nearly three o'clock before
Half Ballarat was making in the same direction ; and whoever owned a horse that was sound in the wind and anything of a stepper had entered it for some item on the programme . The Grand Stand , a bark shed open to the air on three sides , was resorted to only in the case of a sudden downpour ; the occupants of the dust-laden buggies , wagonettes , brakes , carts and drays preferred to follow events standing on their seats , and on the boards that served them as seats . After the meeting , those who belonged to the Urquhart-Glendinning set went on to Yarangobilly , and danced till long pastmidnight on the broad verandah . It was nearly three o'clock before Purdy brought his load safely home . Under the round white moon , the lorry was strewn with the forms of sleeping children . Early next morning while Polly , still only half awake , was pouring out coffee and giving Richard who , poor fellow , could not afford to leave his patients , an account of their doings -- with certain omissions , of course : she did not mention the glaring indiscretion Agnes Glendinning had been guilty of , in disappearing with Mr. Henry Ocock into a dark shrubbery -- while Polly talked , the postman handed in two letters , which were of a nature to put balls and races clean out of her head . The first was in Mrs. Beamish 's ill-formed hand , and told a sorrowful tale .