The pool of St Branok

"That's good reasoning. You wouldn't, would you? Well, as far as I'm concerned it could stay there. I'm happy as I am. I don't want anything to do with this Gold Rush. Look at all those people ... dancing ... singing. It's like a scene from the Bible. Remember when they were all worshiping the golden calf."

I went over to stand beside Lizzie.

She said: "Isn't it pretty in this light? You can't see how ugly it is in daylight."

I agreed.

Someone started to sing. They were the old songs from Home which we knew so well: "Come, Lasses and Lads," "On a Friday Mora When We Set Sail" and "Rule, Britannia."

I saw many of them wipe a surreptitious tear from their eyes. They were songs which reminded them of Home.

Then Cassidy sang a song which I had never heard before. It was the song of the goldfield:

Gold, Gold, Gold Bright and yellow, hard and cold, Molten, graven, hammered and rolled, Heavy to get and light to hold, Price of many a crime untold ...

There was silence among the crowd as his voice rang out clear on the night air. It had a sobering effect, coming after the songs which most of them had sung in their childhood. "Heavy to get and light to hold, Price of many a crime untold ..."

Those words kept ringing in my ears.

I said to Gervaise: "I think I will go now. I don't like leaving Morwenna."

"There are people there to look after her."

"Yes, but I am thinking of her all the time. I wish this baby would come."

"I believe there are often delays like this."

"Perhaps. We ought to have taken her to Melbourne. There is a hospital there."

Gervaise said soothingly: "It will be all right. Don't fret."

"I'll try not to, but I do want to see her."

"I'll take you back to the house."

Ben had come up. "Are you going?" he asked.

"I keep thinking of Morwenna. I'm going to see her."

"Can't you trust Meg?"

"Yes, of course, but I'd like to be there."

"I'll walk you back. I was going anyway. Come on."

"Good night, Gervaise," I said.

He put his arms round me and kissed me.

"It will be nice when you are back," he said.

"It will be soon, I hope. This can't go on."

The walk to Golden Hall was not very long. Ben said: "I wanted to talk to you."

I waited.

"Something has to happen," he went on. "Soon."

"Such as what?"

"About everything. The way we are going. I want you to leave Gervaise and come to me."

"What are you suggesting?"

"Just that. You love me. You were never really in love with Gervaise."

"You are talking nonsense, Ben. We met long ago and now we have met again briefly. How much do we know of each other?"

"A great deal. We shared an experience ... once. I have thought of you ever since. Have you thought of me?"

"After that experience you went away. You left me."

"If I had thought you needed me I should never have gone."

"After that terrible thing ... I was a child. I needed help."

"I thought you were too young for it to have a great impact."

"You must have thought I could take it as easily as you did."

"I believe you understood that it was not our fault. We harmed nobody. But it is in the past. It's the future I'm thinking of. I love you, Angel. It is important for me to know now that you love me ... that you will come back to England with me."

"This has all happened too quickly."

"It has been happening over the years."

"Well then, why did you stay in Australia? Why didn't you come and find me before ... I married Gervaise?"

"Because I did not know until I saw you again. It all fell into place then. I knew you were the only one."

"And what of Gervaise?"

"What of him?"

"He is my husband. We are happy together. Do you think I can just say to him, 'It was nice knowing you but I have finished with you now'?"

"Gervaise will recover from the loss in time."

"How do you know?"

"Because I have met many like him. He is kind, gentle, loving and weak. He would be the same with any woman as he is with you. You are not first in his life. What is most important to him is gambling. That is what he really cares about. If he lost you and won at roulette or found gold ... he would recover. If I lose you I never shall. Nor will you. We are different. Our feelings go deep. We were meant for each other from the day we met. Angel, I must know ..."

"What must you know?"

"That you will come to me. We will explain to Gervaise together. He would not stand in our way."

"Do you mean he would simply pass me on to you?"

"He would want you to be happy. I would compensate him. I would make over my gold mine to him, and you and I could return to England."

"What a preposterous suggestion."

"I suppose I am rather preposterous."

"I can't think you are serious."

"I am deadly serious. He would agree to a divorce. We could marry and settle in England."

"How do you think we should be received at home? Your grandfather ..."

"My grandfather is a man of the world. I am very like him in many respects. He would understand. I do not anticipate any trouble there ... and if there was I should overcome it. I am not dependent on him or anyone."

"Oh, Ben," I said, "you make everything sound so easy."