ive me the sovereign gift of reason, with all the
torture it can inflict. I thank God for returning memory, even with the
misery it brings."

Phoebe was silent a long time: then she said in a low, gentle voice,
and with the indirectness of a truly feminine nature, "I have plenty of
writing-paper in the house; and the post goes south to-morrow, such as
'tis."

Christopher struggled with his misery, and trembled.

He was silent a long time. Then he said, "No. It is her interest that I
should be dead."

"Well, but, sir--take a thought."

"Not a word more, I implore you. I am the most miserable man that ever
breathed." As he spoke, two bitter tears forced their way.

Phoebe cast a look of pity on him, and said no more; but she shook her
head. Her plain common sense revolted.

However, it did not follow he would be in the same mind next week: so
she was in excellent spirits at her protege's recovery, and very proud
of her cure, and celebrated the event with a roaring supper, including
an English ham, and a bottle of port wine; and, ten to one, that was
English too.

Dick Dale looked a little incredulous, but he did not spare the ham any
the more for that.

After supper, in a pause of conversation, Staines turned to Dick, and
said, rather abruptly, "Suppose that dam of yours were to burst and
empty its contents, would it not be a great misfortune to you?"

"Misfortune, sir! Don't talk of it. Why, it would ruin us, beast and
body."

"Well, it will burst, if it is not looked to."

"Dale's Kloof dam burst! the biggest and strongest for a hundred miles
round."

"You deceive yourself. It is not scientifically built, to begin, and
there is a cause at work that will infallibly burst it, if not looked to
in time."

"And what is that, sir?"

"The dam is full of crabs."

"So 'tis; but what of them?"

"I detected two of them that had perforated the dyke from the wet side
to the dry, and water was trickling through the channel they had made.
Now, for me to catch two that had come right through, there must be a
great many at work honeycombing your dyke; those channels, once made,
will be enlarged by the permeating water, and a mere cupful of water
forced into a dyke by the great pressure of a heavy column has an
expansive power quite out of proportion to the quantity forced in.
Colossal dykes have been burst in this way with disastrous effects.
Indeed, it is only a question of time, and I would not guarantee your