of _Mona Lisa_, that
"she had looked upon all the world, and her eyelids were a little
weary." At any rate, when she found Dick Saltire's blue eyes looking
into hers so straightly and significantly that it almost seemed as if
an arrow came glancing from him to her, she merely told herself, with
an inward-smiling bitterness, that no doubt the same phenomenon
occurred when he spoke to Mrs. van Cannan.

Some days after the departure of the master of the farm for the coast,
the post-bag arrived from Cradock, and, as Mrs. van Cannan was still
sleeping, it fell to Christine, as it had sometimes done before, to
distribute the mail. Among her own large batch of home letters it was
so unusual to find a South African one that she opened it immediately,
and was astonished to discover it to be from Bernard van Cannan. It
had been written from Cradock on the evening of the day he left the
farm.

"DEAR MISS CHAINE:

"I want once more to commend to you the very special care of my
children while I am away. My wife, not being very strong, is unable to
see as much of them as she would wish, and I do not like her to be
worried. But there are many dangers on a farm, and I have already, by
most unhappy chance, lost two young sons. Both deaths occurred during
absences of mine and were the result of accident, though, at the time,
they were surrounded by every loving care and security. Perhaps,
therefore, you will understand the kind of superstitious apprehension I
feel about Roderick, who is the last and only one left to come after me
in the old place. He has always needed special looking-after, being
extremely curious and impulsive while, at the same time, nervous and
reticent.

"Perhaps it is only my illness that makes me full of fears, but _I can
assure you that had it not been for the great confidence you have
inspired in me from the first_, I should not have left the farm, so
anxious do I continually feel about the welfare of my third and last
son. However, I trust in God I shall be back soon, better in health,
to find that all is well.

"Do not worry my dear wife with this matter. She is of a disposition
that cannot cope with sorrow and trouble, and I would not for the world
cloud her happy outlook with my morbid fancies. Keep my confidence,
and remember that I rely on you with all my heart to guard my little
ones.

"Sincerely yours,

"BERNARD VAN CANNAN.

"P. S.--I append my last London address, and if I am de