ng--his cattle; and in the tall dark form of their driver he
recognised Hlangulu, the Matabele. Mechanically, however, he took in
this while his thoughts reverted to their former train. Would they miss
each other? he wondered; or, rather, would he miss Hermia? That she
would hardly waste a regret on him he knew, for he had long since
discovered the shallow emptiness of her nature, and that what he had at
one time taken for depth was the mere frenzied abandonment of a passing
passion, wholly unrestrained and absorbing for the time being; but now,
and indeed long since, burnt out. Turning, he looked back on the group
of primitive buildings within the protecting stockade, his home. A
stillness and peace seemed to brood over it in the evening light. He
could make out Hermia's form crossing a section of the enclosure. He
thought of the years they had been together. Had those years been
happy? Well, hardly. Disillusionment had not been long in coming, and
with its growth their brief and spurious happiness had faded. They did
not quarrel, but it was a case of mutual toleration. And now, at last,
he had returned one fine day to recognise that his place was filled by
another. Decidedly the time had come for them to part.

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

"_Nkose_!"

Blachland looked up. His meditations must have run on, for the utterer
of this sonorous salutation was he who, but a moment ago it seemed, was
right away down there driving the cattle, yet he had had time to take
them borne and return here himself.

"What is it, Hlangulu?"

The man dropped down into a squatting attitude, and began to talk.
Blachland, who understood natives, let him run on about nothing in
particular--the state of the country, the new settlements of the
pioneers, the King, the decreasing of the game, and so forth,--for he
knew something was coming. Presently it came.

"_Nkose_ is even as Umlimo. The dark mysteries of the Great bold no
terrors for him?"

"Not any," was the laconic reply.

"Yet it is certain death to look into such."

"Death is certain, but the time of death, never. I have looked at
`certain death' before, yet here I am."

"_Au_, _Nkose_! What you desire is not possible, save by one way."

"And that way?"

"Is known to me alone."

"And you are going to make it known to me. Now, Hlangulu, men are men,
and men have motives. Why are you going to do this?"

"What