refuse. The rest you know."
"Did you see him in Tasmania?" asked Hil, thoughtfully.
"Yes, twice. He came to our place unknown to dad. We were to have met
again on the following day, but he sent me a note, saying he was going
to Hobart, and he wished me to join him. I could not resist, so I went
two days later."
"But what about the yacht?"
"He mentioned in the letter his intention to go for a cruise, and that I
was to meet him at Port Arthur. I was preparing to get ready when Reg
and Hal--I mean Mr. Morris and Mr. Winter--came on the scene, and here I
am."
"They are fine fellows, and they don't belie their looks," said Hil,
seriously.
"Why, how do you know?"
"I watched them closely as the boat was coming alongside the wharf. I
picked them out at once."
"If they had waited we might have given them some information."
"Let them find out, my dear. We'll shew them we are as good as they."
"But what if they should find out and go by the same boat."
"Then we will go by train. But come now and I will shew you our clothes,
besides we must have our hair cut short, so that we will be able to use
a wig when we resume our discarded sex."
An hour was spent in arranging their trunks and getting all necessaries
together, and then they drove to the steam-boat offices and took a
double-berthed cabin in the names of Miss Walker and Miss Williams,
having previously found out that neither Hal nor Reg had booked berths.
"I noticed, May," said Hil, nudging her and smiling maliciously, "that
you let slip their Christian names. Hal and Reg. They are very nice
names. Which do you like the better of the two?"
"The names or the men?" queried May.
"Say the men for argument's sake."
"Well, I think I rather like Reg, although both are good fellows. I felt
for Reg though, awfully, when he told me his sad story."
"And Hal?"
"An awfully nice fellow and, I should say, very clever and a valuable
help to Reg, I should think. While Reg is all earnestness and
determination Hal seems to be quick at grasping situations and between
the two, to say nothing of ourselves, Wyck is likely to have a bad
time."
"Be quick and let us get out of sight, for what would Society say if I
was discovered going on this errand? There are so many of the Mrs.
Grundy type who would be delighted to put it in print."
"But, surely, you don't mind?"
"No, my dear, I once taught Society a lesson it will not forget. I was
thinking of your father, he is propriety itself."
"Quite right, Hil, we must not be seen and, as I think we have
everything now, we had better lose no time in getting on board."
Thus Hil and May, whom we shall know for the future as "the girls" went
on board the _Maranoa_, and at two o'clock the good ship left the
harbour for Brisbane.