ay journey from Salisbury to Johannesburg takes three and
sometimes four days; so that whether Carew responded to her urgent
message or not, Diana had rather a long time to possess her soul in
patience and make up her mind what course to take next. She was in two
minds whether to take her uncle into her confidence or not, but
decided men were always apt to bungle, and she had better trust
entirely to her own guidance. Beyond a doubt the situation required
the most delicate and skilful handling. First of all, she felt she
must convey to van Hert some suggestion that would prepare him for the
shock of what might be expected to follow upon Carew's arrival,
supposing he came. Meryl she did not worry greatly about. She might be
expected to be swept off her feet and go with the tide, by the very
suddenness of it all. The two men presented the obstacles. Carew would
have to be inveigled with the greatest finesse into an interview with
Meryl, without ever letting him perceive a woman was leading him. In
her heart Diana was a little afraid of the steady, unbending face. He
was not likely to prove pliable; he might even refuse to come. Nothing
she could say could alter the fact that he was a policeman and Meryl
was burdened with a fortune, and that was the only barrier Diana was
aware of. She laughed a little to herself as she wondered whether it
would help matters if Mr. Pym made a will disinheriting Meryl, and
dividing his money between her and charities. She could easily give it
back to Meryl later. Then she sighed. "More heroics!... and they tell
us it is a base world. Here am I driven out of my senses nearly,
positively suffocated with high-mindedness, because three delightful
people can't come down from their unlivable altitude and exhibit a
little practical common sense."

Then, of course, there was van Hert's pride to consider. What in the
world, at this time of all others, was to be made of an English girl
jilting a prominent Dutch politician a week before the wedding day!
"It's almost enough to cause another war!" sighed poor Diana. "I'm
really beginning to wish I had let them all go their own foolish ways.
If I don't mind I shall end in becoming a heroine myself, and that's
really too alarming!..."

However, the bull having been taken by the horns, it was wiser to keep
a firm hold of them; though more than once Diana felt herself very
entirely in sympathy with Mark Twain when he says, "It is better to
take hold by th