A few years ago I met an elderly lady whose husband had long ago, as early as 1950, held an official position in the civil and military hierarchy of the colony. She told me many anecdotes about famous people who, in the words of one of them, had "left their fatherland for its sake." With most, if not all, of these celebrities the old lady in question had had personal contact.
One morning,' she began, 'I was sitting in the drawing-room with my two little children, who are now middle-aged men with large families, when I was told that a gentleman had arrived. I gave orders to be invited in, and as soon as he appeared at the door of the room, I rose from my chair, and saluted him with a bow, which he returned in the most graceful and courteous manner possible. His dress was refined, and his manners betrayed a man who had moved in the higher circles of society. A ship of passengers had arrived from England a few days before, and I assumed that the visitor was one of them. I invited him to sit down. He seated himself in a chair opposite me, and at once began a conversation, choosing for the first subject the extreme heat of the day, and for the second the healthy appearance of my charming children, as he kindly called them. Notwithstanding the pleasant feeling with which, like any mother, I listened to the praise of my children, there was so much delicacy in the stranger's manners, so much evident sincerity in all his words, combined with such magnificent grace of expression, that I involuntarily thought what a valuable acquisition he might be on the list of our acquaintances, in case he intended to remain in Sydney, instead of settling in the interior of the colony.
I expressed my regret that the Major (my husband) was absent from home, but mentioned that I expected him at one o'clock - the time at which we dined - and went on, expressing the hope that our visitor would agree to stay and share our dinner. With a charming smile (in which I afterwards discovered more meaning than I had at the moment perceived) he expressed his apprehension that he would have to deprive himself of the pleasure of sitting at our hospitable table, but that with my permission he would remain to wait. until the appointed hour, which was then already approaching. We resumed the conversation and he called the children to him. They obeyed at once, though they were too shy. This convinced me that the stranger was a man of warm and noble character. He took the children, put them on his knees, and began to tell them a story (apparently invented and improvised by himself), to which they listened with rapt attention. In fact, I myself could not but feel an interest in his narrative—
- so imaginative was his thoughts, and so poetical was his language.
The story ended, the stranger put the children back on the carpet and approached the table, on which there was a bouquet of flowers in a porcelain vase. He expressed his admiration for the flowers and launched into a whole lecture on their cultivation. I listened to him with rapt attention - so profound were all his reflections. We remained standing by the table for at least ten minutes, the whole time the little ones holding on to my skirt and constantly forcing me to ask them not to make any noise.
It was one o'clock, but the major was gone. I did get a note from him, written in pencil on a piece of paper. They would keep him at the governor's until half past two.
Again I urged the charming stranger to join the dinner which was already served in the next room, and again, with the same bribing smile, he declined the invitation. As it seemed to me that he was about to depart, I held out my hand to him, but to my great astonishment he drew back, bowed low, but refused to take it.
When one man extends his hand to another and it is not accepted, it is really unpleasant. But when the same thing happens to a woman! Who could describe what I felt at that moment! Even if he had been the heir to the British throne, arriving incognito in this colony of exile (and judging by his manners and words, the stranger might have been such a distinguished personage), he would hardly, under the circumstances, have treated me in this manner. strange way. I just didn't know what to think. No doubt noticing the rush of blood to my face, and evidently perceiving what thoughts were passing through my mind, he spoke:
Madam, I am afraid you will never forgive me the self-will which I have already allowed myself. But the thing is, the old passion came suddenly upon me, and I could not resist the temptation to see that the skill which had made me so remarkable at home had not left me in this country of convicts.
I glared at him but said nothing.
https://steemit.com/hive-185836//wox-travel-contest-or-week-21
@o1eh