“Yes, Father,” said Adelaide.

“She has a look of her father, eh, Adelaide?”

“Yes, there is a resemblance.”

“Nora. Is that her name?”

I disliked being discussed as though I weren’t there. My heart had started to thump uncomfortably because in spite of my determination not to be overawed, I was. I said in a voice which sounded both imperious and pert: “J can answer all questions concerning myself.” He raised his bushy golden eyebrows and the fierce blue fire was turned on me. I went on: “I am indeed the girl and my name is Nora.”

For a second his expression changed. I thought he might be angry with what he considered my impertinence, but I was not sure.

“Well,” he said, ‘it’s been doubly confirmed so we can be sure of it.

Do you think she’ll like it here, Adelaide? “

I replied before Adelaide could speak: “It’s too early as yet to say.”

“She’d better like it because she has to stay.” He half closed his eyes and said: “Send Jagger in and put dinner forward ten minutes. She’ll be hungry. We don’t want her to think we are going to starve her. “

This was dismissal. I turned, glad to escape. As we went out of the room we passed a man who was waiting to go into the library.

“This is Miss Nora Tamasin, Mr. Jagger,” said Adelaide.

“Nora, Mr. Jagger, who runs the property.”

Mr. Jagger was shortish and plump. I thought him most undistinguished; but perhaps that was because I had just left what I had sardonically christened ‘the presence’. He had a very florid complexion and rather bold dark eyes; and I did not like the way they regarded me. But I scarcely noticed this; I was still burning with resentment against the Lynx. I realized that I had no idea what his library looked like; from the moment the door had opened I had seen only him. Adelaide took me back to my room.

“I think you surprised him,” she said.

“And that didn’t please him,” I added.

“I’m not sure. In any case, don’t be late for dinner. You’ll have to come as you are. There’s not time to change. He said it was to be put forward ten minutes. I’ll come and collect you so that you will be on time. He hates people to be late.”

As soon as she had left me I went to my looking-glass. My cheeks were scarlet and my eyes brilliant. He had had that effect on me. He had talked over me as though I did not exist and he had done it deliberately in order to disconcert me. Why had my father so admired him? Why had he given me into the care of a man like this? I was seventeen and it was therefore four years before I would be of age.

And then what should I do? Become a pupil teacher? Oh, poor Miss Graeme with birds’ nest hair and dreams of what might have been! But I would rather that than become a chattel of his. The term amused me and I began to laugh. I was actually excited—yes, I was! I was looking forward to seeing him again because I wanted to show him that although he might dominate the rest of his household, this should not be the case with me.

Almost immediately it seemed Adelaide was back to take me to dinner.

To my astonishment the table was laid in the big hall on the refectory table which I had noticed when we had entered. It was laid for about twelve people. Adelaide was obviously relieved because her father had not yet arrived.

“We are a very big party,” I said.

“We are never sure how many there will be,” she told me.

“Sometimes the managers are here. The family, now that you are here, are five in number. Tonight Mr. Jagger is here, and I believe William Gardner too.

They often are. My father likes to discuss business affairs with them over the dinner table. “

Stirling came hurrying in—also relieved that his father had not yet put in an appearance. They were all apparently afraid of the man.

“So you have met,” he said. He wanted to hear me say how wonderful I thought his father was.

“You’ve spoken to him now.”

“Yes,” I admitted.

“Though he hasn’t exactly spoken to me-rather at me. I replied on behalf of myself—if you can call that speaking to a person.”

“How did it go, Adelaide? Did he like her?”

“It was as Nora said; and it is early days yet.”

I could see that he thought the interview had not gone well and was disappointed and a little anxious. I liked his concern for me while I deplored his subservience to that man.

He came in then with his managers and I was angry with myself because I shared that awe which the others clearly felt. On one side of him was Jacob Jagger and on the other the man whom I discovered to be William Gardner. He looked round the room and nodded. Then he said:

“Where is Jessica? Not here yet. Well, we’ll start without her.”

Stirling sat on his right hand. I thought there was some ritual significance in this. I, to my surprise, was placed on his left.

