“And how about the savages?”
“There are no savages in this latitude, and if there were, they are not cruel, like the New Zealanders.”
“And the convicts?”
“There are no convicts in the southern provinces, only in the eastern colonies. The province of Victoria not only refused to admit them, but passed a law to prevent any ticket-of-leave men from other provinces from entering her territories. This very year the Government threatened to withdraw its subsidy from the Peninsular Company if their vessels continued to take in coal in those western parts of Australia where convicts are admitted. What! Don’t you know that, and you an Englishman?”
“In the first place, I beg leave to say I am not an Englishman,” replied Glenarvan.
“What M. Paganel says is perfectly correct,” said Paddy O’Moore. “Not only the province of Victoria, but also Southern Australia, Queensland, and even Tasmania, have agreed to expel convicts from their territories. Ever since I have been on this farm, I have never heard of one in this Province.”
“And I can speak for myself. I have never come across one.”
“You see then, friends,” went on Jacques Paganel, “there are few if any savages, no ferocious animals, no convicts, and there are not many countries of Europe for which you can say as much. Well, will you go?”
“What do you think, Helena?” asked Glenarvan.
“What we all think, dear Edward,” replied Lady Helena, turning toward her companions; “let us be off at once.”