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Nearly a year had passed and a child was expected both at Three Rivers and at Curradoobidgee, formerly Pool's Creek. Miss Mayborn was responsible for the retirement of the name Pool's Creek and the adoption of Curradoobidgee, the surveyed name of the run.

As Charlotte had no mother and as Mrs Mazere did not feel equal to the journey to Curradoobidgee, she decided that Charlotte should come to her at Three Rivers. Philip Senior was still implacable on the subject of Philip and Charlotte's marriage, but Mrs Mazere was fretful and ailing as she had never been before in such case, and in no condition to be worried. Her husband restrained himself and compromised, for he was, at heart, a kind man.

"You can have Charlotte here for the event, as long as it is not made an excuse to open the door to the whole brood. But I shan't have Philip here and that baggage can go packing back to Maneroo again as soon as she is able."

So Philip accompanied his wife on the journey, aware of the fact that he must turn back before Three Rivers. Her time was distant only a week or two. She rested the second day in bed at a stockman's rude hut on the Jenningningahma, and on the third went on again on horseback over those precipitous peaks.

At the edge of Stanton's Plains, Hugh and Rachel were waiting in their mother's gig to meet them and make Charlotte welcome in their mother's name. Philip turned back a few miles from Bool Bool and spent the night at Brennan's place. His heart ached to leave his young wife thus, but his own and Charlotte's loyalty and affection for his mother dictated it as the best policy.

"Sure ye've done right, Alannah!" said kind Mrs Brennan. "Yer dad will come round soon. The little stranger will open the door and we'll all take care of Charlotte and the baby and sure ye can come here to see it!"

Mrs Mazere was happy to have Charlotte and though Charlotte felt depressed by her separation from Philip, she bore herself bravely and with a minimum of self-consciousness. She had brought a packhorse laden both with her necessaries and gifts for all, including a splendid meerschaum pipe for His Nibs which he accepted a little awkwardly but secretly appreciated.

Charlotte conquered. Philip Senior dared not irritate Mamma, and his temperament was such that he could not he ungallant to a splendid young woman who had asked nothing from him and who bore herself with unconscious dignity and unfailing goodwill, while surrendering nothing of self-respect nor independence.

Baby Philip Mazere, the third of the Australian line, arrived punctually and he was not much more than sixty hours old before his affectionate father held him in his arms. A loaded blunderbuss would not have kept Philip away, but for political reasons his arrival was not announced to Papa.

It was understood that Charlotte was to stay at Three Rivers until after Mamma's confinement. Baby Philip's aunt arrived three months later and was called Rhoda. Mrs Mazere did not regain strength as speedily as usual and clung to Charlotte who was cordially pressed by all to remain. Even Papa quietly suggested to her that she stay until Mamma should be quite well. This took her on towards autumn and, when an early fall of snow covered the hills over which she would have to pass in order to return to Curradoobidgee, Mamma suggested that she spend the winter at Three Rivers. Charlotte was eventually prevailed upon to do this, as Miss Mayborn was most capably managing the home at Curradoobidgee.