The cottage — for it was nothing else — stood on a slight rise immediately in front of a dark wood of tall gum-trees, and there was a long row of them on the right, forming a shelter against the winds, as if the wood had thrown a protecting arm around the cottage, and wanted to draw it closer to its warm bosom12. The country was of an undulating character, divided into fields by long rows of gorse hedges, all golden with blossoms, which gave out a faint, peach-like odour. Some of these meadows were yellow with corn — some a dull red with sorrel, others left in their natural condition of bright green grass — while here and there stood up, white and ghost-like, the stumps13 of old trees, the last remnants of the forests, which were slowly retreating before the axe14 of the settler. These fields, which had rather a harlequin aspect with their varied15 colours, all melted together in the far distance into an indescribable neutral tint, and ended in the dark haze16 of the bush, which grew over all the undulating hills. On the horizon, however, at intervals17, a keen eye could see some tall tree standing boldly up, outlined clearly against the pale yellow of the sky. There was a white dusty road or rather a track between two rough fences, with a wide space of green grass on each side, and here and there could be seen the cattle wandering idly homeward, lingering every now and then to pull at a particularly tempting18 tuft of bush grass growing in the moist ditches which ran along each side of the highway. Scattered19 over this pastoral-looking country were huge mounds20 of white earth, looking like heaps of carded wool, and at the end of each of these invariably stood a tall, ugly skeleton of wood. These marked the positions of the mines — the towers contained the winding21 gear, while the white earth was the clay called mulloch, brought from several hundred feet below the surface. Near these mounds were rough-looking sheds with tall red chimneys, which made a pleasant spot of colour against the white of the clay. On one of these mounds, rather isolated22 from the others, and standing by itself in the midst of a wide green paddock, Mrs Villiers’ eyes were fixed23, and she soon saw the dark figure of a man coming slowly down the white mound, along the green field and advancing slowly up the hill. When she saw him coming, without turning her head or raising her voice, she called out to someone inside,
‘Archie is coming, Selina — you had better hurry up the tea, for he will be hungry after such a long day.’
The person inside made no answer save by an extra clatter24 of some domestic utensils25, and Madame apparently26 did not expect a reply, for without saying anything else she walked slowly down the garden path, and leaned lightly over the gate, waiting for the newcomer, who was indeed none other than Archibald McIntosh, the manager of the Pactolus.
He was a man of about medium height, rather thin than otherwise, with a long, narrow-looking head and boldly cut features — clean shaved save for a frill of white hair which grew on his throat up the sides of his head to his ears, and which gave him rather a peculiar27 appearance, as if he had his jaw28 bandaged up. His eyes were grey and shrewd-looking, his lips were firmly compressed — in fact, the whole appearance of his face was obstinate29 — the face of a man who would stick to his opinions whatever anyone else might say to the contrary. He was in a rough miner’s dress, all splashed with clay, and as he came up to the gate Madame could see he was holding something in his hand.
‘D’ye no ken30 what yon may be?’ he said, a smile relaxing his grim features as he held up a rather large nugget; ‘’tis the third yin this week!’
Madame Midas took the nugget from him and balanced it carefully in her hand, with a thoughtful look in her face, as if she was making a mental calculation.
‘About twenty to twenty-five ounces, I should say,’ she observed in her soft low voice; ‘the last we had was fifteen, and the one before twenty — looks promising31 for the gutter32, doesn’t it?’
‘Well, I’ll no say but what it micht mean a deal mair,’ replied McIntosh, with characteristic Scotch33 caution, as he followed Madame into the house; ‘it’s no a verra bad sign, onyhow; I winna say but what we micht be near the Devil’s Lead.’
‘And if we are?’ said Madame, turning with a smile.
‘Weel, mem, ye’ll have mair siller nor ye’ll ken what to dae wi’, an’ ’tis to be hoped ye’ll no be making a fool of yersel.’
Madame laughed — she was used to McIntosh’s plain speaking, and it in no wise offended her. In fact, she preferred it very much more than being flattered, as people’s blame is always genuine, their praise rarely so. At all events she was not displeased34, and looked after him with a smile in her dark eyes as he disappeared into the back kitchen to make himself decent for tea. Madame herself sat down in an arm-chair in the bow window, and watched Selina preparing the meal.
