第4章
"Iain’tagoin’tosithereallnight！"
Hiswifemadewhathastehernervousnesswouldallow，andtheysoonsatdowntotea。Jack，theeldestson，wassulky，andhisfathermutteredsomethingaboutknockingthesulksoutofhimwithanaxe。
"What’sannoyedyou，Jack？"askedhismother，humbly。
Hescowledandmadenoanswer。
Theyoungerchildren——threeboysandagirl——beganquarrellingassoonastheysatdown。Wylieyelledatthemnowandthen，andgrumbledatthecooking，andathiswifefornotbeingabletokeepthechildrenquiet。Itwas："Marther！youdidn’tputnosugarinmytea。""Mother，Jimmy’sgotmyplace;makehimmove。"
"Mawther！dospeaktothisFred。""Oh！father，thisbigbruteofaHarry’skickin’me！"Andsoon。
II。
Whenthemiserablemealwasover，Wyliegotaropeandabutcher’sknife，andwentouttoslaughterthesteer;butfirsttherewasarow，becausehethought——orpretendedtothink——thatsomebodyhadbeenusinghisknife。Helassoedthebeast，drewituptotherails，andslaughteredit。
Meanwhile，Jackandhisnextbrothertookanoldgun，letthedogsloose，andwent’possumshooting。
PresentlyWyliecameinagain，satdownbythefire，andsmoked。
Thechildrenquarrelledoveraboy’sbook;Mrs。Wyliemadeweakattemptstokeepthepeace，buttheytooknonoticeofher。Suddenlyherhusbandrosewithanoath，seizedthenovel，andthrewitbehindthefire。
"Gittobed！gittobed！"heroaredatthechildren;"gittobed，orI’llsmashyourbrainswiththeaxe！"
Theygottobed。Itwasmadeofsaplingsandbark，coveredwiththreebushel-bagsfullofstrawandoldpiecesofblanketsewntogether。
Thechildrenquarrelledinbedtilltheirfathertookoffhisbeltand"wentinto"them，accordingtopromise。Therewasasuddenhush，followedbyasoundlikeabird-clapper;thenhowls;thenapeacefulcalmfelluponthathappyhome。
Wyliewentoutagain，andwasabsentanhour;onhisreturnhesatbythefireandsmokedsullenly。Afterawhilehesnatchedthepipefromhismouth，andlookedimpatientlyattheoldwoman。
"Oh！forGod’ssake，gittobed，"hesnapped，"anddon’tbeasittin’therelikeablarstedfuneral！You’reenoughtogiveamanthedismals。"
Mrs。Wyliegathereduphersewingandretired。Thenhesaidtohisdaughter：
"Youcomeandholdthecandle。"
Maryputonherhoodandfollowedherfathertotheyard。
Thecarcaselayclosetotherails，againstwhichtwosheetsofbarkhadbeenraisedasabreak-wind。Thebeasthadbeenpartlyskinned，andaportionofthehide，whereabrandmighthavebeen，wascarefullyturnedback。Marynoticedthisatonce。
Herfatherwentonwithhiswork，andoccasionallygrumbledatherfornotholdingthecandleright。
"Wheredidyoubuythesteer，father？"sheasked。
"Asknoquestionsandhearnolies。"Thenheadded，"Carn’tyouseeit’saclearskin？"
Shehadakeensenseofhumour，andtheideaofa"`clearskin’steer"
wouldhaveamusedheratanyothertime。Shedidn’tsmilenow。
Heturnedthecarcaseover;theloosehidefellback，andthelightshoneonadistinctbrand。WhiteasasheetwentMary’sface，andherhandtrembledsothatshenearlyletthecandlefall。
"Whatareyouadoin’ofnow？"shoutedherfather。"Holdthecandle，carn’tyou？You’reworsethantheoldwoman。"
"Father！thebeastisbranded！See！————WhatdoesPBstandfor？"
"PoorBeggar，likemyself。Holdthecandle，carn’tyou？——
andholdyourtongue。"
Marywasstartledagainbyhearingthetreadofahorse，butitwasonlytheoldgreymunchinground。Herfatherfinishedskinning，anddrewthecarcaseuptoamake-shift"gallows"。"Nowyoucangotobed，"
hesaid，inagentlertone。
Shewenttoherbedroom——asmall，low，slabskillion，builtontotheendofthehouse——andfellonherkneesbythebunk。
"Godhelpme！Godhelpusall！"shecried。
Shelaydown，butcouldnotsleep。Shewasnervouslyill——nearlymad，becauseofthedark，disgracefulcloudoftroublewhichhungoverherhome。
Alwaysintrouble——alwaysintrouble。Itstartedlongago，whenherfavouritebrotherTomranaway。Shewaslittlemorethanachildthen，intenselysensitive;andwhenshesatintheoldbarkschoolshefanciedthattheotherchildrenwerethinkingorwhisperingtoeachother，"Herbrother’sinprison！
MaryWylie’sbrother’sinprison！TomWylie’singaol！"
Shewasthinkingofitstill。Theywereeverwithher，thosehorribledaysandnightsofthefirstshadowofshame。
Shehadthesamehorrorofevil，thesamefearfuldreadofdisgracethathermotherhad。Shehadbeenambitious;shehadmanagedtoreadmuch，andhadwilddreamsofgoingtothecityandrisingabovethecommonlevel，butthatwasallpastnow。
Howcouldsherisewhenthecruelhandofdisgracewaseverreadytodragherdownatanymoment。"Ah，God！"shemoanedinhermisery，"ifwecouldonlybebornwithoutkin——withnoonetodisgraceusbutourselves！It’scruel，God，it’scrueltosufferforthecrimesofothers！"Shewasgettingselfishinhertroubles——
likehermother。"IwanttogoawayfromthebushandallIknow……
OGod，helpmetogoawayfromthebush！"Presentlyshefellasleep——ifsleepitmaybecalled——anddreamtofsailingaway，sailingawayfaroutontheseabeyondthehorizonofherdread。
Thencameahorriblenightmare，inwhichsheandallherfamilywerearrestedforaterriblecrime。Shewokeinafright，andsawareddishglareonthewindow。Herfatherwaspokingroundsomelogswheretheyhadbeen"burning-off"。Apungentodourcamethroughabrokenpaneandturnedhersick。Hewasburningthehide。
Wyliedidnotgotobedthatnight;hegothisbreakfastbeforedaylight，androdeupthroughthefrostygapwhilethestarswerestillout，carryingabagofbeefinfrontofhimonthegreyhorse。
