to　sketch　out　an　elegant　description　of　the　oasis　in　his　desert　of　a　vineyard。　　While　at　this　occupation；　he　was　disturbed　by　the　sound　of　voices　in　the　garden；　and　it　appeared　to　him　that　someone　near　at　hand　was　sobbing　and　crying。　　Softly　stepping　on　the　broad　verandah；　he　saw；　on　the　grass…plot；　two　persons；　an　old　man　and　a　young　girl。　　The　sobbing　proceeded　from　the　old　man。
  〃'Deed；　miss；　it's　the　truth；　on　my　soul。　　I've　but　jest　come　back　to　yez　this　morning。　　O　my！　　but　it's　a　cruel　trick　to　play　an　ould　man。〃
  He　was　a　white…haired　old　fellow；　in　a　grey　suit　of　convict　frieze；　and　stood　leaning　with　one　veiny　hand　upon　the　pedestal　of　a　vase　of　roses。
  〃But　it　is　your　own　fault；　Danny；　we　all　warned　you　against　her；〃　said　the　young　girl　softly。　　〃Sure　ye　did。　　But　oh！　　how　did　I　think　it；　miss？　　'Tis　the　second　time　she　served　me　so。〃
  〃How　long　was　it　this　time；　Danny？〃
  〃Six　months；　miss。　　She　said　I　was　a　drunkard；　and　beat　her。　　Beat　her；　God　help　me！〃　stretching　forth　two　trembling　hands。　　〃And　they　believed　her；　o'　course。　　Now；　when　I　kem　back；　there's　me　little　place　all　thrampled　by　the　boys；　and　she's　away　wid　a　ship's　captain；　saving　your　presence；　miss；　dhrinking　in　the　'George　the　Fourth'。　　O　my；　but　it's　hard　on　an　old　man！〃　and　he　fell　to　sobbing　again。
  The　girl　sighed。　　〃I　can　do　nothing　for　you；　Danny。　　I　dare　say　you　can　work　about　the　garden　as　you　did　before。　　I'll　speak　to　the　Major　when　he　comes　home。〃
  Danny；　lifting　his　bleared　eyes　to　thank　her；　caught　sight　of　Mr。　Meekin；　and　saluted　abruptly。　　Miss　Vickers　turned；　and　Mr。　Meekin；　bowing　his　apologies；　became　conscious　that　the　young　lady　was　about　seventeen　years　of　age；　that　her　eyes　were　large　and　soft；　her　hair　plentiful　and　bright；　and　that　the　hand　which　held　the　little　book　she　had　been　reading　was　white　and　small。
  〃Miss　Vickers；　I　think。　　My　name　is　Meekinthe　Reverend　Arthur　Meekin。〃
  〃How　do　you　do；　Mr。　Meekin？〃　said　Sylvia；　putting　out　one　of　her　small　hands；　and　looking　straight　at　him。　　〃Papa　will　be　in　directly。〃
  〃His　daughter　more　than　compensates　for　his　absence；　my　dear　Miss　Vickers。〃
  〃I　don't　like　flattery；　Mr。　Meekin；　so　don't　use　it。　　At　least；〃　she　added；　with　a　delicious　frankness；　that　seemed　born　of　her　very　brightness　and　beauty；　〃not　that　sort　of　flattery。　　Young　girls　do　like　flattery；　of　course。　　Don't　you　think　so？〃
  This　rapid　attack　quite　disconcerted　Mr。　Meekin；　and　he　could　only　bow　and　smile　at　the　self…possessed　young　lady。　　〃Go　into　the　kitchen；　Danny；　and　tell　them　to　give　you　some　tobacco。　　Say　I　sent　you。　Mr。　Meekin；　won't　you　come　in？〃
  〃A　strange　old　gentleman；　that；　Miss　Vickers。　　A　faithful　retainer；　I　presume？〃
  〃An　old　convict　servant　of　ours；〃　said　Sylvia。　　〃He　was　with　papa　many　years　ago。　　He　has　got　into　trouble　lately；　though；　poor　old　man。〃
  〃Into　trouble？〃　asked　Mr。　Meekin；　as　Sylvia　took　off　her　hat。
  〃On　the　roads；　you　know。　　That's　what　they　call　it　here。　He　married　a　free　woman　much　younger　than　himself；　and　she　makes　him　drink；　and　then　gives　him　in　charge　for　insubordination。〃
