Miss Twexby ran to the door, and shading her eyes with her hands
from the blinding glare of the sun, she watched him lounging along
the street, tall, slender, and handsome.
'He's just lovely,' she said to herself, as she returned to the bar
'but his eyes are so wicked; I don't think he's a good young man.'
What would she have said if she had heard the conversation in the
bedroom?
CHAPTER XI
THEODORE WOPPLES, ACTOR
Mr Villiers walked in a leisurely manner along the lower part of the
town, with the intent of going up to his destination through the old
mining gully. He took this route for two reasons--first, because the
afternoon was hot, and it was easier climbing up that way than going
by the ordinary road; and, second, on his journey through the chasm
he would be able to mark some place where he could hide the nugget.
With his stick under his arm, Mr Villiers trudged merrily along in a
happy humour, as if he was bent on pleasure instead of robbery. And
after all, as he said to himself, it could not be called a genuine
robbery, as everything belonging to his wife was his by right of the
marriage service, and he was only going to have his own again. With
this comfortable thought he climbed slowly up the broken tortuous
path which led to the Black Hill, and every now and then would pause
to rest, and admire the view.
It was now nearly six o'clock, and the sun was sinking amid a blaze
of splendour.
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