Marysaidnothingaboutthepreviousnight。Hermotherwonderedhowmuch"father"hadgivenforthesteer，andsupposedhehadgoneintotowntosellthehide;thepoorsoultriedtobelievethathehadcomebythesteerhonestly。Maryfriedsomemeat，andtriedtoeatitforhermother’ssake，butcouldmanageonlyafewmouthfuls。Mrs。Wyliealsoseemedtohavelostherappetite。
Jackandhisbrother，whohadbeenoutallnight，madeaheartybreakfast。
ThenJimmystartedtopegoutthe’possumskins，whileJackwenttolookforamissingpony。Marywaslefttomilkallthecows，andfeedthecalvesandpigs。
Shortlyafterdinneroneofthechildrenrantothedoor，andcried：
"Why，mother——here’sthreemountedtrooperscomin’upthegully！"
"Oh，myGod！"criedthemother，sinkingbackinherchairandtremblinglikealeaf。Thechildrenranandhidinthescrub。
Marystoodup，terriblycalm，andwaited。Theeldesttrooperdismounted，cametothedoor，glancedsuspiciouslyattheremainsofthemeal，andabruptlyaskedthedreadedquestion：
"Mrs。Wylie，where’syourhusband？"
Shedroppedthetea-cup，fromwhichshehadpretendedtobedrinkingunconcernedly。
"What？Why，whatdoyouwantmyhusbandfor？"sheaskedinpitifuldesperation。SHElookedliketheguiltyparty。
"Oh，youknowwellenough，"hesneeredimpatiently。
Maryroseandfacedhim。"Howdareyoutalktomymotherlikethat？"
shecried。"IfmypoorbrotherTomwasonlyhere——you——youcoward！"
Theyoungesttrooperwhisperedsomethingtohissenior，andthen，stungbyasharpretort，said：
"Well，youneedn’tbeapig。"
Histwocompanionspassedthroughintothespareskillion，wheretheyfoundsomebeefinacask，andmorealreadysalteddownunderabagontheendofabench;thentheywentoutatthebackandhadalookatthecow-yard。Theyoungertrooperlingeredbehind。
"I’lltryandgetthemupthegullyonsomeexcuse，"hewhisperedtoMary。
"Youplantthehidebeforewecomeback。"
"It’stoolate。Lookthere！"Shepointedthroughthedoorway。
Theothertwowereatthelogswherethefirehadbeen;theburninghidehadstucktothelogsinplaceslikeglue。
"Wylie’safool，"remarkedtheoldtrooper。
III。
Jackdisappearedshortlyafterhisfather’sarrestonachargeofhorseandcattle-stealing，andTom，theprodigal，turnedupunexpectedly。
Hewasdifferentfromhisfatherandeldestbrother。
Hehadanopengood-humouredface，andwasverykind-hearted;
butwassubjecttopeculiarfitsofinsanity，duringwhichhedidwildandfoolishthingsforthemereloveofnotoriety。
Hehadtwonatures——onebrightandgood，theothersullenandcriminal。
Ataintofmadnessraninthefamily——camedownfromdrunkenandunprincipledfathersofdeadgenerations;
underdifferentconditions，itmighthavedevelopedintogeniusinoneortwo——inMary，perhaps。
"Cheerup，oldwoman！"criedTom，pattinghismotherontheback。
"We’llbehappyyet。I’vebeenwildandfoolish，Iknow，andgaveyousomeawfultrouble，butthat’salldonewith。
Imeantokeepsteady，andby-and-byewe’llgoawaytoSydneyorQueensland。
Giveusasmile，mother。"
Hegotsome"grubbing"todo，andforsixmonthskeptthefamilyinprovisions。Thenachangecameoverhim。Hebecamemoodyandsullen——
evenbrutal。Hewouldsitforhoursandgrintohimselfwithoutanyapparentcause;thenhewouldstayawayfromhomefordaystogether。
"Tom’sgoingwrongagain，"wailedMrs。Wylie。"He’llgetintotroubleagain，Iknowhewill。Wearedisgracedenoughalready，Godknows。"
"You’vedoneyourbest，mother，"saidMary，"andcandonomore。
Peoplewillpityus;afterall，thethingitselfisnotsobadastheeverlastingdreadofit。Thiswillbealessonforfather——hewantedone——andmaybehe’llbeabetterman。"
（Sheknewbetterthanthat。）"YOUdidyourbest，mother。"
"Ah，Mary！youdon’tknowwhatI’vegonethroughthesethirtyyearsinthebushwithyourfather。I’vehadtogodownonmykneesandbegpeoplenottoprosecutehim——andthesamewithyourbrotherTom;
andthisistheendofit。"
"Bettertohaveletthemgo，mother;youshouldhaveleftfatherwhenyoufoundoutwhatsortofamanhewas;itwouldhavebeenbetterforall。"
"Itwasmydutytostickbyhim，child;hewasmyhusband。
Yourfatherwasalwaysabadman，Mary——abadman;Ifounditouttoolate。
IcouldnottellyouaquarterofwhatIhavesufferedwithhim……
Iwasproud，Mary;Iwantedmychildrentobebetterthanothers……
It’smyfault;it’sajudgment……Iwantedtomakemychildrenbetterthanothers……Iwassoproud，Mary。"
Maryhadasweetheart，adrover，whowassupposedtobeinQueensland。
Hehadpromisedtomarryher，andtakeherandhermotherawaywhenhereturned;atleast，shehadpromisedtomarryhimonthatcondition。
Hehadnowbeenabsentonhislatesttripfornearlysixmonths，andtherewasnonewsfromhim。Shegotacopyofacountrypapertolookforthe"stockpassings";butastartlingheadlinecaughthereye：
IMPUDENTATTEMPTATROBBERYUNDERARMS。
————
"AdroverknowntothepoliceasFrederickDunn，aliasDrew，wasarrestedlastweekat————"
Shereadtothebitterend，andburnedthepaper。Andtheshadowofanothertrouble，darkeranddrearierthanalltherest，wasuponher。
SothelittleoutcastfamilyinLongGullyexistedforseveralmonths，seeingnoonesaveasympatheticoldsplitterwhowouldcomeandsmokehispipebythefireofnights，andtrytoconvincetheoldwomanthatmattersmighthavebeenworse，andthatshewouldn’tworrysomuchifsheknewthetroublesofsomeofourbiggestfamilies，andthatthingswouldcomeoutallrightandthelessonwoulddoWyliegood。
Also，thatTomwasadifferentboyaltogether，andhadmoresensethantogowrongagain。"Itwasnothing，"hesaid，"nothing;
theydidn’tknowwhattroublewas。"
Butoneday，whenMaryandhermotherwerealone，thetrooperscameagain。
"Mrs。Wylie，where’syoursonTom？"theyasked。
