He had not Mahony's gift for recalling detail: to him past was past.

He only became alive and eager when the talk turned, as it soon did, on his immediate prospects.
This time, to his astonishment, Mahony had had no trouble in persuading Purdy to quit the diggings.

In addition, here was the boy now declaring openly that what he needed, and must have, was a fixed and steadily paying job.

With this decision Mahony was in warm agreement, and promised all the help that lay in his power.
But Purdy was not done; he hummed and hawed and fidgeted; he took off his hat and looked inside it; he wiped his forehead and the nape of his neck.
Mahony knew the symptoms.

"Come, Dickybird.