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XIX.

We must now pass over a short period of time, extending from the summer of the royal marriage, to the spring of the following year. The intervening winter was fortunately very mild, and productive of little hardship to a community which would have felt the vicissitudes of a severe season in a painful way. The return of the sunny time of the year saw a great change in the outward aspect and the inward feeling of the settlement, compared with that which existed at the corresponding date the year before. There were few people remaining in the town itself; the others had made their homes in the suburban and country districts, which were regaining some aspect of their lost prosperity. Vast fields of vegetables were thriving for miles around the city, for on these was reliance mostly placed to furnish the standard food-supply. To these were added the sheep and cattle, drafted into town from the farms and out-settlements; the women having taken to the agricultural and pastoral employments with a vim and success not to be expected from a people that had seemed so dispirited and despairing a few months before. The smoke of the daily train, northward to Helensville, and southward to "Waikato, page 130might be seen upon the air, for after months of hard work the line as far as the Huntly mines had been cleared and re-established, thus producing sufficient fuel for locomotives and for the use of townspeople. Unfortunately the trains had to be mostly used for the conveyance of passengers and stock: the supply of breadstuffs had not been such as to freight the train, though already a thousand fields were springing with the soft green shoots of the growing grain, promising a bounteous harvest in the coming autumn. The ploughing and coal-mining had been two of the occupations which Jack had found it difficult to get women to undertake; only the strongest were fit to fulfil such duties, and they had often to be relieved and their work changed. But perseverance was not lacking, and some even found in the danger and exertion a rude pleasure which they preferred to more tame or frivolous occupations. The harbour was dotted with fishing-boats, in which "the harvest of the sea" was gathered in a systematic and organized fashion, for this was by no means a minor item in the industries which supplied the town. The streets were again lighted with gas, although most of the shops were closed, those which were open being mere depôts for the supply of articles issued by the governing powers to all, according to the stock in hand. Occasionally the little steamer might be seen rounding the North Head as she made her way to Warkworth or Whangarei or the Thames, places in which small colonies had been re-established, and which depended on the steamer for communication. The lower part of the town had resumed its old appearance, the prison labour having succeeded in restoring the drainage; and, except for the generally-deserted air of the streets, there was little alteration from the former appearance of the city.

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Carrying out these improvements had caused Jack months of excessive application of head and hand. He had thrown himself heart and soul into the work of creation and reformation, sparing neither himself nor others in the task set before him. He had left the town itself mainly to the guidance of the Council, while he, after the first two or three months, had spent his time wholly in the country, working at the railways, instructing in farm work and mining, and in re-capturing from nature the lands once cultivated. He had allotted to each of the royal ladies a separate establishment in a large hotel, the empty rooms being re-furnished and brightened up. In some one of these each queen had her small court of guards and attendants; the guards merely for the purpose of displaying the exalted position of their mistresses, the attendants carefully selected as the most prudent and watchful custodians of a precious charge. One rule was invariable — the King never appeared in public with any of these ladies; the suggestion of "the harem" was offensive to him, and, although his polygamy was as orthodox here as in Turkey or any Eastern country, he and his consorts agreed by common unuttered consent to ignore the existence of the absent.

One evening in December Jack entered the town after dark. He was very tired, and wished to quietly reach his rooms at the Residency without attracting notice, so pulled his hat well down over his eyes, and took a way which avoided the main street. He noticed as he neared the gate of his house that a steady stream of people was pouring into the Albert Park, and desiring to know what public function was proceeding, be joined their number. On arriving, he found a large crowd gathered in silent groups about the central fountain. page 132They appeared to be awaiting the arrival of some one or expecting an announcement, and he would have liked to ask some bystander what was the occasion of the assembly, but he feared lest his masculine voice would instantly have betrayed him, and shrank from the demonstration which would follow the discovery of his presence. So he sat down in the moonlight on the stone steps which led to the upper walk, and rested in silence.

Suddenly there was a stir among one of the larger groups, as, with a bright flash cleaving the night, a cannon roared across the park, and a red flag floated up on the flagstaff. The whole assembly burst out into wild cries of delight; the women embraced each other, weeping and singing in a manner which reminded him of his first reception among them, but this latter demonstration was in a quieter fashion.

"What does it mean?" he asked a woman near him.

"Mean?" she cried, "mean? Don't you see the red flag?"

"Yes, of course," he said, "but what does that mean?"

"A boy!" she cried, "a boy, a beautiful boy for us!"

"What is the mother's name?" he questioned.

"Why, Lady Victoria, your Majesty," answered the woman, recognising the King.

Jack hastened away to the residence of his son's mother, wishing to be one of the first to pay her honour and sympathy in that proud moment of her weakness and her strength.

Among no community has a baby ever met with sack adoration and worship as fell to the lot of that favoured infant during the next few days. In a nation page 133of women the only baby; the only baby in the world; their future King! What a quintessence of infantile attraction! What processions of tender eyes passed before the morsel of humanity in its veils of lace; what reverent hands were allowed as the highest honour to touch or hold it for a moment!

But its solitary reign was brief, for, two days after its birth, another gun thundered over the town, and another red flag gave its joyful message to a delighted populace. Before another week a blue flag, with the disappointing news of a girl-baby's advent, joined the two red ones on the high flagstaff.