Shesatstill。Shedidn’tevencry，"Oh，myGod！"
"Don’tbefrightened，Mrs。Wylie，"saidoneofthetroopers，gently。
"Itain’tformuchanyway，andmaybeTom’llbeabletoclearhimself。"
Marysankonherkneesbyhermother’sside，crying"Speaktome，mother。
Oh，myGod，she’sdying！Speakformysake，mother。Don’tdie，mother;
it’sallamistake。Don’tdieandleavemeherealone。"
Butthepooroldwomanwasdead……
Wyliecameouttowardstheendoftheyear，andafewweekslaterhebroughthomea——anotherwoman。
IV。
BobBentley，generalhawker，wascampingundersomerocksbythemainroad，nearthefootofLongGully。Hismatewasfastasleepunderthetiltedtrap。
Bobstoodwithhisbacktothefire，hispipeinhismouth，andhishandsclaspedbehindhim。Thefirelituptheundersidesofthebranchesabove;
anativebearsatinaforkblinkingdownatit，whilethemoonabovehimshowedeveryhaironhisears。Fromamongthetreescamethepleasantjingleofhobble-chains，theslowtreadofhoofs，andthe"crunch，crunch"atthegrass，asthehorsesmovedaboutandgrazed，nowinmoonlight，nowinthesoftshadows。"OldThunder"，abigblackdogofnoparticularbreed，gaveameaninglookathismaster，andstarteduptheridge，followedbyseveralsmallerdogs。SoonBobheardfromthehillsidethe"hy-yi-hi，whomp，whomp，whomp！"ofoldThunder，andtheyop-yop-yoppingofthesmallerfry——theyhadtree’da’possum。
Bobthrewhimselfonthegrass，andpretendedtobeasleep。
Therewasasoundasofasizeableboulderrollingdownthehill，andpresentlyThundertrottedroundthefiretoseeifhismasterwouldcome。
Bobsnored。Thedoglookedsuspiciouslyathim，trottedroundonceortwice，andasalastresourcegavehimtwogreatslobberylicksacrosstheface。
Bobgotupwithagood-naturedoath。
"Well，oldparty，"hesaidtoThunder，"you’reathunderingoldnuisance;
butIs’poseyouwon’tbesatisfiedtillIcome。"Hegotagunfromthewaggonette，loadedit，andstarteduptheridge;
oldThunderrushingtoandfrotoshowtheway——asiftherowtheotherdogsweremakingwasn’tenoughtoguidehismaster。
WhenBobreturnedwiththe’possumshewasstartledtoseeawomaninthecamp。Shewassittingonalogbythefire，withherelbowsonherkneesandherfaceinherhands。
"Why——whatthedev——whoareyou？"
Thegirlraisedawhitedesperatefacetohim。ItwasMaryWylie。
"Myfatherand——andthewoman——they’redrinking——theyturnedmeout！
theyturnedmeout。"
"Didtheynow？I’msorryforthat。WhatcanIdoforyou？……
She’smadsureenough，"hethoughttohimself;"Ithoughtitwasaghost。"
"Idon’tknow，"shewailed，"Idon’tknow。You’reaman，andI’mahelplessgirl。Theyturnedmeout！Mymother’sdead，andmybrothersgoneaway。Look！Lookhere！"pointingtoabruiseonherforehead。"Thewomandidthat。Myownfatherstoodbyandsawitdone——saiditservedmeright！Oh，myGod！"
"Whatwoman？Tellmeallaboutit。"
"Thewomanfatherbroughthome！……Iwanttogoawayfromthebush！
Oh！forGod’ssaketakemeawayfromthebush！……Anything！anything！
——youknow！——onlytakemeawayfromthebush！"
Bobandhismate——whohadbeenroused——didtheirbesttosootheher;
butsuddenly，withoutamoment’swarning，shesprangtoherfeetandscrambledtothetopoftherockoverhangingthecamp。
Shestoodforamomentinthebrightmoonlight，gazingintentlydownthevacantroad。
"Heretheycome！"shecried，pointingdowntheroad。"Heretheycome——
thetroopers！Icanseetheircap-peaksglisteninginthemoonlight！……
I’mgoingaway！Mother’sgone。I’mgoingnow！——Good-bye！——Good-bye！
I’mgoingawayfromthebush！"
ThensheranthroughthetreestowardsthefootofLongGully。
Bobandhismatefollowed;but，beingunacquaintedwiththelocality，theylosther。
Sherantotheedgeofagranitecliffonthehighersideofthedeepestoftherockywaterholes。Therewasaheavysplash，andthreestartledkangaroos，whohadbeendrinking，leaptbackandspedaway，likethreegreyghosts，uptheridgetowardsthemoonlitpeak。
Mitchellonthe"Sex"andOther"Problems"
"Iagreewith`T’inlastweek’s`Bulletin’，"saidMitchell，aftercogitatingsometimeoverthelastdropofteainhispannikin，heldatvariousangles，"aboutwhattheycallthe`SexProblem’。
There’snoproblem，really，exceptCreation，andthat’snotouraffair;
wecan’tsolveit，andwe’venorighttomakeaproblemoutofitforourselvestopuzzleover，andwastethelittletimethatisgivenusabout。It’swethatmaketheproblems，notCreation。
Wemake’em，andtheyonlysmotherus;they’llsmothertheworldintheendifwedon’tlookout。Anythingthatcanbeargued，forandagainst，fromhalfadozendifferentpointsofview——andmostthingsthatmenargueovercanbe——andanythingthathasbeenarguedaboutforthousandsofyears（asmostthingshave）isworsethanprofitless;
itwastestheworld’stimeandours，andoftenwrecksoldmateships。
Seemstomethedeeperyouread，think，talk，orwriteaboutthingsthatendinism，thelesssatisfactorytheresult;themorelikelyyouaretogetbushedanddissatisfiedwiththeworld。Andthemoreyoukeeponthesurfaceofplainthings，theplainerthesailing——
themorecomfortableforyouandeverybodyelse。We’vealwaysgottocometothesurfacetobreathe，intheend，inanycase;
we’remeanttoliveonthesurface，andwemightaswellstaythereandlookafteritandourselvesforallthegoodwedodivingdownafterfishthataren’tthere，exceptinourimagination。
Andsomeof’emareverydeadfish，too——the`SexProblem’，forinstance。
Whenwefalloffthesurfaceoftheearthitwillbetimeenoughtomakeaproblemoutofthefactthatwecouldn’tstickon。
