And now, my own love, my darling, will you tell me, am I to go up alone, and wait for you; or will you come up, and make a happy home for me in that dreary desert?
Will you leave your home, and come away with me into the grey hot plains of the west ?" "I have no home in future, Sam," she said, "but where you are, and I will gladly go with you to the world's end." And so that matter was settled.
And now Sam disclosed to her that a visitor was expected at the station in about a fortnight or three weeks; and he was no less a person than our old friend the dean, Frank Maberly.

And then he went to ask, did she think that she could manage by that time to--, eh?
Such an excellent opportunity, you know; seemed almost as if his visit had been arranged, which, between you and I, it had.
She thought it wildly possible, if there was any real necessity for it.
And after this they went in; and Alice went into her bedroom.
"And what have you been doing out there with Alice all this time, eh ?" asked the Captain.
"I've been asking a question, sir." "You must have put it in a pretty long form.

What sort of an answer did you get ?" "I got 'yes' for an answer, sir." "Ah, well! Mrs.Buckley, can you lend Baroona to a new married couple for a few weeks, do you think?
There is plenty of room for you here." And then into Mrs.Buckley's astonished ear all the new plans were poured.

She heard that Sam and Alice were to be married in a fortnight, and that Sam had gone into partnership with Tom Troubridge.
"Stop there," she said; "not too much at once.

What becomes of Mary Hawker ?" "She is left at Toonarbin, with an overseer, for the present." "And when," she asked, "shall you leave us, Sam ?" "Oh, in a couple of months, I suppose.