Page:Triangles of life, and other stories.djvu/157

Rh whiskers growing in the hollows. We struck up an acquaintance on the strength of the fact that an uncle of his had gone out to Australia in the early days and made money.

"And he came home, and paid all his debts, and went out again," said the coachbuilder, impressively.

I didn't seem impressed.

"He came a long way out of his track," I said.

"They respected him for it," said the coachbuilder severely.

I got a better opinion of creditors.

"And when he went back," said the coachbuilder triumphantly, " he took out nineteen relations with him!"

"How many?" I asked.

"Nineteen," said the coachbuilder.

I reckon I've got upwards of two hundred relatives in Australia, and if I make a pile in England I'll strongly advise them to stay where they are.

There's no getting away from the shopkeeping atmosphere in England. The village post and telegraph, savings' bank and money order office is in a toy and stationery shop, in a corner amongst the packages and shelves. Fancy this in Australia, where, in the smallest town, these offices, with the postmaster's residence attached, are in a substantial brick or stone building by themselves. But if the English public (especially those in London) will stand anything labelled "Company," there's no reason why they shouldn't stand anything marked "Government." By the way, I haven't noticed any politics here. I suppose this