  〃For　insubordination！　　Pardon　me；　my　dear　young　lady；　did　I　understand　you　rightly？〃
  〃Yes；　insubordination。　　He　is　her　assigned　servant；　you　know；〃　said　Sylvia；　as　if　such　a　condition　of　things　was　the　most　ordinary　in　the　world；　〃and　if　he　misbehaves　himself；　she　sends　him　back　to　the　road…gang。〃
  The　Reverend　Mr。　Meekin　opened　his　mild　eyes　very　wide　indeed。　〃What　an　extraordinary　anomaly！　　I　am　beginning；　my　dear　Miss　Vickers；　to　find　myself　indeed　at　the　antipodes。〃
  〃Society　here　is　different　from　society　in　England；　I　believe。　Most　new　arrivals　say　so；〃　returned　Sylvia　quietly。
  〃But　for　a　wife　to　imprison　her　husband；　my　dear　young　lady！〃
  〃She　can　have　him　flogged　if　she　likes。　　Danny　has　been　flogged。　But　then　his　wife　is　a　bad　woman。　　He　was　very　silly　to　marry　her；　but　you　can't　reason　with　an　old　man　in　love；　Mr。　Meekin。〃
  Mr。　Meekin's　Christian　brow　had　grown　crimson；　and　his　decorous　blood　tingled　to　his　finger…tips。　　To　hear　a　young　lady　talk　in　such　an　open　way　was　terrible。　　Why；　in　reading　the　Decalogue　from　the　altar；　Mr。　Meekin　was　accustomed　to　soften　one　indecent　prohibition；　lest　its　uncompromising　plainness　of　speech　might　offend　the　delicate　sensibilities　of　his　female　souls！　　He　turned　from　the　dangerous　theme　without　an　instant's　pause；　for　wonder　at　the　strange　power　accorded　to　Hobart　Town　〃free〃　wives。　　〃You　have　been　reading？〃
  〃'Paul　et　Virginie'。　　I　have　read　it　before　in　English。〃
  〃Ah；　you　read　French；　then；　my　dear　young　lady？〃
  〃Not　very　well。　　I　had　a　master　for　some　months；　but　papa　had　to　send　him　back　to　the　gaol　again。　　He　stole　a　silver　tankard　out　of　the　dining…room。〃
  〃A　French　master！　　Stole〃
  〃He　was　a　prisoner；　you　know。　　A　clever　man。　　He　wrote　for　the　London　Magazine。　I　have　read　his　writings。　　Some　of　them　are　quite　above　the　average。〃
  〃And　how　did　he　come　to　be　transported？〃　asked　Mr。　Meekin；　feeling　that　his　vineyard　was　getting　larger　than　he　had　anticipated。
  〃Poisoning　his　niece；　I　think；　but　I　forget　the　particulars。　He　was　a　gentlemanly　man；　but；　oh；　such　a　drunkard！〃
  Mr。　Meekin；　more　astonished　than　ever　at　this　strange　country；　where　beautiful　young　ladies　talked　of　poisoning　and　flogging　as　matters　of　little　moment；　where　wives　imprisoned　their　husbands；　and　murderers　taught　French；　perfumed　the　air　with　his　cambric　handkerchief　in　silence。
  〃You　have　not　been　here　long；　Mr。　Meekin；〃　said　Sylvia；　after　a　pause。
  〃No；　only　a　week；　and　I　confess　I　am　surprised。　　A　lovely　climate；　but；　as　I　said　just　now　to　Mrs。　Jellicoe；　the　Trail　of　the　Serpent　the　Trail　of　the　Serpentmy　dear　young　lady。〃
  〃If　you　send　all　the　wretches　in　England　here；　you　must　expect　the　Trail　of　the　Serpent；〃　said　Sylvia。　　〃It　isn't　the　fault　of　the　colony。〃
  〃Oh；　no；　certainly　not；〃　returned　Meekin；　hastening　to　apologize。　〃But　it　is　very　shocking。〃
  〃Well；　you　gentlemen　should　make　it　better。　　I　don't　know　what　the　penal　settlements　are　like；　but　the　prisoners　in　the　town　have　not　much　inducement　to　become　good　men。〃
