The fellow lay half stunned; his head had struck against the post, which supported the bough-shade of the hut, and when I stooped over him, I saw that blood was streaming from his mouth and nose.
“I’ve knocked one of his teeth out,” said Nick savagely. “Oh, Nan, Nan, my darling, how could you make me so anxious and miserable?”
They were in each other’s arms, the two completely reconciled. And Nan begged Nick to forgive her, and then they saw me and there was an explanation, and a half hysterical laughing and crying on Nan’s part.
Nick gripped my hand. “God bless you, Curran,” he said. He told me how he, too, had been hanging round the Postmaster’s house trying to make up his mind to go in.
And at first, in the dusk, he had fancied I was Rummles, and when he had seen Nan come out and me follow her, he had followed us both with rage and jealousy tearing at his heart, till, when he had reached the hut, and Rummles appeared, he had found out his mistake.
Rummles groaned at his pain, and Nick told me to stay and look after him, and took Nan’s hand to lead her away.
Nan, however, clung to the idea of the proofs of Nick’s innocence, which Rummles had promised her, and would not leave till Nick showed her, that there could be no proof except Rummles’ own full confession, and that he had been fooling her all the time.
This episode brought things to a crisis between Nan and Nick. Nan was so remorseful for the suffering she had caused Nick that she was ready to agree to anything he wished. And the whole thing had shaken her nerves, and she longed to get away from Eungella.
As for Nick, he had an almost superstitious dread of Rummles, whom he looked upon as his evil genius, and was firmly convinced, that, if they all three remained at the Diggings, Rummles would in the end accomplish his evil purpose of separating him from Nan. And so, saying no word to anyone at first, he quietly made his arrangements for departure.
On Christmas Eve the downward steamer would touch at the seaport for Eungella—a half day’s coach journey from the Diggings. And on the morning of Christmas Eve Nick was married to Nan.