as of a radiant Paradise upon her life, had come
just a trifle too late.

"O Eustace," she cried, tearing herself away from him, and yet keeping
his hands clenched tightly in hers as though she would hold him at arm's
length but could not. "O Eustace! my darling! How is it going to end?
How?"

The very thought which had passed unspoken through his own mind.

"Dearest, think only of the present. For the future--who knows! Did we
not agree just now--life is full of surprises?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"_Au_!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Both started. Eanswyth could not repress a little scream, while even
Eustace realised that he was taken at a disadvantage, as he turned to
confront the owner of the deep bass voice which had fired off the above
ejaculation.

It proceeded from a tall, athletic Kafir, who, barely ten yards off,
stood calmly surveying the pair. His grim and massive countenance was
wreathed into an amused smile. His nearly naked body was anointed with
the usual red ochre, and round the upper part of his left arm he wore a
splendid ivory ring. He carried a heavy knob-kerrie and several
assegais, one of which he was twisting about in easy, listless fashion
in his right hand.

At sight of this extremely unwelcome, not to say formidable, apparition,
Eustace's hand instinctively and with a quick movement sought the back
of his hip--a movement which a Western man would thoroughly have
understood. But he withdrew it--empty. For his eye, familiar with
every change of the native countenance, noted that the expression of
this man's face was good-humoured rather than aggressive. And withal it
seemed partly familiar to him.

"Who are you--and what do you want?" he said shortly. Then as his
glance fell upon a bandage wrapped round the barbarian's shoulder: "Ah.
I know you--Hlangani."

"Keep your `little gun' in your pocket, Ixeshane," said the Kafir,
speaking in a tone of good-humoured banter. "I am not the man to be
shot at twice. Besides, I am not _your_ enemy. If I were, I could have
killed you many times over already, before you saw me; could have killed
you both, you and the _Inkosikazi_."

This was self-evident. Eustace, recognising it, felt rather small. He
to be taken thus at a disadvantage, he, who had constituted himself
Eanswyth's special protector against this very man! Yes. He felt