I’maFederalPro-traderinthiscountry;I’maFederalistbecauseIthinkFederationistheplainandnaturalcourseforAustralia，andI’maFree-tectionistbecauseI’minfavourofsinkinganyquestion，oranytwothings，thatenlightenedpeoplecanargueandfightover，andtry，oneaftertheother，forfiftyyearswithoutbeingabletocometoadecisionabout，orprovewhichisbestforthewelfareofthecountry。
Itonlywastesayoungcountry’stime，andkeepsitofftherighttrack。
Federationisn’taproblem——it’saplainfact——buttheymakeaproblemoutofeverypaneltheyhavetopushdownintherottenoldboundaryfences。"
"Personalinterests，"suggestedJoe。
"Ofcourse。It’spersonalinterestofthewrongsortthatmakesalltheproblems。Youcantracethesexproblemtopeoplewhotradeinunhealthypersonalinterests。
Ibelieveinpersonalinterestsoftherightsort——trueindividualism。
Ifwealllookedafterourselves，andourwivesandfamilies——ifwehaveany——intheproperway，theworldwouldbeallright。
Wewastetoomuchtimelookingaftereachother。
"Now，supposingwe’retravellingandhavetogetashedandmakeachequeso’stobeabletosendafewquidhome，assoonaswecan，tothemissus，ortheoldfolks，andthenextwateristwentymilesahead。
Ifwesatdownandarguedoverasocialproblemtilldoomsday，wewouldn’tgettothetank;we’ddieofthirst，andthemissusandkids，ortheoldfolks，wouldbesoldupandturnedoutintothestreets，andhavetofallbackona`homeofhope’，orwaittheirturnattheBenevolentAsylumwithbagsforbrokenvictuals。I’veseenthat，andIdon’twantanybodybelongingtometohavetodoit。
"Remindsmethatwhenapoor，desertedgirlgoestoa`home’theydon’tmakeaproblemofher——theydotheirbestforherandtrytogetherrighted。
Andthepriests，too：ifthere’sanythinginthesexoranyotherproblem——anythingthathasn’tbeenthreshedout——they’rethementhat’llknowit。
I’mnotaCatholic，butIknowthis：thatifagirlthat’sbeenleftbyone——nomatterwhatChurchshebelongsto——goestothepriest，they’llworkallthepointstheyknow（andtheyknow’emall）togetherrighted，and，ifthechap，orhispeople，won’tcomeuptothescratch，FatherRyan’llfrightenhelloutof’em。Ican’tsayasmuchforourownChurches。"
"Butyou’reinfavourofsocialismanddemocracy？"askedJoe。
"OfcourseIam。Buttheworldwon’tdoanygoodarguingoverit。
Thepeoplewillhavetogetupandwalk，and，what’smore，sticktogether——andIdon’tthinkthey’lleverdothat——itain’tinhumannature。
Socialism，ordemocracy，wasallrightinthiscountrytillitgotfashionableandwasmadeafadoraproblemof。
Thenitgotsmotheredprettyquick。Andafadoraproblemalwaysbreedsahostofparasitesorhangers-on。Why，assoonasIsawtheadvancedidealistfools——they’regenerallythemiddle-class，shabby-genteelfamiliesthatcatchSpiritualismandTheosophyandthosesortofcomplaints，attheendoftheepidemic——thatcatchonatthetail-endofthingsandthinkthey’vecaughtsomethingbrand，shining，new;——assoonasIsawthem，andtheproblemspielersandnotoriety-huntersofbothsexes，beginningtohangroundAustralianUnionism，Iknewitwasdoomed。
Andsoitwas。Thestraightmenweredisgusted，ordrivenout。
Therearewomenwhohangonforthesamereasonthatagirlwillsometimesgointothedockandswearaninnocentman’slifeaway。
Butassoonastheyseethatthecauseisdying，theydropitatonce，andwaitforanother。Theycomelikebloodydingoesroundacalf，andonlyleavethebones。They’reaboutasdemocraticasthecrows。
Andtherotten`sex-problem’sortofthingisthecauseofitall;
itpoisonsweakminds——andstrongonestoosometimes。
"Why，youcouldmakeaproblemoutofEpsomsalts。YoumightargueastowhyhumanbeingswantEpsomsalts，andtrytotracethecausesthatleduptoit。Idon’tlikethetasteofEpsomsalts——it’snastyinthemouth——butwhenIfeelthatwayItake’em，andIfeelbetterafterwards;andthat’sgoodenoughforme。
Wemightarguethatblackiswhite，andwhiteisblack，andneitherof’emisanything，andnothingiseverything;
andawoman’samanandaman’sawoman，andit’sreallythemanthathastheyoungsters，onlyweimagineit’sthewomanbecausesheimaginesthatshehasallthepainandtrouble，andthedoctorisundertheimpressionthathe’sattendingtoher，nottheman，andthemanthinkssotoobecauseheimagineshe’swalkingupanddownoutside，andslippingintothecornerpubnowandthenforaniptokeephiscourageup，waiting，whenit’shiswifethat’sdoingthatallthetime;wemightarguethatit’sallforceofimagination，andthatimaginationisanunknownforce，andthattheunknownisnothing。But，whenwe’vesettledallthattoourownsatisfaction，howmuchfurtheraheadarewe？
Intheendwe’llcometotheconclusionthatweain’talive，andneverexisted，andthenwe’llleaveoffbothering，andtheworldwillgoonjustthesame。"
"Whataboutscience？"askedJoe。
"Scienceain’t`sexproblems’;it’sfacts……Now，Idon’tmindSpiritualismandthosesortofthings;theymighthelptobreakthemonotony，andcan’tdomuchharm。Butthe`sexproblem’，asit’swrittenaboutto-day，does;it’sdangerousanddirty，andit’stimetosettleitwithaclub。Scienceandeducation，ifleftalone，willlookaftersexfacts。
"Youcan’tgetanythingoutofthe`sexproblem’，nomatterhowyouargue。
IntheoldBibletimestheyhadhalfadozenwiveseach，butwedon’tknowforcertainhowTHEYgoton。TheMormonstrieditagain，andseemedtogetonallrighttillweinterfered。Wedon’tseemtobeabletogetonwithonewifenow——atleast，accordingtothe`sexproblem’。
The`sexproblem’troubledtheTurkssomuchthattheytriedthree。
Lotsofustrytosettleitbyknockingroundpromiscuously，andthatleadstoactionsformaintenanceandbreachofpromisecases，andallsortsoftrouble。Ourblackssettlethe`sexproblem’withaclub，andsofarIhaven’theardanycomplaintsfromthem……
