A sharp run brought the party to the foot of a small tree, surrounded
by a circle of dogs, all sitting on their tails and staring with
whimpers of anxiety up to the topmost branches, where a small furry
animal was perched. Mary Grant, under Blake's directions, got the
animal silhouetted against the moon, and saw clearly enough the
sharp nose, round ears, plump body, and prehensile tail of the
unfortunate creature who, as Poss said, looked as if he were wishing
for a pair of wings.
Blake turned to Mary. "Do you want to stop and see it killed?" he
said. "It's rather a murderous business. The 'possum has no chance.
One of the boys will go up the tree and shake the branch till the
'possum falls off, and when it falls the dogs will kill it."
"No, I don't think I would like to see it. I have seen so many things
killed since I came here. Let us walk back towards the house."
"I'll tell Gordon. Gordon," he said, "Miss Grant doesn't care to
see the massacre. We will walk back towards the house."
Ellen Harriott made a sudden step forward. "I will go back too,"
she said.
"Why, Miss Harriott!" said Poss in astonishment, "You've seen lots
of 'em killed. Native cats, too. Watch me knock him out of that
with a stick."
"No, no, I'll go back, too. I don't feel like killing anything
to-night. You come back too, Hugh."
So the four walked back together, and as Blake had monopolised Mary
on the way out, she now put herself beside Hugh, and the others
walked behind. Hugh and Mary soon began to talk, but the other
pair walked in silence for a while. Then Ellen Harriott said in a
low voice, "Go a little slower, Gavan. Let them get away." As they
passed under the dense shadows of a huge wild-apple tree, Ellen
stopped and, turning to Blake, held up her face to be kissed.
"Gavan, Gavan!" she said. "I was wondering when I would ever get
a chance to speak to you. To think of you being here in the same
house with me! It's too wonderful, isn't it?"
Gavan Blake kissed her. It was almost an effort to him at first,
as his mind and heart were on fire with the thoughts of the other
girl.
"My darling, my darling!" she said. "All the while you were walking
with that girl, I knew you were dying to come and kiss me!" For
such is the faith of women.
They stopped for a little while, and then moved on after the others,
pausing now and again in the shadows. The girl poured out all her
artless tale--how she had been awake night after night, waiting
for the day he should come. Then she told him how the heiress had
praised his pluck and strength. "And oh! Gavan, I was so proud, I
could have hugged her!"