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           TheywerealmosttothelastfamilypresentCatholic,andfewsportedAnglo-Saxonnames;therewasaboutanequaldistributionofIrish,ScottishandWelsh.No,theycouldnothopeforhomeruleintheoldcountry,nor,ifCatholicinScotlandorWales,formuchsympathyfromtheProtestantindigenes.ButhereinthethousandsofsquaremilesaroundGillanbonetheywerelordstothumbtheirnosesatBritishlords,mastersofalltheysurveyed;Drogheda,thebiggestproperty,wasgreaterinareathanseveralEuropeanprincipalities.Monegasqueprincelings,Liechtensteiniandukes,beware!MaryCarsonwasgreater.SotheywhirledinwaltzestothesleekSydneybandandstoodbackindulgentlytowatchtheirchildrendancetheCharleston,atethelobsterpattiesandthechilledrawoysters,drankthefifteen-year-oldFrenchchampagneandthetwelve-year-oldsingle-maltScotch.Ifthetruthwereknown,theywouldratherhaveeatenroastlegoflamborcornedbeef,andmuchpreferredtodrinkcheap,verypotentBundabergrumorGraftonbitterfromthebarrel.Butitwasnicetoknowthebetterthingsoflifeweretheirsfortheasking.

           Yes,therewereleanyears,manyofthem.Thewoolcheckswerecarefullyhoardedinthegoodyearstoguardagainstthedepredationsofthebad,fornoonecouldpredicttherain.Butitwasagoodperiod,hadbeenforsometime,andtherewaslittletospendthemoneyoninGilly.Oh,onceborntotheblacksoilplainsoftheGreatNorthwesttherewasnoplaceonearthlikeit.