"Takehereditarycausesandsurroundingcircumstances，forinstance。
Inordertounderstandorjudgeamanright，youwouldneedtoliveunderthesameroofwithhimfromchildhood，andunderthesameroofs，ortents，withhisparents，rightbacktoAdam，andthenyou’dbeblockedforwantofmoreancestorsthroughwhichtotracethecausesthatledtoAbel——ImeanCain——goingonashedid。
What’stheuseorsenseofit？Youmightargueawayinanydirectionforamillionmilesandamillionyearsbackintothepast，butyou’vegottocomebacktowhereyouareifyouwishtodoanygoodforyourself，oranyoneelse。
"Sometimesittakesyoualongwhiletogetbacktowhereyouare——
sometimesyouneverdoit。Why，whenthosecontroversieswerestartedinthe`Bulletin’aboutthekangaroosandotherthings，IthoughtIknewsomethingaboutthebush。NowI’mdamnedifI’msureIcouldtellakangaroofromawombat。
"Tryingtofindoutthingsisthecauseofalltheworkandtroubleinthisworld。ItwasEve’sfaultinthefirstplace——orAdam’s，rather，becauseitmightbearguedthatheshouldhavebeenmaster。
Somemenaretoolazytobemastersintheirownhomes，andruntheshowproperly;somearetoocareless，andsometoodrunkmostoftheirtime，andsometooweak。IfAdamandEvehadn’ttriedtofindoutthingsthere’dhavebeennotoilandtroubleintheworldto-day;there’dhavebeennobloatedcapitalists，andnohorny-handedworkingmen，andnopolitics，nofreetradeandprotection——andnoclothes。Thewomannextdoorwouldn’tbeabletopickholesinyourwife’swashingontheline。We’dhavebeenallrunningaboutinabigGardenofEdenwithnothingon，andnothingtodoexceptloaf，andmakelove，andlark，andlaugh，andplaypracticaljokesoneachother。"
Joegrinned。
"Thatwouldhavebeenglorious。Wouldn’tit，Joe？There’dhavebeenno`sexproblem’then。"
TheMaster’sMistakeWilliamSpencerstayedawayfromschoolthathotday，and"wentswimming"。ThemasterwroteanotetoWilliam’sfather，andgaveittoWilliam’sbrotherJoetocarryhome。
"You’llgivethattoyourfatherto-night，Joseph。"
"Yes，sir。"
BillwaitedforJoenearthegap，andwalkedhomewithhim。
"Is’poseyou’vegotanoteforfather。"
"Yes，"saidJoe。
"Is’poseyouknowwhat’sinit？"
"Ye——yes。Oh，whydidyoustopaway，Bill？"
"Youdon’tmeantosaythatyou’redirtymeanenoughtogiveittofather？Hey？"
"Imust，Will。Ipromisedthemaster。"
"Heneedn’tneverknow。"
"Oh，yes，hewill。He’scomingovertoourplaceonSaturday，andhe’ssuretoaskmeto-morrow。"
Pause。
"Lookhere，Joe！"saidBill，"Idon’twanttogetahidingandgowithoutsupperto-night。Ipromisedtogo’possumingwithJohnnyNowlett，andhe’sgoingtogivemeafireoutofhisgun。
Youcancome，too。Idon’twanttocopoutonitto-night——
ifIdoI’llrunawayfromhomeagain，sothere。"
Billwalkedonabitinmoody，Joeintroubled，silence。
Billtriedagain：hethreatened，argued，andpleaded，butJoewasfirm。
"Themastertrustedme，Will，"hesaid。
"Joe，"saidBillatlast，afteralongpause，"Iwouldn’tdoittoyou。"
Joewastroubled。
"Iwouldn’tdoittoyou，Joe。"
JoethoughthowBillhadstoodupandfoughtforhimonlylastweek。
"I’dtearthenoteinbits;I’dtellahundredlies;
I’dtakeadozenhidingsfirst，Joe——Iwould。"
Joewasgreatlytroubled。Hischestheaved，andthetearscametohiseyes。
"I’ddomorethanthatforyou，Joe，andyouknowit。"
Joeknewit。Theywerecrossingtheoldgoldfieldnow。
Therewasashaftclosetothepath;ithadfallenin，funnel-shaped，atthetop，butwasstillthirtyorfortyfeetdeep;
someoldlogswerejammedacrossaboutfivefeetdown。
Joesuddenlysnatchedthenotefromhispocketandthrewitin。
Itflutteredtotheothersideandrestedonapieceoftheoldtimber。
Billsawit，butsaidnothing，and，seeingtheirfathercominghomefromwork，theyhurriedon。
Joewasdeepintroublenow。Billtriedtocomfortandcheerhim，butitwasnouse。Billpromisednevertorunawayfromhomeanymore，togotoschooleveryday，andnevertofight，orsteal，ortelllies。
ButJoehadbetrayedhistrustforthefirsttimeinhislife，andwouldn’tbecomforted。
SometimeinthenightBillwoke，andfoundJoesittingupinbedcrying。
"Why，what’sthematter，Joe？"
"Ineverdoneameanthinglikethatbefore，"sobbedJoe。"IwishedI’dchuckedmeselfdowntheshaftinstead。Themastertrustedme，Will;
an’now，ifheasksmeto-morrow，I’llhavetotellalie。"
"Thentellthetruth，Joe，an’takethehidin’;it’llsoonbeover——
justacoupleofcutswiththecaneandit’llbeallover。"
"Oh，no，itwon’t。Hewon’tnevertrustmeanymore。I’veneverbeencanedinthatschoolyet，Will，andifIamI’llnevergoagain。
Oh！whywillyourunawayfromhome，Will，andplaythewag，andsteal，andgetusallintosuchtrouble？Youdon’tknowhowmothertakesonaboutit——youdon’tknowhowithurtsfather！I’vedeceivedthemaster，andmotherandfatherto-day，justbecauseyou’reso——soselfish，"
andhelaiddownandcriedhimselftosleep。
Billlayawakeandthoughttilldaylight;thenhegotupquietly，putonhisclothes，andstoleawayfromthehouseandacrosstheflat，followedbythedog，whothoughtitwasa’possum-huntingexpedition。
Billwishedthedogwouldnotbequitesodemonstrative，atleastuntiltheygotawayfromthehouse。Hewentstraighttotheshaft，lethimselfdowncarefullyontooneoftheoldlogs，andstoopedtopickupthenote，gleamingwhiteinthesicklysummerdaylight。
Thentherottentimbergavewaysuddenly，withoutamoment’swarning……
