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-IoverheardandinformedtheGovernment；mindonething，however，Iwasnotconcernedinit；
thosewhogotitupwerenocomradesofmine，butabloodygangofvillains。Well，theGovernment，inconsiderationoftheserviceI
haddonethem，remittedtheremainderofmysentence；andsomekindgentlemeninterestedthemselvesaboutme，gavemegoodbooksandgoodadvice，and，beingsatisfiedwithmyconduct，procuredmeemployinanexploringexpedition，bywhichIearnedmoney。Infact，thebeingsenttoSydneywasthebestthingthateverhappenedtomeinallmylife。’
’Andyouhavenowreturnedtoyournativecountry。LongingtoseehomebroughtyoufromNewSouthWales。’
’Thereyouaremistaken，’saidtheman。’WishtoseeEnglandagainwouldneverhavebroughtmesofar；for，totellyouthetruth，master，Englandwasahardmothertome，asshehasprovedtomany。
No，awishtoseeanotherkindofmother-apooroldwoman，whosesonIam-hasbroughtmeback。’
’Youhaveamother，then？’saidI。’DoessheresideinLondon？’
’SheusedtoliveinLondon，’saidtheman；’butIamafraidsheislongsincedead。’
’Howdidshesupportherself？’saidI。
’Supportherself!withdifficultyenough；sheusedtokeepasmallstallonLondonBridge，whereshesoldfruit；Iamafraidsheisdead，andthatshediedperhapsinmisery。Shewasapoorsinfulcreature；butIlovedher，andshelovedme。Icameallthewaybackmerelyforthechanceofseeingher。’
’Didyoueverwritetoher，’saidI，’orcauseotherstowritetoher？’
’Iwrotetohermyself，’saidtheman，’abouttwoyearsago；butI
neverreceivedananswer。Ilearnedtowriteverytolerablyoverthere，bytheassistanceofthegoodpeopleIspokeof。Asforreading，IcoulddothatverywellbeforeIwent-mypoormothertaughtmetoread，outofabookthatshewasveryfondof；astrangebookitwas，Iremember。Poordear!-whatIwouldgiveonlytoknowthatsheisalive。’
’Lifeisveryuncertain，’saidI。
’Thatistrue，’saidtheman，withasigh。
’Wearehereonemoment，andgonethenext，’Icontinued。’AsI
passedthroughthestreetsofaneighbouringtown，Isawarespectablewomandropdown，andpeoplesaidshewasdead。Whoknowsbutthatshetoohadasoncomingtoseeherfromadistance，atthatverytime？’
’Whoknows，indeed？’saidtheman。’Ah，Iamafraidmymotherisdead。Well，God’swillbedone。’
’However，’saidI，’Ishouldnotwonderatyourfindingyourmotheralive。’
’Youwouldn’t？’saidtheman，lookingatmewistfully。
’Ishouldnotwonderatall，’saidI；’indeed，somethingwithinmeseemstotellmeyouwill；Ishouldnotmuchmindbettingfiveshillingstofivepencethatyouwillseeyourmotherwithinaweek。
Now，friend，fiveshillingstofivepence-’
’Isveryconsiderableodds，’saidtheman，rubbinghishands；’sureyoumusthavegoodreasontohope，whenyouarewillingtogivesuchodds。’
’Afterall，’saidI，’itnotunfrequentlyhappensthatthosewholaythelongoddslose。Letushope，however。Whatdoyoumeantodointheeventoffindingyourmotheralive？’
’Iscarcelyknow，’saidtheman；’IhavefrequentlythoughtthatifIfoundmymotheraliveIwouldattempttopersuadehertoaccompanymetothecountrywhichIhaveleft-itisabettercountryforaman-thatis，afreeman-toliveinthanthis；
however，letmefirstfindmymother-ifIcouldonlyfindmymother-’
’Farewell，’saidI，rising。’Goyourway，andGodgowithyou-I
willgomine。’’Ihavebutonethingtoaskyou，’saidtheman。
’Whatisthat？’Iinquired。’Thatyouwoulddrinkwithmebeforewepart-youhavedonemesomuchgood。’’Howshouldwedrink？’
saidI；’weareonthetopofahillwherethereisnothingtodrink。’’Butthereisavillagebelow，’saidtheman；’doletusdrinkbeforewepart。’’Ihavebeenthroughthatvillagealready，’
saidI，’andIdonotliketurningback。’’Ah，’saidtheman，sorrowfully，’youwillnotdrinkwithmebecauseItoldyouIwas-
’’Youarequitemistaken，’saidI，’Iwouldassoondrinkwithaconvictaswithajudge。Iambynomeanscertainthat，underthesamecircumstances，thejudgewouldbeonewhitbetterthantheconvict。Comealong!Iwillgobacktoobligeyou。Ihaveanoddsixpenceinmypocket，whichIwillchangethatImaydrinkwithyou。’SowewentdownthehilltogethertothevillagethroughwhichIhadalreadypassed，where，findingapublic-house，wedranktogetherintrueEnglishfashion，afterwhichweparted，thesailor-lookingmangoinghiswayandImine。
Afterwalkingaboutadozenmiles，Icametoatown，whereIrestedforthenight。ThenextmorningIsetoutagaininthedirectionofthenorth-west。Icontinuedjourneyingforfourdays，mydailyjourneysvaryingfromtwentytotwenty-fivemiles。Duringthistimenothingoccurredtomeworthyofanyespecialnotice。Theweatherwasbrilliant，andIrapidlyimprovedbothinstrengthandspirits。Onthefifthday，abouttwoo’clock，Iarrivedatasmalltown。Feelinghungry，Ienteredadecent-lookinginn-withinakindofbarIsawahuge，fat，landlord-lookingperson，withaverypretty，smartly-dressedmaiden。Addressingmyselftothefatman，’House!’saidI，’house!CanIhavedinner，house？’
CHAPTERLXIII