ildea to Co

bout a ye

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taking the lawyer into your confidence as regards the personal matters you mention to me. It would be cruelly unjust-I think quite unpardonable in you to bring forward the name of Mr Willoughby Maule in connection with Bridget. Not that HE would mind that. I honestly believe that he would snatch gladly at any means for inducing Bri

s on the matter. It was a shock to her to realise that your reason for never writing to her and for refusing to let her write to you, was lest that might affect the legality of these proceedings, which I understand you

in cases of two years' so-called desertion, I can only say that I consider it a blot on Leichardt's Land legislation. Divorce should be for one cause only-the cause to which Our Lord gave a qualified approval; and Brid

an to make any use of the evidence against her and are prepared to take all the blame for the unhappy state of affairs between you! I write sarcastically. Why, it would be monstrous if you had any other intention! Oh, how I hate this pedantic

y. And perhaps if I had not bound you to secrecy you'd have had the matter out with her, which would probably have saved all this trouble. Anyhow, I can't imagine that you would have left her alone with him as you did-and with bad feeling between you-at the mercy of her own reckless impulses and that of Willoughby Maule's ardent love-making. She doesn't pretend that it wasn't ardent, or that he did not do his best to get her to

a fool you were-and how brutally self-opinionated! I

and you must take it as

ous consequences. Of course, Biddy got up to turn out the goats which were butting with their horns under the floor of her bedroom. I've often got up myself in the old days at Bungroopim, when stray calves got into the garden, or the cockatoo disturbed our slumbers. Do you remember Polly? and how she would keep shouting out on a moonlight night 'The top of the mornin

too, came and did the turning out for Bridg

hurry up the pursuit. I told Bridget how the Inspector had watched her go out of Mr Maule's room, and had grabbed the note afterwards, and shown it to you. She had forgotten altogether about that note-supposed that, of course, it had reached its proper destination. She couldn't remember either exactly what she had written-except that she wanted to word it so that if there should be any accident, nobody-except Mr Maule, for of course, they'd d

Mr Maule carried her to her room and left her there after a few minutes. She doesn't remember anything after that

ocks which make a woman touch reality. It may be only for that once in her life, but she can never be the same again

s death, and of Bridget's change of fortune, coming just at that moment, is the sort of dramatic happening, which I-as a dabbler in fiction-maintain, is more common in real life than in novels. I am certain that if I had set out to b

on't see how, in the circumstances, he could have loafed round Leuraville without making talk-though I think it was a great pity he didn't. Of course he had his own means of communication with the township, and knew she was on board. No one was more surprised than she at his appearance on deck next morning. I don't

ve that his wife was a very charming woman. Or, it may be that the possession of a quarter of a million works a radical change in people's characters. Or, again, it may be tha

see what discretion and good feeling she has shown through all this Gaverick will business. There has been a good deal of disagreeable friction in the matter. Lord Gaverick has not come off so well as he expected. He has got the house in Upper Brook Street, which suits young Lady Gaverick, and about fifteen hundred a year-considerably less than Bridget. The troub

ithout making yourself absolutely certain that you both desire to be free of each other. Remember, there has been no explanation between you and Biddy-no chance of touch between the true selves of both of you. Can you not come to England to see her? Or should she go out to you. I think it possible she might consent to do so, but have never broached the idea and cannot say. Yes, of course I understand that this might invalidate t

and that she could marry again without a stain upon her character as they say of

life. I do not think anything would make me credit such a thing and I put that notion entirely out of court. I do not know-as your letter was dated from Leichardt's Town-whether you still live at Moongarr. It is possible you may have sold the place.

e either into my life or yours. You can trust me. If you do not want me to repeat to Bridget anything you may tell me, I will faithfully observe your wishes. But I can'

your

GIL