The inspector was more than satisfied; a young lady of so much
judgment and discrimination was a peerless teacher, and Miss
Edgeworth's work was henceforward beyond all question.
There were no coaches running to Nyalong, and, as Philip's poverty
did not permit him to purchase a horse, and he had scruples about
stealing one, he packed up his swag and set out on foot. It may be
mentioned as bearing on nothing in particular that, after Philip had
taken leave of Miss Edgeworth, she stood at a window, flattened her
little nose against one of the panes, and watched him trudging away
as long as he was in sight. Then she said to Mrs. Martin:
"Ain't it a pity that so respectable a young man should be tramping
through the bush like a pedlar with a pack?"
"No, indeed, miss, not a bit of it," replied Mrs. Martin; "nearly
every man in the country has had to travel with his swag one time or
another. We are all used to it; and it ain't no use of your looking
after him that way, for most likely you'll never see him again." But
she did.
About two miles from the Waterholes Philip overtook another swagman,
a man of middle age, who was going to Nyalong to look for work. He
had tried the diggings, and left them for want of luck, and Philip,
having himself been an unlucky digger, had a fellow feeling for the
stranger. He was an old soldier named Summers.
Pages:
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173