Next instant he was sorry, for as soon as she understood
his meaning she grew almost white with rage.
"What!" she said; "you desire to leave me? Know, Vernoon, that I will
see you dead first and myself also, for then we shall be born again
together and can never more be separated."
Nor was this all, for she burst into weeping, threw her arms about him,
drew him to her, kissed him on the forehead, and then thrust him away,
saying:
"Curses on the priests' law that makes us wait so long, and curses on
that Mungana who will not die and may not be killed. Well, he shall pay
for it and within two months, Vernoon, oh! within two months----" and
she stretched out her arms with a gesture of infinite passion, then
turned and left him.
"My!" said Jeekie afterwards, for he had watched all this scene
open-mouthed, "my! but she mean business. Mrs. Jeekie never kiss me like
that, nor any other female either. She dead nuts on you, Major. Very
great compliment! 'Spect when you Mungana, she keep you alive a long
time, four or five years perhaps, if no other white man come this way.
Pity you can't take it on a bit, Major," he added insidiously, "because
then she grow careless and make you chief and we get chance scoop out
that gold house and bolt with bally lot.
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