Robbery Under Arms [207]
of the stewards. They had big rosettes on, and presently they walked round to us, and the steward asked the favour of Aileen's name, and then begged, by virtue of his office, to present Lieutenant Lascelles, a gentleman lately from India, who had expressed a wish to be introduced to her. Such a bow Starlight made, too. We could hardly help staring. Poor Aileen hardly knew whether to laugh or to cry when he sat down beside her and asked for the pleasure of a dance.
She wouldn't do that. She only came there to see him, she said, and me; but he persuaded her to walk round the room, and then they slipped into one of the supper-rooms, where they were able to talk without being disturbed, and say what they had in their hearts. I got Gracey to take a turn with me, and we were able to have our little say. She was, like Aileen, miserable enough and afraid to think of our ever having the chance of getting married and living happy like other people, but she told me she would wait and remain faithful to me -- if it was to her life's end -- and that as soon as I could get away from the country and promise her to leave our wild lives behind she was ready to join us and follow me all over the world. Over and over again she tried to persuade me to get away like Jim, and said how happy he was now, and how much better it was than stopping where we were, and running terrible risks every day and every hour. It was the old story over again; but I felt better for it, and really meant to try and cut loose from all this cross work. We hadn't too much time. Aileen was fetched back to her seat, and then Starlight went off to his friends at the other end of the room, and was chaffed for flirting with a regular currency lass by one of the Dawsons.
`I admire his taste,' says the Commissioner. `I really think she's the prettiest girl in the room if she was well dressed and had a little more animation. I wonder who she is? What's her name, Lascelles? I suppose you know all about her by this time.'
`Her name is Martin, or Marston, or some such name,' answered Starlight, quite cool and pleasant. `Deuced nice, sensible girl, painfully quiet, though. Wouldn't dance, though, at all, and talked very little.'
`By Jove! I know who she is,' says one of the young chaps. `That's Aileen Marston, sister to Dick and Jim. No wonder she isn't over lively. Why, she has two brothers bush-rangers, regular out-and-outers. There's a thousand on each of their heads.'
`Good gad!' says Starlight, `you don't say so! Poor girl! What a most extraordinary country! You meet with surpwises every day, don't you?'
`It's a pity Sir Ferdinand isn't here,' said the Commissioner. `I believe she's an acquaintance of his. I've always heard she was a splendid girl, though, poor thing, frets to death about her family. I think you seem to have cheered her up, though, Lascelles. She doesn't look half so miserable as she did an hour ago.'
`Naturally, my dear fellow,' says Starlight, pulling his moustache; `even in this savage country -- beg your pardon -- one's old form seems to be appreciated. Pardon me, I must regain my partner; I am engaged for this dance.'
`You seem disposed to make the most of your opportunities,' says the Commissioner. `Dawson, you'll have to look after your friend. Who's the enslaver now?'
`I didn't quite catch her name,' says Starlight lazily; `but it's that tall girl near the pillar, with the pale face and dark eyes.'
`You're not a bad judge for a new chum,' says one of the goldfield subs. `Why, that's Maddie Barnes. I think she's the pick of all the down-the-river girls, and the best dancer here, out-and-out. Her sister's to be married to-morrow, and we're all going to see her turned off.'
`Really, now?' says Starlight, putting up his eyeglass. `I begin to think I must write a book. I'm falling upon adventures hourly. Oh, the "Morgen-blatter". What a treat! Can she valse, do you think?'
`You try her,' says the young fellow. `She's a regular stunner.'
It was a fine, large room, and the band, mostly Germans,
She wouldn't do that. She only came there to see him, she said, and me; but he persuaded her to walk round the room, and then they slipped into one of the supper-rooms, where they were able to talk without being disturbed, and say what they had in their hearts. I got Gracey to take a turn with me, and we were able to have our little say. She was, like Aileen, miserable enough and afraid to think of our ever having the chance of getting married and living happy like other people, but she told me she would wait and remain faithful to me -- if it was to her life's end -- and that as soon as I could get away from the country and promise her to leave our wild lives behind she was ready to join us and follow me all over the world. Over and over again she tried to persuade me to get away like Jim, and said how happy he was now, and how much better it was than stopping where we were, and running terrible risks every day and every hour. It was the old story over again; but I felt better for it, and really meant to try and cut loose from all this cross work. We hadn't too much time. Aileen was fetched back to her seat, and then Starlight went off to his friends at the other end of the room, and was chaffed for flirting with a regular currency lass by one of the Dawsons.
`I admire his taste,' says the Commissioner. `I really think she's the prettiest girl in the room if she was well dressed and had a little more animation. I wonder who she is? What's her name, Lascelles? I suppose you know all about her by this time.'
`Her name is Martin, or Marston, or some such name,' answered Starlight, quite cool and pleasant. `Deuced nice, sensible girl, painfully quiet, though. Wouldn't dance, though, at all, and talked very little.'
`By Jove! I know who she is,' says one of the young chaps. `That's Aileen Marston, sister to Dick and Jim. No wonder she isn't over lively. Why, she has two brothers bush-rangers, regular out-and-outers. There's a thousand on each of their heads.'
`Good gad!' says Starlight, `you don't say so! Poor girl! What a most extraordinary country! You meet with surpwises every day, don't you?'
`It's a pity Sir Ferdinand isn't here,' said the Commissioner. `I believe she's an acquaintance of his. I've always heard she was a splendid girl, though, poor thing, frets to death about her family. I think you seem to have cheered her up, though, Lascelles. She doesn't look half so miserable as she did an hour ago.'
`Naturally, my dear fellow,' says Starlight, pulling his moustache; `even in this savage country -- beg your pardon -- one's old form seems to be appreciated. Pardon me, I must regain my partner; I am engaged for this dance.'
`You seem disposed to make the most of your opportunities,' says the Commissioner. `Dawson, you'll have to look after your friend. Who's the enslaver now?'
`I didn't quite catch her name,' says Starlight lazily; `but it's that tall girl near the pillar, with the pale face and dark eyes.'
`You're not a bad judge for a new chum,' says one of the goldfield subs. `Why, that's Maddie Barnes. I think she's the pick of all the down-the-river girls, and the best dancer here, out-and-out. Her sister's to be married to-morrow, and we're all going to see her turned off.'
`Really, now?' says Starlight, putting up his eyeglass. `I begin to think I must write a book. I'm falling upon adventures hourly. Oh, the "Morgen-blatter". What a treat! Can she valse, do you think?'
`You try her,' says the young fellow. `She's a regular stunner.'
It was a fine, large room, and the band, mostly Germans,