"Now you're just coming home with me, lassie," said the old man to the
woman of forty-five, who appeared to him as a girl. "I'll make ye as
happy as a queen; see here, child, two is company, and three is
trumpery, as the saying goes. It isn't that your sister loves ye less,"
seeing a pained look cross her face, "but she has her husband, don't ye
see?" And Eva did see. She fell in love, was drawn irresistibly to her
old minister, and it is his voice, with its pleasant Scotch accent, that
is now rousing her from her reverie at the time our tale begins.
"Come away--come away, child. The night dews are falling; they're all
wearying for ye indoors; come now, no more looking around ye, or I'll
never get ye away to-morrow."
"But you promise to bring me back some day, Mr. Cameron, before very
long."
"Ay, ay, we'll come back sure enough, don't fret yourself; but first ye
must see the old country, and learn to know my friends."
Amongst their neighbours at this time was a young man, apparently about
thirty years old; he had travelled to Hobart in the same ship as Mr.
Cameron, for whom he had conceived a warm feeling of friendship. Captain
Wylie had lately come in for some property in Tasmania, and as he was on
furlough and had nothing to keep him at home, he had come out to see his
belongings, and since his arrival at Hobart had been a frequent visitor
at the chalet.
Though a settled melancholy seemed to rest upon him, his history
explained it, for Captain Wylie was married, and yet it was years since
he had seen his wife.
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