CHAPTER V.
MRS. HABLETON UNBOSOMS HERSELF.
Mrs. Hableton was a lady with a grievance, as anybody who happened to become acquainted with her soon found out. It is Beaconsfield who says, in one of his novels, that no one is so interesting as when he is talking about himself; and, judging Mrs. Hableton by this statement, she was an extremely fascinating individual, as she never by any chance talked upon any other subject. What was the threat of a Russian invasion to her as long as she had her special grievance—once let that be removed and she would have time to attend to these minor details which affected the colony. The grievance Mrs. Hableton complained of, was want of money; not an uncommon one by any means, but on being reminded of this, Mrs. Hableton would reply snappishly that she "know'd that, but some people weren't like other people," the meaning of which mystical remark was simply this: She had come out to the colonies in the earlier days, when there was not so much difficulty in making money as now, but owing to a bad husband, had failed to make any. The late Mr. Hableton—for he had long since departed this life—was addicted to the intemperate use of the flowing bowl, and at the time when he should have been earning money, was generally to be found in a drinking shanty, spending his wife's earnings in standing treat for himself and his friends. The constant drinking and the hot Victorian climate soon carried him off, and when Mrs. Hableton had seen him safely under the ground in the Melbourne Cemetery, she returned home to survey her position, and see how it could be bettered.
She gathered together a little money from the wreck of her fortune, and land being cheap, purchased a small section of St. Kilda, and build a house on it. She supported herself by going out choring, taking in sewing, and acting as a sick nurse. So, among this multiplicity of occupations, she managed to do fairly well, and even put a little money in the bank. But she was very bitter against the
