“After you had bought this land … After you had unearthed its treasure.”
“Well, I should have been a fool not to.”
“Yes, you would have been a fool, and you would never be that, Ben. There was only one way you could get that land, wasn’t there? By marrying for it.”
“If you had come with me I should never have married Lizzie. I should never have got this land. I’ll be honest. I want the gold … but I wanted you more. I still do. I’d give it all up for you.”
I laughed at him. “I’m not a gullible girl any more, Ben. I understand your ways … and all those of the men here … or most of them. This is an obsession. It’s a fever that takes possession of you all. You can’t break away from it.”
“I tell you this,” he said. “When I have what is on this land …”
“The land you bought through your marriage?”
“I mean this land … I will go home and never want to see another piece of gold.”
“There is no need to tell me all this. I know you, Ben, now. I didn’t before. It is my fault for being so naive.”
“Angel …”
“Goodbye, Ben. There is nothing we have to say to each other now.”
“Angel,” he called as I turned away. “I must see you sometimes …”
“I don’t think you should.”
“You are afraid of your feelings for me.”
I turned on him angrily. “This is a small community. I should hate there to be gossip. It would hurt Lizzie. She is the innocent one in all this, isn’t she? The lamb delivered up for slaughter.”
“Lizzie is very happy now,” he said. “And I intend that she shall remain so.”
“Let us hope she never discovers she was married for a gold mine. Goodbye.”
“If you care to ride Foxey … she is always at your disposal.”
“Thank you,” I said coldly and turned away.
My emotions were in a turmoil.
I wondered how all this would end.
The weeks were passing. There were only five months to go before my child was born. I thought that already it was getting rather late to leave. Even in my present condition I should not fancy the jostling of the Cobb’s coach to Melbourne and the long sea voyage.
I consulted Mrs. Bowles.
“Another little baby!” she cried. “Well, that is good news. I’ll guarantee yours will be easy. I know just by looking at a girl. Now, Mrs. Cartwright, I knew as soon as I saw her that she was going to have a bit of trouble. But you … you’ll be right as rain.”
That optimism which I had noticed when One-Eye and Cassidy had had their find, settled on the township. One person’s luck must mean that others could share in it because if there were alluvial deposits so near the surface on neighboring land it must mean that there were others nearby. It was a reminder that this was indeed gold country.
Gervaise and Justin were working feverishly; at the end of each day the story was the same. Maybe tomorrow will be our lucky day.
“Trust Ben Lansdon,” said Justin enviously. “He hasn’t done too badly in the past and then he alights on this.”
“He had to marry Lizzie Morley to get it,” I said waspishly.
“Well, never mind how he got it,” replied Justin. “He knew the gold was there. That’s what everyone says. That’s why he took on Lizzie. I’ve heard it said that Morley made a bargain with him before he died. Take Lizzie and you get the land.”
“Do you believe that?” I asked.
“Well, it seems to have worked out that way, doesn’t it? He was desperately trying to buy the land … offering a fantastic price, so I understand. Then he gets it through marriage and, hey presto, Gold.”
“Well, I suppose it does seem rather obvious.”
“Ben won’t mind. As long as he achieves his object he’ll be ready to pay the price.”
There was more talk about gold than ever in the past. The men were constantly discussing veins and placers. Veins, Gervaise told me, were like other deposits of metals. In the alluvial deposits—the placers—the metal was found embedded in the soil usually in chambers worn away by water. The fact that it was actually discovered in the creek must show that it was very plentiful in that spot. That was what had aroused Ben’s excitement.
I had watched the men panning many times. There was a special method of doing it—a certain shaking and twisting and gyrating movement, and great care had to be taken to wash away the soil and lose none of the precious metal which might be there.
There were what they called cradles for treating larger quantities of soil; and there was another complicated one called a Tom.
Ben had all methods working. He paid some of the miners to help him and several of them were glad to earn money that way.
More than ever I wanted to get away. I felt there was something evil in this search for gold. I often thought of David Skelling who could not resist the temptation to steal gold which had been found by others, and how he had met his wretched end because of this.
Sometimes I went to the graveyards and looked at the rough stones which had been set up. James Morley. David Skelling. Two who had died since I had come. I shuddered to think that Morwenna or her baby might have been here … but for the grace of God, and the skill of Dr. Field … not forgetting Mrs. Bowles.
Then came the night when Justin was in our shack for a game of cards with Gervaise. More frequently they joined other players in the saloon but this was an evening when it was to be just a friendly game of poker between the two of them.
Before Pedrek’s birth when they had played in one of the shacks, Morwenna and I would be together. We usually went into the bedroom and talked while they played.
On this occasion I was alone as Morwenna was still sleeping at Golden Hall.
I left them and went into the bedroom. I wanted to get away. I found the scene sordid—not so much the shabby room with the candles guttering in their iron sticks, as the intent looks on the faces of the two. It sickened me. It was an outward sign of all that had brought us here away from our families, our homes and a gracious way of life.
Suddenly I heard a shout from the other side of the partition, the sound of a chair’s being pushed back, raised voices.
I ran into the next room. The two men were on their feet glaring at each other across the table.
“Cheat!” Gervaise was shouting. “I saw that. You can’t deny it.”
Justin’s face was very white. He said nothing. I saw the cards on the table. The ace and king of hearts were uppermost.
Gervaise said in a cold voice: “So this is it. This is the reason for your winnings. You’re a cheat, Cartwright. A card sharper …”
Justin stammered: “It was … a mistake …”
“A mistake to get caught.” Gervaise walked round the table. He pulled Justin up by his coat. He was several inches taller than Justin. He lifted him and shook him as though he were a dog. Then he threw him from him. Justin stumbled and went sprawling against the wall.
He stood up slowly. I thought he was going to run at Gervaise, who stood there waiting for him.
I put myself between them. “Stop it,” I cried. “Stop it. I won’t have fighting here.”
“He’s a cheat and a liar,” said Gervaise. I had never seen him cold like that before. He was a different man. Never had I seen him so furiously angry. But this was because I had never been present when the rules of this sacred matter had been violated.
I said: “Justin, I think it would be better if you left … now.”
“I shall never play with him again,” declared Gervaise. And I had never heard such coldness in his voice as I did then.
Justin did not speak. He was deflated. I thought: It’s true then. He cheats at cards. It is why he has the luck. Oh, poor Morwenna. Gervaise was a gambler but at least he was an honest one.