Theyfoundhimthatmorningataboutnineo’clock。Thedogattractedtheattentionofanoldfossickerpassingtohiswork。TheletterwasgrippedinBill’srighthandwhentheybroughthimup。Theytookhimhome，andthefatherwentforadoctor。Billcametohimselfalittlejustbeforethelast，andsaid："Mother！Iwasn’trunningaway，mother——tellfatherthat——I——Iwantedtotryandcatcha’possumontheground……Where’sJoe？IwantJoe。Goout，mother，aminute，andsendJoe。"
"HereIam，Bill，"saidJoe，inachoking，terrifiedvoice。
"Hasthemasterbeenyet？"
"No。"
"Benddown，Joe。Iwentforthenote，andthelogsgaveway。
Imeanttobebackbeforetheywasup。Idroppeditdowninsidethebed;
youwatchyourchanceandgetit;andsayyouforgotitlastnight——sayyoudidn’tliketogiveit——thatwon’tbealie。
TellthemasterI’m——I’msorry——tellthemasternevertosendnonotesnomore——exceptbygirls——that’sall……Mother！
Taketheblanketsoffme——I’mdyin’。"
TheStoryoftheOracle"Weyoungfellows，"said"SympathyJoe"toMitchell，aftertea，intheirfirstcampwesttheriver——"andyouandIAREyoungfellows，comparatively——thinkweknowtheworld。Thereareplentyofyoungchapsknockingroundinthiscountrywhoreckonthey’vebeenthroughitallbeforethey’rethirty。I’vemetcynicsandmen-o’-the-world，agedtwenty-oneorthereabouts，who’veneverbeenfurtherthanatriptoSydney。Theytalkabout`thisworld’asifthey’dknockedaroundinhalf-a-dozenotherworldsbeforetheycameacrosshere——
andtheyarejustasoff-handaboutitasolderAustraliansarewhentheytalkaboutthiscolonyascomparedwiththeothers。Theysay：
`Myoath！——samehere。’`I’vebeenthere。’`Myoath！——you’reright。’
`Takeitfromme！’andallthatsortofthing。Theyunderstandwomen，andhaveacontemptfor’em;andchapsthatdon’ttalkastheytalk，ordoastheydo，orseeastheysee，areeithersoftorratty。
Agoodmanyreckonthat`lifeain’tblankywellworthlivin’’;
sometimestheyfeelsoblankysomehowthattheywouldn’tgiveablankwhethertheychuckeditornot;butthatsortneverchuckit。
It’smostlythequietmenthatdothat，andifthey’vegotanycomplaintstomakeagainsttheworldtheymake’emattheheadstation。
Why，I’veknownhealthy，single，youngfellowsundertwenty-fivewhodranktodrowntheirtroubles——somebecausetheyreckonedtheworlddidn’tunderstandnorappreciate’em——asifitCOULD！"
"Iftheworlddon’tunderstandorappreciateyou，"saidMitchellsolemnly，ashereachedforaburningsticktolighthispipe——"MAKEit！"
"TodrownTHEIRtroubles！"continuedJoe，inatoneofimpatientcontempt。
"TheOraclemustbewellontowardsthesixties;hecantakehisglasswithanyman，butyouneversawhimdrunk。"
"What’stheOracletodowithit？"
"Didyoueverhearhishistory？"
"No。Doyouknowit？"
"Yes，thoughIdon’tthinkhehasanyideathatIdo。Now，weweretalkingabouttheOraclealittlewhileago。Weknowhe’sanoldass;
agoodmanyoutsidersconsiderthathe’sabitsoftorratty，and，aswe’relikelytobematestogetherforsometimeonthatfencingcontract，ifwegetit，youmightaswellknowwhatsortofamanheisandwas，so’syouwon’tgetuneasyabouthimifhegetsdeafforawhilewhenyou’retalking，ordoesfunnythingswithhispipeorpint-pot，orwalksupanddownbyhimselfforanhourorsoaftertea，orsitsonalogwithhisheadinhishands，orleansonthefenceinthegloamingandkeepslookinginablanksortofway，straightahead，acrosstheclearing。
Forhe’sgazingatsomethingathousandmilesacrosscountry，south-east，andabouttwentyyearsbackintothepast，andnodoubtheseeshimself（asayoungman），andaGippslandgirl，spooningunderthestarsalongbetweenthehop-gardensandtheMitchellRiver。
And，ifyougetholtofafiddleoraconcertina，don’trasporswanktoomuchonoldtunes，whenhe’sround，fortheOraclecan’tstandit。
Playsomethinglively。He’llbedownthereatthatsurveyor’scampyarningtillallhours，sowe’llhaveplentyoftimeforthestory——
butdon’tyouevergivehimahintthatyouknow。
"Mypeopleknewhimwell;Igotmostofthestoryfromthem——
mostlyfromUncleBob，whoknewhimbetterthanany。Therestleakedoutthroughthewomen——youknowhowthingsleakoutamongstwomen？"
Mitchelldroppedhisheadandscratchedthebackofit。HEknew。
"ItwasontheCudgegongRiver。MyUncleBobwasmateswithhimononeofthose`rushes’alongthere——the`Pipeclay’，Ithinkitwas，orthe`LogPaddock’。TheOraclewasayoungmanthen，ofcourse，andsowasUncleBob（hewasamatchformostmen）。YouseetheOraclenow，andyoucanimaginewhathewaswhenhewasayoungman。
Oversixfeet，andasstraightasasapling，UncleBobsaid，clean-limbed，andasfreshastheymademeninthosedays;
carriedhishandsbehindhim，ashedoesnow，whenhehasn’tgottheswag——
buthisshoulderswerebackinthosedays。Ofcoursehewasn’ttheOraclethen;hewasyoungTomMarshall——butthatdoesn’tmatter。
Everybodylikedhim——especiallywomenandchildren。
Hewasabithappy-go-luckyandcareless，buthedidn’tknowanythingabout`thisworld’，anddidn’tbotheraboutit;hehadn’t`beenthere’。
`Andhisheartwasasgoodasgold，’myauntusedtosay。
Hedidn’tunderstandwomenasweyoungfellowsdonowadays，andthereforehehadn’tanycontemptfor’em。Perhapsheunderstood，andunderstands，thembetterthananyofus，withoutknowingit。
Anyway，youknow，he’salwaysgentleandkindwhereawomanorchildisconcerned，anddoesn’tliketohearustalkaboutwomenaswedosometimes。
"Therewasagirlonthegoldfields——afinelumpofablonde，andprettygay。ShecamefromSydney，Ithink，withherpeople，whokeptshantiesonthefields。Shehadasplendidvoice，andusedtosing`Madeline’。Theremighthavebeenoneortwobadwomenbeforethat，intheOracle’sworld，butnocold-blooded，designingones。
