first ringing the bell so that the crushed-looking waiter might come
and attend to possible customers; 'he's on the ground floor, and
there ain't no stairs to climb--now what are you looking at, sir?'
with another gratified giggle, as she caught Vandeloup staring at
her.

But he was not looking at her somewhat mature charms, but at a bunch
of pale blue flowers, among which were some white blossoms she wore
in the front of her dress.

'What are these?' he asked, touching the white blossoms lightly with
his finger.

'I do declare it's that nasty hemlock!' said Martha, in surprise,
pulling the white flowers out of the bunch; 'and I never knew it was
there. Pah!' and she threw the blossom down with a gesture of
disgust. 'How they smell!'

Gaston picked up one of the flowers, and crushed it between his
fingers, upon which it gave out a peculiar mousy odour eminently
disagreeable. It was hemlock sure enough, and he wondered how such a
plant had come into Australia.

'Does it grow in your garden?' he asked Martha.

That damsel intimated it did, and offered to show him the plant, so
that he could believe his own eyes.

Vandeloup assented eagerly, and they were soon in the flower garden
at the back of the house, which was blazing with vivid colours, in