Selina Jane Sprotts, who now acted as servant to Mrs Villiers, was rather an oddity in her way. She had been Madame’s nurse, and had followed her up to Ballarat, with the determination of never leaving her. Selina was a spinster, as her hand had never been sought in marriage, and her personal appearance was certainly not very fascinating. Tall and gaunt, she was like a problem from Euclid, all angles, and the small quantity of grey hair she possessed35 was screwed into a hard lump at the back of her head. Her face was reddish in colour, and her mouth prim36 and pursed up, as if she was afraid of saying too much, which she need not have been, as she rarely spoke37, and was as economical of her words as she was of everything else. She was much given to quoting proverbs, and hurled38 these prepared little pieces of wisdom on every side like pellets out of a pop-gun. Conversation which consists mainly of proverbs is rarely exhilarating; consequently Miss Sprotts was not troubled to talk much, either by Madame or McIntosh.
Miss Sprotts moved noiselessly about the small room, in a wonderfully dextrous manner considering her height, and, after laying the table, placed the teapot on the hob to ‘draw’, thereby39 disturbing a cat and a dog who were lying in front of the fire — for there was a fire in the room in spite of the heat of the day, Selina choosing to consider that the house was damp. She told Madame she knew it was damp because her bones ached, and as she was mostly bones she certainly had a good opportunity of judging.
Annoyed at being disturbed by Miss Sprotts, the dog resigned his comfortable place with a plaintive40 growl41, but the cat, of a more irritable42 temperament43, set up and made a sudden scratch at her hand, drawing blood therefrom.
‘Animals,’ observed Selina, grimly, ‘should keep their place;’ and she promptly44 gave the cat a slap on the side of the head, which sent him over to Madame’s feet, with an angry spit. Madame picked him up and soothed45 his ruffled46 feelings so successfully, that he curled himself up on her lap and went to sleep.
By-and-bye Archie, who had been making a great splashing in the back premises47, came in looking clean and fresh, with a more obstinate look about his face than ever. Madame went to the tea-table and sat down, for she always had her meals with them, a fact of which they were very proud, and they always treated her with intense respect, though every now and then they were inclined to domineer. Archie, having seen that the food on the table was worth thanking God for, asked a blessing48 in a peremptory49 sort of manner, as if he thought Heaven required a deal of pressing to make it attentive50. Then they commenced to eat in silence, for none of the party were very much given to speech, and no sound was heard save the rattling51 of the cups and saucers and the steady ticking of the clock. The window was open, and a faint breeze came in — cool and fragrant52 with the scent53 of the forest, and perfumed with the peach-like odour of the gorse blossoms. There was a subdued54 twilight55 through all the room, for the night was coming on, and the gleam of the flickering56 flames of the fire danced gaily57 against the roof and exaggerated all objects to an immense size. At last Archie pushed back his chair to show that he had finished, and prepared to talk.
‘I dinna see ony new bodies coming,’ he said, looking at his mistress. ‘They, feckless things, that left were better than none, though they should hae been skelped for their idleness.’
‘You have written to Slivers58?’ said Madame, raising her eyes.
‘That wudden-legged body,’ retorted McIntosh. ‘Deed and I have, but the auld59 tyke hasna done onything to getting me what I want. Weel, weel,’ in a resigned sort of a manner, ‘we micht be waur off than we are, an’ wha kens60 but what Providence61 will send us men by-and-bye?’
Selina looked up at this, saw her opportunity, and let slip an appropriate proverb.
‘If we go by by-and-bye lane,’ she said sharply, ‘we come to the gate of never.’
This being undeniable, no one gave her the pleasure of contradicting her, for Archie knew it was impossible to argue with Selina, so handy was she with her proverbial wisdom — a kind of domestic Tupper, whose philosophy was of the most irritating and unanswerable kind. He did the wisest thing he could under the circumstances, and started a new subject.
‘I say yon the day.’
‘Yon’ in this case meant Mr Villiers, whose name was tabooed in the house, and was always spoken of in a half-hinting kind of way. As both her servants knew all about her unhappy life, Madame did not scruple62 to talk to them.
‘How was he looking?’ she asked, smoothing the crumbs63 off her dress.