Hecallsthebadones`unfortunate’。
"PerhapsitwasTom’slooks，orhisfreshness，orhisinnocence，orsoftness——oralltogether——thatattractedher。Anyway，hegotmixedupwithherbeforethegoldfieldpeteredout。
"NodoubtittookalongwhileforthefactstoworkintoTom’sheadthatagirlmightsinglikeshedidandyetbethoroughlyunprincipled。
TheOraclewasalwaysslowatcomingtoadecision，butwhenhedoesit’sgenerallytherightone。Anyway，youcantakethatforgranted，foryouwon’tmovehim。
"Idon’tknowwhetherhefoundoutthatshewasn’tallthatshepretentedtobetohim，orwhethertheyquarrelled，orwhethershechuckedhimoverforaluckydigger。Tomneverhadanyluckonthegoldfields。Anyway，heleftandwentovertotheVictorianside，wherehispeoplewere，andwentupGippslandway。Itwasthereforthefirsttimeinhislifethathegotwhatyouwouldcall`properlygoneonagirl’;hegothardhit——hemethisfate。
"HernamewasBerthaBredt，Iremember。AuntBobsawherafterwards。
AuntBobusedtosaythatshewas`agirlasGodmadeher’——agood，true，womanlygirl——oneofthosesortofgirlsthatonlyloveonce。
Tomgotonwithherfather，whowaspackinghorsesthroughtherangestothenewgoldfields——itwasroughcountryandtherewerenoroads;
theyhadtopackeverythingthereinthosedays，andtherewasmoneyinit。
Thegirl’sfathertooktoTom——asalmosteverybodyelsedid——
and，asfarasthegirlwasconcerned，Ithinkitwasacaseofloveatfirstsight。Theyonlykneweachotherforaboutsixmonths，andwereonly`courting’（astheycalleditthen）
forthreeorfourmonthsaltogether，butshewasthatsortofgirlthatcanloveamanforsixweeksandlosehimforever，andyetgoonlovinghimtotheendofherlife——anddiewithhisnameonherlips。
"Well，thingswerebrighteningupeverywayforTom，andheandhissweetheartwerebeginningtotalkabouttheirownlittlehomeinfuture，whentherecamealetterfromthe`Madeline’girlinNewSouthWales。
"Shewasinterribletrouble。Herbabywastobeborninamonth。
Herpeoplehadkickedherout，andshewasindangerofstarving。
Shebeggedandprayedofhimtocomebackandmarryher，ifonlyforhischild’ssake。Hecouldgothen，andbefree;
shewouldnevertroublehimanymore——onlycomeandmarryherforthechild’ssake。
"TheOracledoesn’tknowwherehelostthatletter，butIdo。
Itwasburntafterwardsbyawoman，whowasmorethanamothertohiminhistrouble——AuntBob。Shethoughthemightcarryitroundwiththerestofhispapers，inhisswag，foryears，andcomeacrossitunexpectedlywhenhewascampedbyhimselfinthebushandfeelingdull。
Itwouldn’thavedonehimanygoodthen。
"Hemusthavefoughtthehardestfightinhislifewhenhegotthatletter。
Nodoubthewalkedtoandfro，toandfro，allnight，withhishandsbehindhim，andhiseyesontheground，ashedoesnowsometimes。
Walkingupanddownhelpsyoutofightathingout。
"Nodoubthethoughtofthingsprettywellashethinksnow：
thepoorgirl’sshameoneverytongue，andbelledroundthedistrictbyeveryhaginthetownship;andshelookeduponbywomenasbeingasbadasanymanwhoeverwenttoBathurstintheolddays，handcuffedbetweentwotroopers。Thereissympathy，apipeandtobacco，acheeringword，and，maybe，awhiskynowandthen，forthecriminalonhisjourney;butthereisnomercy，atleastasfaraswomenareconcerned，forthepoorfoolishgirl，whohastosneakoutthebackwayandroundbybackstreetsandlanesafterdark，withacloakontohideherfigure。
"Tomsentwhatmoneyhethoughthecouldspare，andnextdayhewenttothegirlhelovedandwholovedhim，andtoldherthetruth，andshowedhertheletter。Shewasonlyagirl——butthesortofgirlyouCOULDgotoinacrisislikethat。Hehadmadeuphismindtodotherightthing，andshelovedhimallthemoreforit。
Andsotheyparted。
"WhenTomreached`Pipeclay’，thegirl’srelations，thatshewasstoppingwith，hadaparsonreadiedup，andtheyweremarriedthesameday。"
"Andwhathappenedafterthat？"askedMitchell。
"Nothinghappenedforthreeorfourmonths;thenthechildwasborn。
Itwasn’this！"
Mitchellstoodupwithanoath。
"Thegirlwasthoroughlybad。She’dbeencarryingonwithGodknowshowmanymen，bothbeforeandaftershetrappedTom。"
"Andwhatdidhedothen？"
"Well，youknowhowtheOraclearguesoverthings，andIsupposehewasasbiganoldfoolthenasheisnow。Hethinksthat，asmostmenwoulddeceivewomeniftheycould，whenonemangetscaught，he’sgotnocalltosquealaboutit;he’sbound，becauseofthesinsofmeningeneralagainstwomen，tomakethebestofit。Whatisoneman’swrongcountedagainstthewrongsofhundredsofunfortunategirls。
"It’sanuncommonwayofarguing——likemostoftheOracle’sideas——
butitseemstolookallrightatfirstsight。
"Perhapshethoughtshe’dgostraight;perhapssheconvincedhimthathewasthecauseofherfirstfall;anywayhestucktoherformorethanayear，andintendedtotakeherawayfromthatplaceassoonashe’dscrapedenoughmoneytogether。Itmighthavegoneonuptillnow，ifthefatherofthechild——abigblackIrishmannamedRedmond——hadn’tcomesneakingbackattheendofayear。
He——well，hecamehangingroundMrs。MarshallwhileTomwasawayatwork——
andsheencouragedhim。AndTomwasforcedtoseeit。
"Tomwantedtofightouthisownbattlewithoutinterference，butthechapswouldn’tlethim——theyreckonedthathe’dstandverylittleshowagainstRedmond，whowasaveryroughcustomerandafightingman。
MyuncleBob，whowastherestill，fixeditupthisway：
TheOraclewastofightRedmond，andiftheOraclegotlickedUncleBobwastotakeRedmondon。IfRedmondwhippedUncleBob，thatwastosettleit;butifUncleBobthrashedRedmond，thenhewasalsotofightRedmond’smate，anotherbig，roughPaddynamedDuigan。
