At last she turned on him.
"Well, we didn't win," she said. "I suppose you are glad."
"Why should I be glad, Miss Grant?"
"Oh! you said we oughn't to go and race among those people. And
you were right. It served them just right that the mare ran over
them. I hope that none of them are going to die."
"They wouldn't be much missed," said Hugh wearily. "They have
started stealing the sheep again."
"Can't you catch them?" she said, with pretended asperity. "If you
went out and hid in a fallen tree, don't you think you could catch
them?"
Hugh looked at her to see if she were in earnest, but she looked
straight in front again and said nothing, still keeping up the slight
tapping of her foot. He flushed a little, and spoke very quietly.
"I think I'll have to resign from your employment, Miss Grant. I
don't care about stopping any longer; and I will go out back and
take up one of those twenty-thousand-acre leases in Queensland.
You might put Poss or Binjie on in my place. They would be glad of
a billet, and they might catch Red Mick for you."
"Do you really want to go?" she said, looking straight at him for
the first time. "Why do you want to go?"
"Why?" he burst out. "Because I can't bear being with you and near
you all day long, when I care for you, and you don't care for me.
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