Chapter 6

Therewasnohelpforit,Meggiehadtocomehome.Feecouldnotmanagewithouther,andthemomenthewasleftaloneattheconventinGilly,Stuartwentonahungerstrike,sohetoocamebacktoDrogheda.

ItwasAugust,andbitterlycold.JustayearsincetheyhadarrivedinAustralia;butthiswasacolderwinterthanlast.Therainwasabsentandtheairwassocrispithurtthelungs.UponthetopsoftheGreatDividethreehundredmilestotheeast,snowlaythickerthaninmanyyears,butnorainhadfallenwestofBurrenJunctionsincethemonsoonaldrenchingoftheprevioussummer.PeopleinGillywerespeakingofanotherdrought:itwasoverdue,itmustcome,perhapsthiswouldbeit.

WhenMeggiesawhermother,shefeltasifanawfulweightsettleduponherbeing;maybealeaving-behindofchildhood,apresentimentofwhatitwastobeawoman.Outwardlytherewasnochange,asidefromthebigbelly;butinwardlyFeehadsloweddownlikeatiredoldclock,runningtimedownanddownuntilitwasforeverstilled.ThebrisknessMeggiehadneverknownabsentfromhermotherhadgone.Shepickedherfeetupandputthemdownagainasifshewasnolongersureoftherightwaytodoit,asortofspiritualfumblinggotintohergait;andtherewasnojoyinherforthecomingbaby,noteventherigidlycontrolledcontentshehadshownoverHal.