English, only to hate myself the next moment; for poor Nellie,
with a world of longing in her eyes, professed herself more than willing
to wear "good fellow clothes" if she could get any.
"Missus got big mob," she suggested as a hint; and, although that was a
matter of opinion and comparison, in remorse I recklessly gave her my
only bath wrapper, and for weeks went to the bath in a mackintosh.
Nellie was also willing to use as much carbolic soap as the station could
afford; but as the smoking and spitting proved more difficult to cope
with, and I had discovered that I could do all the "housework" in less
time than it took to superintend it, I made Cheon a present of the entire
staff, only keeping a lien on it for the washing and scrubbing. The
lubras, however, refused to be taken off my visitor's list and Cheon
insisting on them waiting on the missus while she was attending to the
housework, no one gained or lost by the transfer.
Cheon had a scheme all his own for dealing with the servant question: the
Maluka should buy a little Chinese maiden to wait on the missus. Cheon
knew of one in Darwin, going cheap, for ten pounds, his - COUSIN's child.
"A real bargain!" he assured the Maluka, finding him lacking in
enthusiasm; "docile, sweet, and attentive," and yes, Cheon was sure of
that "devoted to the missus," and also a splendid pecuniary investment
(Cheon always had an eye on the dollars). Being only ten years of age,
for six years she could serve the missus, and would then bring at least
eighty pounds in the Chinese matrimonial market in Darwin - Chinese wives
being scarce there. If she grew up moon-faced, and thus "good-looking,"
there seemed no end to the wealth she would bring us.
It took time to convince Cheon of the abolition of slavery throughout the
Empire, and even when convinced, he was for buying the treasure and
saying nothing about it to the Governor. It was not likely he would come
in person to the Elsey, he argued, and, unless told, would know nothing
about it.
But another fat, roundabout, roly-poly of humanity was to settle the
servant question finally, within a day or two. "Larrikin" had been
visiting foreign parts at Wandin, towards the west, and returning with a
new wife, stolen from one "Jacky Big-Foot," presented her to the missus.
"Him Rosy!" he said, thus introducing his booty and without further
ceremony Rosy requested permission to "sit down" on the staff. Like Cheon
she carried her qualifications on the tip of her tongue: "Me savey scrub
'im, and sweep 'im, and wash 'im, and blue 'im, and starch 'im," she said
glibly, with a flash of white teeth against a babyish pink tongue.
