id the woman, with so
much surprise in her tone that Rumple felt it necessary to explain a
little further.

"Oh, Mr. Melrose cabled from Cape Town to Mr. Wallis, saying that he
would be security for the paying of the wagon hire. Mr. Melrose is a
gentleman whom we met on board ship, a very nice person indeed; but it
seemed so funny to see his photograph here," and Rumple waved a languid
hand towards the portrait in the silver frame. His head was aching
furiously, and he felt very weak and shaken from the fall; but he had
to make some sort of explanation about himself, and it seemed almost
like a certificate of respectability to be able to claim acquaintance
with a person whose portrait had the place of honour in the house.

"So you know Cousin Tom, do you? I know he has been to Europe lately,
although we have not heard from him since he got back. But now that I
know where you have come from I must send off to the road and have a
notice stuck up, so that your sister may know where to find you;" and
the good woman was bustling out of the room, when Rumple stretched out
an imploring hand to stop her.

"If you please, can't I go with the somebody, and then Nealie will not
have to worry about me, and it will save such a lot of bother?" he said,
with so much entreaty that the woman hesitated; but seeing how pale and
shaken he looked she decided that his family would have to take a little
trouble on his behalf, and said so.

"You will have to lie still for a few hours, for you are more shaken
than you realize; but we will stick a notice up on the side of the road,
to let your people know where to find you, and then they can camp here
for the night, so as to be ready to start on again first thing to-morrow
morning," she said, and then hurried away to post a messenger off to the
main road, which was two or three miles away, while Rumple lay staring
about at his new surroundings, The ceiling and walls of the room were of
canvas, and the furniture was good of its kind, but dreadfully crowded.
There was a piano, too, but the dust lay so thickly on it that he
decided that the family were not very musical, or else that they were
too busy with other things to have much time for relaxation. There was a
deep veranda in front of the window and a lot of flowers planted in pots
and tins. Beyond the veranda he had glimpses of a gorgeous garden, with
sweetpeas, marguerites, queer-looking cactus plants, blazing-red
geraniums, and a coral t