One of the pastorals looked at the other in astonishment, when they both looked reproachfully at Mr. Selmore.
‘You don’t mean to say,’ at length broke out the older man, whose assiduity to the bottle had been unabated, ‘that you haven’t told our young friend here that Gammon Downs is for sale, ’pon my soul it’s too bad!’
‘Why, it’s the very place in the whole blessed colony,’ said the other, ‘for a new arrival—good water, good sheep, a nice handy little run, and the best house in the district.’
Mr. Neuchamp was so struck with the expressive and interrogatory looks of the two bush residents, that he bent a searching look upon Mr. Selmore, as if he had in some mysterious way been ill-treated by the withholding of confidence.
‘Well,’ at length spoke out that gentleman, with an air of manly frankness, ‘you know me too well to think that I should propose to sell one of my own runs to a friend, comparatively inexperienced, of course, though well up in English farming, on the very first day I had met him. There are people, of course, who would do this, and more—but Hartley Selmore is not one of that sort.’
‘But it does seem a shame,’ said the grizzled squatter, filling his glass, ‘that if you have one of the best runs in the country, that you should refuse to sell it to this gentleman merely because he is a personal friend.’
‘Thank you,’ said Ernest warmly, ‘you have interpreted my sentiments admirably. If this estate, or station, would be so suitable, why should we not come to terms about it like any one else?’
‘So remarkably cheap too,’ said the other man; ‘but I suppose Selmore wants a lot of cash down.’
‘I have only five thousand pounds,’ said Mr. Neuchamp, ‘and perhaps your property is far above that limit.’
‘It is less than I thought of taking,’ said Mr. Selmore thoughtfully; ‘but, yes; I don’t mind arranging for bills, at one and two years, which, of course, if you bought, could be easily paid out of the profits of the station. But pass the claret, we won’t talk any more shop to-night. Just so far that my friends, who live near my place, are going up the day after to-morrow. They will be glad of your company, and will show you the wonders of the bush, including Gammon Downs. You can then, my dear Neuchamp, judge for yourself.’