“By ______! if it is the parson fellow, I'll shoot him like a rat,” he said, and then he cursed the fever that kept him away from Kate.
He went over to the Clarion office and saw Lacey, who was quick to perceive that something had occurred to upset the dark-faced sub-Inspector.
“How are you, Aulain? Any 'shakes' to-day?” he asked, referring to the recurring attacks of ague from which Aulain suffered.
“Oh! just the usual thing,” replied his visitor irritably, as he sat down on a cane lounge, and viciously tugged at his moustache. “I thought I would come over and worry you with my company for a while, and get you to come across to the Queen's and share a bottle of fizz with me. They have some ice there I hear—came up by the Sydney steamer last night.”
Lacey's eyes twinkled, “I'm with you, my boy. I've just finished writing a particularly venomous leader upon mine adversary the Planters' Friend, and a nice cool drink, such as you suggest, on a roasting day like this, will tend to assuage the journalistic rage against my vile and hated contemporary.”
Arriving at the Queen's Hotel the two men went upstairs and sat down on comfortable cane lounges on the verandah, and in a few minutes the smiling Milly appeared with a large bottle of champagne, and a big lump of the treasured ice, carefully wrapped up in a piece of blanketing. As Lacey attended to the ice, Aulain began to cut the cork string.
“Oh! by the way, Lacey,” he said carelessly, “I saw in the Clarion yesterday that Forde, the sky pilot, is leaving the Church. Are you ready with the glasses.”
“I am. Faith, doesn't it look lovely. Steady, me boy, these long sleever glasses hold a pint. Here's long life to ye, Aulain. Heavens! but it is good,” and he sighed contentedly as he set down his glass again.
“Ye were asking about Forde?” he said as he wiped his red, perspiring face. “Yes, he is giving up parsonifying. I had a letter from him by the mailman yesterday from Fraser's Gully. He was staying there for the night with our friend Gerrard.”
Aulain's black brows knit, and his hand clenched under the table, as Lacey went on,