re by losing your heart to some
fascinating young Rhodesian settler and forget your own South Africa
altogether. Dutch Willie is a lot the nicest Dutchman who ever
belonged to that obtuse people, and I foresee it will be my lot to
guide you to your high destiny on behalf of the two races."

Meryl only smiled dreamily, as if she scarcely heard. Swiftly,
mysteriously, unaccountably, as is her way, Rhodesia had caught her
senses and filled all her horizon for the time being. She nestled down
into her own pretty bed, with the unrest already fading from her eyes,
and a new gladness in her heart, as of one renewed with a great
purpose and comforted with a wide hope.

IV

THE RHODESIAN PROJECT

Aunt Emily represented what Diana was pleased to call "the family
skeleton in the flesh." She was Henry Pym's only sister, and there had
been a time when she shared a pound a week with him in a tiny cottage
in Cornwall, while he worked as a miner in order to teach himself all
he could about mining. After that she had taken a situation as
housekeeper, while he went out to South Africa to make his fortune.
Later she had spent a year or two with him, sharing his struggles in
the new country, and then he had married, and she was once more left
to take care of herself; for at that stage Henry's finances would
barely keep himself and his wife. Three years afterwards, when his
genius for finance was bearing fruit, his wife died, and at
twenty-seven he found himself a childless widower just becoming
prosperous. He again offered his sister a home, but her recollections
of Africa were none to draw her back thither, and she chose to
continue life in the comfortable situation she had procured as
companion to an invalid lady. So Henry devoted himself entirely to the
science of money-making, and at thirty-five he was a rich man. He
married a second time, choosing for his wife among the gentlest-born
Johannesburg could offer, and winning the sweet woman who was Meryl's
mother. About the same time his brother came out from England and
joined him, and in fifteen years they were two of Johannesburg's
wealthiest millionaires. A few years later both were widowers, and
very shortly afterwards John Pym died, leaving his only daughter and
all the wealth that would be hers to his brother's care. Thus the
household became as we have seen it, for Henry, remembering gratefully
how his sister had stood by him in his days of struggle, now insisted
upo