Page:The Mystery of a Hansom Cab.djvu/153

Rh After the trial he had left town immediately, in order to avoid meeting with his friends, and had gone up to his station, which was next to that of the Frettlbys'. There he worked hard all day, and smoked hard all night, thinking over the cursed secret which the dead woman had told him, and which had threatened to overshadow his life. Every now and then he rode over and saw Madge, but only when he knew her father was away in Melbourne, for he seemed to have taken a dislike to the millionaire, which Madge could not help condemning as unjust, remembering how her father had stood beside him in his trouble. But there was another reason why Brian keep aloof from Yabba Tallook Station, and that was he did not wish to meet any of the gay society which was there, knowing that since his trial he was an object of curiosity and sympathy to every one—a position that was very galling to his proud nature. At Christmas time Mr. Frettlby had asked a lot of people up from Melbourne, and though Madge would rather have been left alone, yet she could not refuse her father, and had to play hostess with a smiling brow and aching heart. Felix Rolleston, who a month since had joined the noble army of s, was there with Mrs. Rolleston, nee Miss Featherweight, who ruled him with a rod of iron. Having bought Felix with her money she determined to make good use of him, and being ambitious to shine in Melbourne society had insisted upon Felix studying politics, so that when the next general election came round he could enter Parliament. Felix had rebelled at first, but ultimately gave way, as he found that when he had a good novel concealed among his parliamentary papers time passed very pleasantly, and he got the reputation of a hard worker at little cost. They had brought up Julia with them, and this young person had made up her mind to become the second Mrs. Frettlby. She had not received much encouragement, but, like the English at Waterloo, did not know when she was beaten, and carried on the siege of Mr. Frettlby's heart in an undaunted manner. Dr. Chinston had come up for a little relaxation, and never gave a thought to his anxious patients or the many sick-rooms he was in the habit of visiting. A young English fellow, called Paterson, who amused himself by traveling; an old, full of reminiscences of the