One of the first things Mrs.Giles wanted was necessarily a trustworthy servant, and she had to make her choice of one among the convicts of good character, to be assigned to private service.

Being one of that honorable body myself at the time, it is needless to say that I was the fortunate man on whom Mrs.Giles's choice fell.

The first situation I got in Australia was as servant to my own wife.
Alicia made a very indulgent mistress.
If she had been mischievously inclined, she might, by application to a magistrate, have had me flogged or set to work in chains on the roads, whenever I became idle or insubordinate, which happened occasionally.
But instead of complaining, the kind creature kissed and made much of her footman by stealth, after his day's work.

She allowed him no female followers, and only employed one woman-servant occasionally, who was both old and ugly.

The name of the footman was Dear in private, and Francis in company; and when the widowed mistress, upstairs, refused eligible offers of marriage (which was pretty often), the favored domestic in the kitchen was always informed of it, and asked, with the sweetest humility, if he approved of the proceeding.
Not to dwell on this anomalous period of my existence, let me say briefly that my new position with my wife was of the greatest advantage in enabling me to direct in secret the profitable uses to which her little fortune was put.
We began in this way with an excellent speculation in cattle--buying them for shillings and selling them for pounds.