a particularly low and
disreputable type, such as Hermanus Delport, Gideon Roux, and others.

The while Condaas and Andrina were kicking each other under the table,
and Aletta was feeling supremely uncomfortable. Then the worthy
Stephanus, suddenly becoming aware that he was romping gaily over mined
ground, abruptly changed the subject.

But thereafter was surprise in store for him, when Colvin took him aside
and imparted the events of the morning. Stephanus was delighted, and an
additional fact, not at present to be divulged, which the other imparted
to him, did not lessen his satisfaction.

"_Maagtig_! Colvin. You are a _slim kerel_," he cried, shaking his
son-in-law-elect warmly by the hand. "Why, you have kept it dark
between you. Well, I don't know anybody I would rather give my little
girl to. Besides, she is almost English in her ways. But, say; it
seems a strange thing that you, with ample means to live where you like,
should prefer to bury yourself in an out-of-the-way place like this. Of
course, for us who are born to it, why it's different. We couldn't get
on anywhere else."

"Oh, I like the life, Stephanus. Since I have known Aletta, I have
liked it more. By the way, I am under no sort of a cloud at home, if
that is what you are thinking about. I could go and set up in London
to-morrow if I wanted."

"I was not thinking otherwise, _ou' maat_," said Stephanus heartily.
"Let us go in and tell the wife."

Mrs De la Rey gave both of them a good-humoured scolding. She ought to
have been told first, not Stephanus. Girls belonged first of all to
their mother. She, too, was delighted. But the cream of the joke came
when they broke the news to old Tant' Plessis.

"Colvin going to marry Aletta?" cried the latter sharply. "What
nonsense are you telling me, Gertruida? Why, Colvin is going to marry
Wenlock's sister. She is the only English girl here, and he is the only
Englishman, so of course he is going to marry her. I have heard
Mynheer--no, I mean everybody--say so."

"But it isn't true, Tanta, I tell you," explained Mrs De la Rey. "It
is Aletta--our Aletta."

"Aletta?" ejaculated the old woman, upon whom it began to dawn.
"Aletta! _Oh, mijn Vaterland_! Why, he is nearly old enough to be her
father!"

"That's a nasty one!" whispered Colvin to Stephanus, who was nearly
losing his life in his superhuman efforts to repress a great roar. It
was too much for Andrina and Condaas, who