h overspread his features--all this, too,
she thoroughly enjoyed.

"Have to go," he echoed. "Oh, well--yes, of course, if you want to get
rid of me--"

"I generally do want to get rid of people when they are sulky, and
disagreeable, and ill-tempered," was the tranquil reply. But the
expression of her eyes, raised full to his, was such as to take all the
sting out of her words.

Not quite all, however, for his mind was in that parlous state best
defined as "worked up"--and the working-up process had been one, not of
hours or of days, but of weeks.

"Well, then, good-bye." Then, pausing: "Why do you torment me like
this, Hermia, when you know--"

"What's that? I didn't say you might call me by my name."

"Oh, I beg your pardon, Mrs Blachland," was the reply, bitterly,
resentfully emphatic. Then, thawing suddenly, "You didn't mind it the
other day, and--well, you know what you are to me and always will be."

"Until somebody else is more so," came the smiling interruption.
"Hark"--raising a hand suddenly, and listening intently. "Yes, it is.
Will you be a very dear boy, Justin, and do something for me?"

"You know I would do anything for you--anything in the wide world."

"Oh, this is nothing very great. There are guinea-fowl over there in
the kopje--I can hear them. I only want you to take Hilary's gun, and
go and shoot me a few. Will you? The supplies are running low."

"Of course I will," was the answer, as they both went inside, and Justin
Spence, invested with an excellent Number 12 bore, and a belt full of
cartridges, started off on his errand of purveyor to the household, all
his ill-humour gone. He was very young, you see, and the next best
thing to glowing in the presence of his charmer was to be engaged in
rendering her some service.

She stood there watching his receding form, as it moved away rapidly
over the veldt in long elastic strides. Once he turned to look back.
She waved her hand in encouragement.

"How good-looking he is!" she said to herself. "How well he moves too--
so well set up and graceful! But why was he so emphatic just now when
he called me that? Was it accidental? I wonder was it? Oh yes, it
must have been. That's the worst of an _arriere pensee_, one is always
imagining things. No, the very fact of his putting such emphasis upon
the name shows it was accidental. He'd never have been so mean--Justin
isn't that sort."

She stood for a little longer, shading he