is too full of antimony. As for Roddy, poor kid, he is
probably drowned in one of the kloofs and speeding for the river by
now--just the sort of adventure his queer little mind would embark on.
No one can blame us for _that_, at least. You are far too easily
discouraged, my darling. Wait till the morning." The voice was the
soft, sonorous voice of Saxby, and a lightning flash revealed to the
girl cowering among the trees that it was he who held Isabel van Cannan
in his arms.

There were two "Dicks" at Blue Aloes, and Christine, not knowing it,
had been guilty of a grave injustice to Richard Saltire! Aghast as she
was by the revelation, all her love and faith came tingling back in a
sweet, overwhelming flood. For a moment or two she forgot Roddy,
forgot where she was, forgot all the world but Saltire, and her
attention was withdrawn from the pair in the stoep--indeed, she had no
desire to hear their words, now that she was sure they knew no more of
the boy's whereabouts than she herself. But the muffled clang of the
bar across the front door broke through her thoughts, and she became
aware that Saxby had left and Mrs. van Cannan gone in. She was alone
in the gaunt darkness, barred out, and with no means of getting into
the house; all other doors were locked, as well she knew, and all
shutters firmly bolted, including those of the nursery. However, the
fact did not worry her greatly, for the thought of being snug and safe
while poor Roddy roamed somewhere in the blackness had no appeal for
her. Out here, she seemed, somehow, nearer to him, and to the man whom
she now knew she had deeply wronged. Lanterns, twinkling like
will-o'-the-wisps in every direction, told of the search going forward,
and she determined to stay in the summer-house and wait for what news
might come. It was very obscure there, and she knew not what loathly
insects might be crawling on the seats and table, but, at any rate, it
was shelter from the rain, which now again began to fall heavily.

It seemed to her hours that she sat there while the storm swept round
her and the rushing of many waters filled her ears. As a matter of
fact, it was less than half an hour before she determined that
inactivity was something not to be borne another moment and that she
must return and join in the search for Roddy. So out she stumbled
across the veld again, in the direction of the lanterns, evading as
best she could the prickly-pear bushes, stubbing h