‘Brawly,’ replied Archie, rising; ‘he lost money on that Moscow mine, but he made a fine haul owre the Queen o’ Hearts claim.’
‘The wicked,’ observed Selina, ‘flourish like a green bay tree.’
‘Ou, ay,’ retorted McIntosh, drily; ‘we ken a’ aboot that, Selina — auld Hornie looks after his ain.’
‘I think he leads a very hand-to-mouth existence,’ said Madame, calmly; ‘however rich he may become, he will always be poor, because he never was a provident64 man.’
‘He’s comin’ tae see ye, mem,’ said Archie, grimly, lighting65 his pipe.
Madame rose to her feet and walked to the window.
‘He’s done that before,’ she said, complacently66; ‘the result was not satisfactory.’
‘Continual dropping wears away a stone,’ said Selina, who was now clearing away.
‘But not iron,’ replied Madame, placidly68; ‘I don’t think his persistence69 will gain anything.’
Archie smiled grimly, and then went outside to smoke his pipe, while Madame sat down by the open window and looked out at the fast-fading landscape.
Her thoughts were not pleasant. She had hoped to cut herself off from all the bitterness and sorrow of her past life, but this husband of hers, like an unquiet spirit, came to trouble her and remind her of a time she would willingly have forgotten. She looked calm and quiet enough sitting there with her placid67 face and smooth brow; but this woman was like a slumbering70 volcano, and her passions were all the more dangerous from being kept in check.
A bat flew high up in the air across the clear glow of the sky, disappearing into the adjacent bush, and Madame, stretching out her hand, idly plucked a fresh, dewy rose off the tree which grew round the window.
‘If I could only get rid of him,’ she thought, toying with the flower; ‘but it is impossible. I can’t do that without money, and money I never will have till I find that lead. I must bribe71 him, I suppose. Oh, why can’t he leave me alone now? Surely he has ruined my life sufficiently72 in the past to let me have a few years, if not of pleasure, at least of forgetfulness.’ And with a petulant73 gesture she hurled the rose out of the window, where it struck Archie a soft and fragrant blow on the cheek.
‘Yes,’ said Madame to herself, as she pulled down the window, ‘I must get rid of him, and if bribery74 won’t do — there are other means.’
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1
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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6
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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7
smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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11
mellowed
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| （使）成熟( mellow的过去式和过去分词 )； 使色彩更加柔和，使酒更加醇香 | |
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12
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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13
stumps
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| （被砍下的树的）树桩( stump的名词复数 )； 残肢； （板球三柱门的）柱； 残余部分 | |
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14
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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15
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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16
haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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17
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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18
tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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mounds
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| 土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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23
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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24
clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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25
utensils
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| 器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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29
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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30
ken
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| n.视野，知识领域 | |
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31
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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32
gutter
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| n.沟，街沟，水槽，檐槽，贫民窟 | |
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33
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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34
displeased
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| a.不快的 | |
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35
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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36
prim
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| adj.拘泥形式的，一本正经的；n.循规蹈矩，整洁；adv.循规蹈矩地，整洁地 | |
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37
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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38
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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39
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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40
plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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41
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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42
irritable
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| adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的 | |
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43
temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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44
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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45
soothed
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| v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦 | |
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46
ruffled
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| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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47
premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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48
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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49
peremptory
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| adj.紧急的，专横的，断然的 | |
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50
attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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51
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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52
fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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53
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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54
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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55
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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56
flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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57
gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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58
slivers
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| （切割或断裂下来的）薄长条，碎片( sliver的名词复数 ) | |
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59
auld
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| adj.老的，旧的 | |
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60
kens
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| vt.知道（ken的第三人称单数形式） | |
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61
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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62
scruple
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| n./v.顾忌，迟疑 | |
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63
crumbs
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| int. (表示惊讶)哎呀 n. 碎屑 名词crumb的复数形式 | |
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64
provident
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| adj.为将来做准备的，有先见之明的 | |
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65
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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66
complacently
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| adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地 | |
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67
placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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68
placidly
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| adv.平稳地，平静地 | |
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69
persistence
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| n.坚持，持续，存留 | |
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70
slumbering
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式） | |
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71
bribe
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| n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通 | |
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72
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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73
petulant
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| adj.性急的，暴躁的 | |
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74
bribery
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| n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿 | |
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