"
Without raising her pleasant voice, the woman levelled a volley of abuse
at Mahony, then muttered a word in Purdy's ear.
"Just half a jiff, Dick," said Purdy. "Or go ahead.--I'll make up on
you."
For a quarter of an hour Mahony aired his heels in front of a
public-house. Then he gave it up, and went on his way. But his pleasure
was damped: the inconsiderateness with which Purdy could shake him off,
always had a disconcerting effect on him. To face the matter squarely:
the friendship between them did not mean as much to Purdy as to him; the
sudden impulse that had made the boy relinquish a promising clerkship to
emigrate in his wake--into this he had read more than it would hold.--
And, as he picked his muddy steps, Mahony agreed with himself that the
net result, for him, of Purdy's coming to the colony, had been to saddle
him with a new responsibility. It was his lot for ever to be helping the
lad out of tight places. Sometimes it made him feel unnecessarily
bearish. For Purdy had the knack, common to sunny, improvident natures,
of taking everything that was done for him for granted. His want of
delicacy in this respect was distressing. Yet, in spite of it all, it
was hard to bear him a grudge for long together. A well-meaning young
beggar if ever there was one! That very day how faithfully he had stuck
at his side, assisting at dull discussions and duller purchasings,
without once obtruding his own concerns.--And here Mahony remembered
their talk on the ride to town.
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