“You’ll have to be careful of the sandflies.
They can give you sandy blight which, believe me, is not very pleasant. And they’re particularly partial to fresh English blood-especially when it’s of the blue variety. You see they’re used to coarser stuff. So watch out. “
“I think you’re trying to make me dislike the place.”
“I just want you to see it in its true colours. I think you had rather a romantic idea in the first instance. You thought we walked round in beautiful sunshine all the time and now and then stopped to pick up a valuable opal.”
“What nonsense! I did nothing of the sort. Ben had told me so much. I know what hazards miners face. Ben’s accident was enough to tell me that.”
“Don’t look so angry. People will think we’re quarrelling.”
“Aren’t we?”
“Just a little friendly banter. But we have to create a good impression. It wouldn’t look good for the newly-weds to be quarrelling already.”
“Good for what?”
“Business,” he replied promptly.
“Friction is not good for the Company.”
Do you think of nothing but the Company? “
Now and then I think of other things. “
“I believe it would be better if you allowed me to form my own impressions.”
“Very well. Form them.”
Men wearing cabbage-tree hats to keep off the sun and others in straws on the brims of which were attached corks which danced as they walked-again a precaution against the flies -were going to and from the field which lay stretched out beyond the township. I looked at the dried-up land and the shafts and piles of mullock which had been dug up that the land might be explored.
“There are two thousand people here,” Joss said rather proudly, ‘so there have to be traders to supply them. The Trants’ cook shop has been a great success already, I’ve gathered. “
“I’d like to meet the Trants,” I said.
“I’ll have a word with them now. They’ll expect it.“ We went on and there in one of the wooden dwellings I met James and Ethel Trant. James was seated on a stool at the door peeling potatoes and he scrambled to his feet when he saw Joss.
They shook hands.
“I was sorry to hear what happened,” said Joss.
James Trant nodded.
“We’re getting on all right now, though. We’re making quite a success of this.”
“And it’s a good thing for the town, they tell me.”
We like to think so, sir. We were lucky to find a place. Mr. Bannock suggested it and it works. “
“Good. This is my wife. I’m taking her round to have a look at the place." James Trant shook hands with me and said: ” Welcome to Fancy Town. ” He added that he would go and tell Ethel.
Ethel, wrapped in a large apron, came out wiping floury hands on a cloth. I was introduced to her and Joss and I repeated how sorry we were to hear of their misfortune and how we had discovered it when we had spent a night at the burned-out inn.
“Don’t do to look on the black side,” said Ethel. There’s not much hope of saving a wooden house when you’re in the Bush, and it had been so dry . the grass was ready to flare up if you so much as looked at it. When I saw that the fire was getting a hold I knew we hadn’t a hope. Well, we’ve been lucky. As soon as Mr. Bannock said why shouldn’t we have the corner place and turn it into a cook shop we got going.
It’s the very thing they wanted at the Fancy. Things are not so bad now, are they, James? I used to take such a pride in feeding them.
They could eat like horses, those cattle men and miners. They’d come to me tired out with a day’s riding and longing for a taste of the sort of food they’d had at home. Stews they loved and there was always roast beef. A lovely bit of sirloin . that was the favourite . red and juicy; and they loved my potatoes done in their jackets. Done in the coals, they couldn’t be beaten. And a good beef stew swimming with onions and dumplings, and damper to go with it. and of course tea and everything. “
James interrupted by saying that as long as the field continued to yield good opal they were sure of a living.
May it be for a good many years to come,” said Ethel fervently.
” It will,” Joss assured her.
"The funny thing was,” said Ethel, ‘that it was only a few days before the fire that this man came along.”
“What man ?” said Joss sharply.
“Him who’d been with Desmond Dereham in America. He said Desmond had never stolen the Green Flash and that all the time it had been here in Australia. I wondered if that had brought us bad luck.”
“What utter nonsense,” said Joss sharply.
That’s what I tell Ethel,” agreed James.
“Well, it seemed funny to me. Whenever that Flash is about there’s bad luck. Look at Mr. Henniker. Who’d have thought that accident would have happened to him?”
“Accidents happen to anyone at any time,” retorted Joss tersely.
“But you see he had the Flash all the time if this man was right .. and then he had the accident and now he’s dead. “
Joss said angrily: “If that sort of talk goes on you’ll have no cook shop All this nonsense about ill luck has got to be stopped and I’ll put an end to it.”
James and Ethel looked crestfallen, and I felt sorry for them and angry with Joss.
I said gently: “I’m sure nobody takes that sort of thing seriously.”
But they do,” snapped Joss, ‘and it’s got to stop.”
I smiled apologetically at James and Ethel and Joss said:
“We must be going.”
When we were out of earshot I said: “Need you have been so curt?”
“There is every need Those poor people have suffered a dreadful tragedy and you can’t even be civil to them.”
“I’m being kind to them. Talk like that could make the price of opals slump and cook shops with them. It’s something we have to fight against.”
“I see. Being cruel to be kind.”
“Exactly, and you object to it?”
“It’s a mode of self-righteousness which I particularly dislike.”
“I’ve discovered something."
” What? “
That there’s a great deal about me that you particularly dislike. “
I was silent and he went on maliciously: “You’ve burned your boats, I’m afraid. You’ve accepted the conditions of Ben’s will. Just think all this … and me too … You’ve accepted us. You’ve made your bed and now you must lie on it …” Again that mocking laugh.
Though I have to admit that’s a rather unfortunate analogy in the circumstances. “
I said angrily; “I came out this morning determined to like everything. It’s you who are spoiling things.”
“Isn’t that how it’s always been? Now had Ben produced a pleasant gentleman for you instead of me, all might have been as merry as a marriage bell as you see I’m in a quoting mood today.”
I said: “I think we should at least try to behave in a gracious manner, whatever resentments we feel for having been pressed into a situation distasteful to us both.”
“I believe that’s a good old English custom.”
“It’s not a bad one.”
“You set me an example. Pretend that all is well. It’s a great help.
Who knows, in time you may enjoy being here among the shafts and the gougers. And one day this is going to be a real town with a town hall, a church and a steeple. We’ll get rid of shacks and build proper houses and the calico tents will be gone. It’ll be more to your taste then. “Perhaps,” I said.
“Here are the Company’s offices,” he told me as we came to quite the most impressive building in the township.
“You’ll want to know what goes on in here as you are now part of it. It’s no use despising what you have a share in, is it? You’ll gradually find out what goes on, but this morning I’ll content myself with introductions.”