第68章

Hewasdressedlikeasailor，andappearedtobebetweentwenty-

fiveandthirtyyearsofage-hehadanopenmanlycountenance，andtherewasaboldandfearlessexpressioninhiseye。

’Yes，’saidI，inreplytohisquestion；’thisisoneofthewaystoLondon。Doyoucomefromfar？’

’From-，’saidtheman，namingawell-knownseaport。

’IsthisthedirectroadtoLondonfromthatplace？’Idemanded。

’No，’saidtheman；’butIhadtovisittwoorthreeotherplacesoncertaincommissionsIwasintrustedwith；amongstothersto-，whereIhadtotakeasmallsumofmoney。Iamrathertired，master；and，ifyouplease，Iwillsitdownbesideyou。’

’YouhaveasmuchrighttositdownhereasIhave，’saidI；’theroadisfreeforeveryone；asforsittingdownbesideme，youhavethelookofanhonestman，andIhavenoobjectiontoyourcompany。’

’Why，asforbeinghonest，master，’saidtheman，laughingandsittingdownbyme，’Ihaven’tmuchtosay-manyisthewildthingIhavedonewhenIwasyounger；however，whatisdone，isdone。Tolearn，onemustlive，master；andIhavelivedlongenoughtolearnthegrandpointofwisdom。’

’Whatisthat？’saidI。

’Thathonestyisthebestpolicy，master。’

’Youappeartobeasailor，’saidI，lookingathisdress。

’Iwasnotbredasailor，’saidtheman，’though，whenmyfootisonthesaltwater，Icanplaythepart-andplayitwelltoo。I

amnowfromalongvoyage。’

’FromAmerica？’saidI。

’Fartherthanthat，’saidtheman。

’Haveyouanyobjectiontotellme？’saidI。

’FromNewSouthWales，’saidtheman，lookingmefullintheface。

’Dearme，’saidI。

’Whydoyousay“Dearme“？’saidtheman。

’Itisaverylongwayoff，’saidI。

’Wasthatyourreasonforsayingso？’saidtheman。

’Notexactly，’saidI。

’No，’saidtheman，withsomethingofabittersmile；’itwassomethingelsethatmadeyousayso；youwerethinkingoftheconvicts。’

’Well，’saidI，’whatthen-youarenoconvict。’

’Howdoyouknow？’

’Youdonotlooklikeone。’

’Thankyou，master，’saidthemancheerfully；’and，toacertainextent，youareright-bygonesarebygones-IamnolongerwhatI

was，noreverwillbeagain；thetruth，however，isthetruth-aconvictIhavebeen-aconvictatSydneyCove。’

’Andyouhaveservedouttheperiodforwhichyouweresentenced，andarenowreturned？’

’Astoservingoutmysentence，’repliedtheman，’Ican’tsaythatIdid；Iwassentencedforfourteenyears，andIwasinSydneyCovelittlemorethanhalfthattime。ThetruthisthatIdidtheGovernmentaservice。Therewasaconspiracyamongstsomeoftheconvictstomurderanddestroy-