Thentheaffairwouldbefinished——nomatterwhichwaythelastboutwent。
Yousee，UncleBobwasreckonedmoreofamatchforRedmondthantheOraclewas，sothethinglookedfairenough——atfirstsight。
"Redmondhadhismate，Duigan，andoneortwoothersoftheroughgangthatusedtoterrorisethefieldsroundthereintheroaringdaysofGulgong。
TheOraclehadUncleBob，ofcourse，andlongDaveRegan，thedrover——
agood-hearted，sawnykindofchapthat’dbreakthedevil’sownbuck-jumper，orsmashhim，orgetsmashedhimself——andlittleJimmyNowlett，thebullocky，andoneortwooftheold，better-classdiggersthatwereleftonthefield。
"There’saclearspaceamongthesaplingsinSpecimenGully，wheretheyusedtopitchcircuses;andhere，inthecoolofasummerevening，thetwomenstoodfacetoface。Redmondwasarough，roaring，foul-mouthedman;hestrippedtohisshirt，androaredlikeabull，andswore，andsneered，andwantedtotakethewholeofTom’scrowdwhilehewasatit，andmakeonecleanjobof’em。Couldn’twastetimefightingthemalloneaftertheother，becausehewantedtogetawaytothenewrushatCattleCreeknextday。Thefoolhadbeendrinkingshanty-whisky。
"Tomstoodupinhisclean，whitemolesandwhiteflannelshirt——oneofthosesortwithnosleeves，thatgivethearmsplay。
HehadasortofsetexpressionandalookinhiseyesthatUncleBob——nornoneofthem——hadeverseentherebefore。
`Giveusplentyof————room！’roaredRedmond;`oneofusisgoingtohell，now！Thisisgoingtobeafighttoa————finish，anda————shortone！’Anditwas！"Joepaused。
"Goon，"saidMitchell——"goon！"
Joedrewalongbreath。
"TheOraclenevergotamark！Hewastop-dogrightfromthestart。
PerhapsitwashisstrengththatRedmondhadunderrated，orhiswantofsciencethatpuzzledhim，ortheawfulsilenceofthemanthatfrightenedhim（itmadeevenUncleBobuneasy）。Or，perhaps，itwasProvidence（itwasagloriouschanceforProvidence），but，anyway，asIsay，theOraclenevergotamark，exceptonhisknuckles。
AfterafewroundsRedmondfunkedandwantedtogivein，butthechapswouldn’tlethim——notevenhisownmates——exceptDuigan。
Theymadehimtakeitaslongashecouldstandonhisfeet。
Heevenshammedtobeknockedout，androaredoutsomethingabouthavingbrokenhis————ankle——butitwasnouse。AndtheOracle！
Thechapsthatknewthoughtthathe’drefusetofight，andneverhitamanthathadgivenin。Buthedid。Hejuststoodtherewiththatquietlookinhiseyesandwaited，and，whenhedidhit，therewasn’tanynecessityforRedmondtoPRETENDtobeknockeddown。
You’llseeaglintofthatoldlightintheOracle’seyesevennow，onceinawhile;andwhenyoudoit’sasignthatyouorsomeonearegoingtoofar，andhadbetterpullup，forit’saredlightontheline，oldasheis。
"Now，JimmyNowlettwasanuggetylittlefellow，hardascastiron，good-hearted，butveryexcitable;andwhenthebashedRedmondwasbeingcartedoff（poorUncleBobwasalwaysprettyhigh-strung，andwassittingonalogsobbinglikeagreatchildfromthereaction），DuiganmadesomesneeringremarkthatonlyJimmyNowlettcaught，andinaninstanthewasupandatDuigan。
"PerhapsDuiganwasdemoralisedbyhismate’sdefeat，orbythesuddennessoftheattack;but，atallevents，hegotahiding，too。
UncleBobusedtosaythatitwasthefunniestthingheeversawinhislife。
Jimmykeptyelling：`Letmegetathim！BytheLord，letmegetathim！’
Andnobodywasattemptingtostophim，heWASgettingathimallthetime——
andproperly，too;and，whenhe’dknockedDuigandown，he’ddanceroundhimandcallonhimtogetup;andeverytimehejumpedorbounced，he’dsqueaklikeanindia-rubberball，UncleBobsaid，andhewouldnearlybursthisboilertryingtolugthebigmanontohisfeetso’shecouldknockhimdownagain。IttooktwoofJimmy’smatesalltheirtimetolamhimdownintoacomparativelyreasonablestateofmindafterthefightwasover。
"TheOracleleftforSydneynextday，andUncleBobwentwithhim。
HestayedatUncleBob’splaceforsometime。Hegotveryquiet，theysaid，andgentle;heusedtoplaywiththechildren，andtheygotmightyfondofhim。Theoldfolksthoughthisheartwasbroken，butitwentthroughadeepersorrowstillafterthatanditain’tbrokenyet。
Ittakesalottobreaktheheartofaman。"
"Andhiswife，"askedMitchell——"whatbecameofher？"
"Idon’tthinkheeversawheragain。Shedroppeddownprettylowafterhelefther——I’veheardshe’slivingsomewherequietly。
TheOracle’sbeensendingsomeonemoneyeversinceIknewhim，andIknowit’sawoman。Isupposeit’sshe。Heisn’tthesortofamantoseeawomanstarve——especiallyawomanhehadeverhadanythingtodowith。"
"AndtheGippslandgirl？"askedMitchell。
"That’stheworstpartofitall，Ithink。TheOraclewentupNorthsomewhere。InthecourseofayearortwohisaffairgotoverGippslandwaythroughamateofhiswholivedoverthere，andatlastthestorygottotheearsofthisgirl，BerthaBredt。
Shemusthavewrittenadozenletterstohim，AuntBobsaid。
Sheknewwhatwasin’em，but，ofcourse，she’dnevertellus。
TheOracleonlywroteoneinreply。Then，whatmustthegirldobutclearoutfromhomeandmakeherwayovertoSydney——
toAuntBob’splace，lookingforTom。Shenevergotanyfurther。
Shetookill——brain-fever，orbrokenheart，orsomethingofthatsort。
Allthetimeshewasdownhercrywas——`Iwanttoseehim！
IwanttofindTom！IonlywanttoseeTom！’
"Whentheysawshewasdying，AuntBobwiredtotheOracletocome——
andhecame。WhenthegirlsawitwasTomsittingbythebed，shejustgaveonelonglookinhisface，putherarmsroundhisneck，andlaidherheadonhisshoulder——anddied……HerecomestheOraclenow。"
Mitchellliftedthetea-billyontothecoals。