  〃They　have　the　beautiful　Liturgy　of　our　Holy　Church　read　to　them　twice　every　week；　my　dear　young　lady；〃　said　Mr。　Meekin；　as　though　he　should　solemnly　say；　〃if　that　doesn't　reform　them；　what　will？〃
  〃Oh；　yes；〃　returned　Sylvia；　〃they　have　that；　certainly；　but　that　is　only　on　Sundays。　　But　don't　let　us　talk　about　this；　Mr。　Meekin；〃　she　added；　pushing　back　a　stray　curl　of　golden　hair。　　〃Papa　says　that　I　am　not　to　talk　about　these　things；　because　they　are　all　done　according　to　the　Rules　of　the　Service；　as　he　calls　it。〃
  〃An　admirable　notion　of　papa's；〃　said　Meekin；　much　relieved　as　the　door　opened；　and　Vickers　and　Frere　entered。
  Vickers's　hair　had　grown　white；　but　Frere　carried　his　thirty　years　as　easily　as　some　men　carry　two…and…twenty。
  〃My　dear　Sylvia；〃　began　Vickers；　〃here's　an　extraordinary　thing！〃　and　then；　becoming　conscious　of　the　presence　of　the　agitated　Meekin；　he　paused。
  〃You　know　Mr。　Meekin；　papa？〃　said　Sylvia。　　〃Mr。　Meekin；　Captain　Frere。〃
  〃I　have　that　pleasure；〃　said　Vickers。　　〃Glad　to　see　you；　sir。　Pray　sit　down。〃　Upon　which；　Mr。　Meekin　beheld　Sylvia　unaffectedly　kiss　both　gentlemen；　but　became　strangely　aware　that　the　kiss　bestowed　upon　her　father　was　warmer　than　that　which　greeted　her　affianced　husband。
  〃Warm　weather；　Mr。　Meekin；〃　said　Frere。　　〃Sylvia；　my　darling；　I　hope　you　have　not　been　out　in　the　heat。　　You　have！　　My　dear；　I've　begged　you〃
  〃It's　not　hot　at　all；〃　said　Sylvia　pettishly。　　〃Nonsense！　　I'm　not　made　of　butterI　sha'n't　melt。　　Thank　you；　dear；　you　needn't　pull　the　blind　down。〃　And　then；　as　though　angry　with　herself　for　her　anger；　she　added；　〃You　are　always　thinking　of　me；　Maurice；〃　and　gave　him　her　hand　affectionately。
  〃It's　very　oppressive；　Captain　Frere；〃　said　Meekin；　〃and　to　a　stranger；　quite　enervating。〃
  〃Have　a　glass　of　wine；〃　said　Frere；　as　if　the　house　was　his　own。　〃One　wants　bucking　up　a　bit　on　a　day　like　this。〃
  〃Ay；　to　be　sure；〃　repeated　Vickers。　　〃A　glass　of　wine。　　Sylvia；　dear；　some　sherry。　　I　hope　she　has　not　been　attacking　you　with　her　strange　theories；　Mr。　Meekin。〃
  〃Oh；　dear；　no；　not　at　all；〃　returned　Meekin；　feeling　that　this　charming　young　lady　was　regarded　as　a　creature　who　was　not　to　be　judged　by　ordinary　rules。　　〃We　got　on　famously；　my　dear　Major。〃
  〃That's　right；〃　said　Vickers。　　〃She　is　very　plain…spoken；　is　my　little　girl；　and　strangers　can't　understand　her　sometimes。　　Can　they；　Poppet？〃
  Poppet　tossed　her　head　saucily。　　〃I　don't　know；〃　she　said。　〃Why　shouldn't　they？　　But　you　were　going　to　say　something　extraordinary　when　you　came　in。　　What　is　it；　dear？〃
  〃Ah；〃　said　Vickers　with　grave　face。　　〃Yes；　a　most　extraordinary　thing。　They've　caught　those　villains。〃
  〃What；　you　don't　mean？　　No；　papa！〃　said　Sylvia；　turning　round　with　alarmed　face。
  In　that　little　family　there　were；　for　conversational　purposes；　but　one　set　of　villains　in　the　worldthe　mutineers　of　the　Osprey。
  〃They've　got　four　of　them　in　the　bay　at　this　momentRex；　Barker；　Shiers；　and　Lesly。　　They　are　on　board　the　Lady　Jane。　　The　most　extraordinary　story　I　ever　heard　in　my　life。　　The　fellows　got　to　China　and　passed　themselves　off　as　shipwrecked　sailors。　　Th