A slight change in his duties brought a new interest into his life. The main business of the White Star Line, as he knew, was transporting passengers to Australia and most of those passengers were Irish emigrants, desperate to escape famine in their own country. They arrived at intervals, singly or as families, with just enough money scraped together to pay for their passage; but quite often they had to wait for several days or even weeks before there was a ship to take them.

White Star had contracts with a number of lodging houses around the docks, where these people were accommodated, and Gus was given the job of conducting them to the appointed place and making sure that they had the bare minimum for survival until they were able to board their ship.

He found meeting these people at once intriguing and heartbreaking. Many of them were so thin and worn down by their privations that he wondered if they would ever survive the voyage; but he was impressed by their faith that a better life awaited them and their determination to succeed. He spent time talking to them and sharing what little he knew of Australia, and it fostered his own sense that there should be a better future in prospect somewhere.

* * *

May occasionally thought wistfully of the evening she had spent with James Breckenridge at the concert, but she pushed the memory firmly to the back of her mind. It had been a kind thought on James’s part but that was all. She had not seen or heard from him since, and Mrs Breckenridge had not ordered a new hat, so even that connection seemed to be severed. Then one day, when the winter evenings were closing in again, a letter arrived.

Dear May,

There is to be a carol concert at the Philharmonic on Dec 10th. I think you would find it very enjoyable. If I can obtain tickets, will you come with me?

Yours sincerely,
James Breckenridge

This time May did not hesitate. She wrote back at once accepting the invitation.

She used the money she had saved from her pay rise to buy a length of jade-green silk, some velvet ribbon in a deeper shade and some pale-cream lace.