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96 calm blue eyes and quantities of flaxen hair, a downright sort of girl, absolutely good-natured, a splendid horsewoman, a good tennis-player, always bright and smiling and equable, and in every way a desirable wife for a well-to-do squatter. Elsie did not actually dislike Rose, who did not want to give herself airs, though she had always seemed to hold herself aloof in a calmly superior way from the lesser fry of Leichardt's Town. This was because of her father's position, and because she was always better dressed, and had carriages, and riding-horses, which she—poor Elsie—never had unless some obliging admirer gave her a mount. But Elsie hated Lady Garfit with a holy hatred, for Lady Garfit had snubbed her on more than one occasion, and had done all she could to keep Elsie out of the Government House set, promulgating the report that she was fast and bad style, and even that she rouged. Elsie would have done anything to annoy Lady Garfit, and it was very evident that Lady Garfit was extremely annoyed at Frank Hallett's devotion.

There were other ladies, too, before whom Elsie was not displeased to parade her conquests. She could see that Mrs. Allanby was furious because she had sat out with Mr. Blake, and because Frank Hallett had forgotten a dance for which he was engaged to her, while he in his turn was sitting out with Elsie. But Mrs. Allanby revenged herself by flirting with Lord Horace. And then there was Minna Pryde, of Leichardt's Town, who was more on Elsie's social level than Rose Garfit, who never lost an opportunity of, as she put it, "spiting" Elsie about her "beaux." Minna was dark, and pretty and vivacious, and was certainly not good style, and not at all in favour with the more fastidious of the Leichardt's Town matrons. Elsie was also rather pleased to vex Mrs. Jem, who patronized her, and who, she knew, would have preferred Hose Garfit for a sister-in-law. These uncharitable motives had been more or less preponderant all the evening, but in the stillness of her chamber they melted into a rain of tears. She did not dare to cry out aloud, lest she should wake Ina. The two sisters shared a tiny verandah room, Lord Horace having been sent, with almost