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           Hourafterhourhestucktohispostinspiteofhisownsickness;everytimePaddycameinhewaswithhismother,strokingherhair,whileMeggiehuddledonalowerberthwithHal,atoweltohermouth.

           ThreehoursoutofSydneytheseasdroppedtoaglassycalmandfogstoleinfurtivelyfromthefarAntarctic,wrappingitselfabouttheoldship.Meggie,revivingalittle,imagineditbellowedregularlyinpainnowtheterriblebuffetingwasover.Theyinchedthroughtheglueygreynessasstealthilyasahuntedthinguntilthatdeep,monotonousbawlsoundedagainfromsomewhereonthesuperstructure,alostandlonely,indescribablysadnoise.Thenallaroundthemtheairwasfilledwithmournfulbellowsastheyslippedthroughghostlysmokingwaterintotheharbor.Meggieneverforgotthesoundoffoghorns,herfirstintroductiontoAustralia.

           PaddycarriedFeeofftheWahineinhisarms,Frankfollowingwiththebaby,Meggiewithacase,eachoftheboysstumblingwearilyundersomekindofburden.TheyhadcomeintoPyrmont,ameaninglessname,onafoggywintermorningattheendofAugust,1921.Anenormouslineoftaxiswaitedoutsidetheironshedonthewharf;Meggiegapedround-eyed,forshehadneverseensomanycarsinoneplaceatonetime.SomehowPaddypackedthemallintoasinglecab,itsdrivervolunteeringtotakethemtothePeople’sPalace.

           "That’stheplaceforyouse,mate,"hetoldPaddy."It’sahotelfortheworkingmanrunbytheSallies."