Adelaide sat next to Stirling and there was an empty place beside me which I presumed was for the unpunctual Jessica. As the two men took their places farther down the table, servants came in and served the soup. It was hot and savoury but I was too excited to enjoy it.

The Lynx—I could not think of him by any other name-led the conversation. I had the impression that we were expected to speak only when spoken to. He talked to Stirling about the trip and asked what he thought of England. He listened with interest to his son’s replies.

Stirling was the only one present who did not appear to be afraid of him, but he implied a complete respect and behaved, I thought, as though he were in the presence of a deity.

“And what son of sea. nip, cu; he asked.

“Rough at times. We had some rocky moments along the African coast.

Some of the passengers did not care for it. “

“And what about Nora? How did she like it?”

He was still looking at Stirling, but I put in quickly: “Tell your father, Stirling, that the rocking of the ship did not disturb me unduly.”

I fancied there was a glint of amusement in his eyes.

“So she was a good sailor, eh?”

“I would say she was..”

“Well, perhaps she’ll settle in to our rough ways, then. Do you think she will?”

“Oh, I think so,” said Stirling, smiling at me.

“Can she ride? She’ll need to here.”

“I have ridden at home,” I said, “So I daresay I can here.”

He turned his gaze on me then.

“It’s rough riding here,” he said, ‘in more ways than one. You’ll notice a difference. ” He had a way of lifting one eyebrow which I fancied was meant to intimidate, but I felt a small triumph because I had made him stop this slighting way of talking over me. He had at last addressed a remark to me.

“I shall have to adjust myself to it,” I said.

“You are right; you will. You shouldn’t give her a mount that’s too frisky, Stirling.”

“Certainly I won’t.”

“She’s come out here to live in Australia, not to meet an untimely end.”

“You are unduly concerned,” I said.

“I am able to take care of myself.”

“Well, that’s going to make everything a lot easier for us.”

He turned his attention then to the men and there was a great deal of animated conversation about the mine. William Gardner was mainly concerned with this; I listened to the answers and questions and was aware of Lynx’s avid interest in everything connected with gold.

While this conversation was going on the door opened and a woman came in; she glided to the chair beside me where she sat down.

“We wondered what had happened to you, Jessica,” said Adelaide.

“This is Nora.”

“Welcome to Whiteladies.” Her voice was quiet yet rough; she was very thin and gave the impression that she had dressed hurriedly. The fichu of lace at her neck was grubby and I noticed that a button on her dress was hanging by a thread. Her grey hair was abundant but not well dressed. What struck me most was the strange lost expression in her eyes; which might have been those of a sleepwalker.

“Didn’t you hear the gong?” asked-Adelaide.

Jessica shook her head; she was still looking at me intently. I smiled at her—reassuringly, I hoped, for I felt she was in need of reassurance.

“I hope you’ll find it not too difficult to settle in,” said Jessica.

“I don’t think I shall.”

“Have you brought clothes from England? There’s not much here.”

I said I had brought a little.

“Your bags are in your room,” she told me.

“They’ve just been taken up.”

Lynx, impatient of this trivial conversation, talked loudly of the mine and the property and the talk was dominated by the men. I had noticed the mildly indifferent and faintly contemptuous glance Lynx had given to Jessica. She was aware of it too and her response baffled me. I wasn’t quite sure what it meant—fear, dread, awe, dislike—even hatred? Of one thing I was certain. No one in this house was indifferent to Lynx. Stirling was more animated than I had ever seen him before; his attitude was little short of idolatry; and there was a strong feeling between father and son. I could see that if the Lynx cared for anyone beyond himself that one was Stirling; and I fancied that he wanted to make his son another such as himself. —a worthy heir to his empire. He listened to Stirling’s views, applauding them now and then with a certain parental pride of which I should not have thought him capable, or demolishing them with a devastating attack which nevertheless held a flavour of indulgence.

So he was capable of loving someone other than himself. His feelings towards his daughter were less strong. She was calm and intelligent—a good woman, and she was useful to him. So he showed a certain affectionate tolerance towards her. But these were his own children; to others he was the stem master; and towards me he had no feelings at all; I represented a duty to him.