Robbery Under Arms [178]
only knows what would have become of us.'
`I am afraid you are labouring under some mistake, my dear madam. I have not the honour to be Sir Ferdinand Morringer or any other baronet at present; but I assure you I feel the compliment intensely. I am sure my good friends here, James and Richard Marston, do equally.'
Here the Misses Whitman, in spite of all their terror and anxiety, were so tickled by the idea of their mother mistaking Starlight and the Marstons for Sir Ferdinand and his troopers that they began to laugh, not but what they were sober enough in another minute.
Miss Falkland got up then and walked forward, looking just the way her father used to do. She spoke to Starlight first.
`I have never seen you before, but I have often heard of you, Captain Starlight, if you will allow me to address you by that title. Believe me when I say that by your conduct to-night you have won our deepest gratitude -- more than that, our respect and regard. Whatever may be your future career, whatever the fate that your wild life may end in, always believe there are those who will think of you, pray for you, rejoice in your escapes, and sorrow sincerely for your doom. I can answer for myself, and I am sure for my cousins also.'
Here the Misses Whitman said --
`Yes, indeed, we will -- to our life's end.'
Then she turned to Jim, who still stood there looking at her with his big gray eyes, that had got ever so much darker lately.
`You, poor old Jim,' she said, and she took hold of his brown hand and held it in her own, `I am more sorry than I can tell to hear all I have done about you and Dick too. This is the second time you have saved me, and I am not the girl to forget it, if I could only show my gratitude. Is there any way?'
`There's Jeanie,' just them two words he said.
`Your wife? Oh yes, I heard about her,' looking at him so kind and gentle-like. `I saw it all in the papers. She's in Melbourne, isn't she? What is her address?'
`Esplanade Hotel, St. Kilda,' says Jim, taking a small bit of a letter out of his pocket.
`Very well, Jim, I have a friend who lives near it. She will find her out, and do all for her that can be done. But why don't you -- why don't all of you contrive to get away somehow from this hateful life, and not bring ruin and destruction on the heads of all who love you? Say you will try for their sake -- for my sake.'
`It's too late, Miss Falkland,' I said. `We're all thankful to you for the way you've spoken. Jim and I would be proud to shed our blood for you any time, or Mr. Falkland either. We'll do what we can, but we'll have to fight it out to the end now, and take our chance of the bullet coming before the rope. Good-night, Miss Falkland, and good luck to you always.'
She shook hands heartily with me and Jim, but when she came to Starlight he raised her hand quite respectful like and just touched it with his lips. Then he bowed low to them all and walked slowly out.
When we got to the public-house, which wasn't far off, we found that Moran and the other two had stayed there a bit till Wall and Hulbert came; then they had a drink all round and rode away. The publican said Moran was in an awful temper, and he was afraid he'd have shot somebody before the others got him started and clear of the place.
`It's a mercy you went over, Captain,' says he; `there'd have been the devil to pay else. He swore he'd burn the place down before he went from here.'
`He'll get caught one of these fine days,' says Starlight. `There's more risk at one station than half-a-dozen road scrimmages, and that he'll find, clever as he thinks himself.'
`Where's Mr. Whitman, Jack?' says I to the landlord (he wasn't a bad sort, old Jack Jones). `What made him leave his place to the mercy of the world, in a manner of speaking?'
`Well, it was this way. He heard that all the shepherds at the lower station had cut it to the diggings, ye see; so he thought he'd make a dart up to the Castlereagh and rig'late the place a bit. He'll be back afore morning.'
`How d'ye know
`I am afraid you are labouring under some mistake, my dear madam. I have not the honour to be Sir Ferdinand Morringer or any other baronet at present; but I assure you I feel the compliment intensely. I am sure my good friends here, James and Richard Marston, do equally.'
Here the Misses Whitman, in spite of all their terror and anxiety, were so tickled by the idea of their mother mistaking Starlight and the Marstons for Sir Ferdinand and his troopers that they began to laugh, not but what they were sober enough in another minute.
Miss Falkland got up then and walked forward, looking just the way her father used to do. She spoke to Starlight first.
`I have never seen you before, but I have often heard of you, Captain Starlight, if you will allow me to address you by that title. Believe me when I say that by your conduct to-night you have won our deepest gratitude -- more than that, our respect and regard. Whatever may be your future career, whatever the fate that your wild life may end in, always believe there are those who will think of you, pray for you, rejoice in your escapes, and sorrow sincerely for your doom. I can answer for myself, and I am sure for my cousins also.'
Here the Misses Whitman said --
`Yes, indeed, we will -- to our life's end.'
Then she turned to Jim, who still stood there looking at her with his big gray eyes, that had got ever so much darker lately.
`You, poor old Jim,' she said, and she took hold of his brown hand and held it in her own, `I am more sorry than I can tell to hear all I have done about you and Dick too. This is the second time you have saved me, and I am not the girl to forget it, if I could only show my gratitude. Is there any way?'
`There's Jeanie,' just them two words he said.
`Your wife? Oh yes, I heard about her,' looking at him so kind and gentle-like. `I saw it all in the papers. She's in Melbourne, isn't she? What is her address?'
`Esplanade Hotel, St. Kilda,' says Jim, taking a small bit of a letter out of his pocket.
`Very well, Jim, I have a friend who lives near it. She will find her out, and do all for her that can be done. But why don't you -- why don't all of you contrive to get away somehow from this hateful life, and not bring ruin and destruction on the heads of all who love you? Say you will try for their sake -- for my sake.'
`It's too late, Miss Falkland,' I said. `We're all thankful to you for the way you've spoken. Jim and I would be proud to shed our blood for you any time, or Mr. Falkland either. We'll do what we can, but we'll have to fight it out to the end now, and take our chance of the bullet coming before the rope. Good-night, Miss Falkland, and good luck to you always.'
She shook hands heartily with me and Jim, but when she came to Starlight he raised her hand quite respectful like and just touched it with his lips. Then he bowed low to them all and walked slowly out.
When we got to the public-house, which wasn't far off, we found that Moran and the other two had stayed there a bit till Wall and Hulbert came; then they had a drink all round and rode away. The publican said Moran was in an awful temper, and he was afraid he'd have shot somebody before the others got him started and clear of the place.
`It's a mercy you went over, Captain,' says he; `there'd have been the devil to pay else. He swore he'd burn the place down before he went from here.'
`He'll get caught one of these fine days,' says Starlight. `There's more risk at one station than half-a-dozen road scrimmages, and that he'll find, clever as he thinks himself.'
`Where's Mr. Whitman, Jack?' says I to the landlord (he wasn't a bad sort, old Jack Jones). `What made him leave his place to the mercy of the world, in a manner of speaking?'
`Well, it was this way. He heard that all the shepherds at the lower station had cut it to the diggings, ye see; so he thought he'd make a dart up to the Castlereagh and rig'late the place a bit. He'll be back afore morning.'
`How d'ye know