Boers, and besides, you used
to be a great 'patriot.'"

"Used to be--yes; and so the trees used to bend to the north when the
wind blew that way, but now they bend to the south, for the wind
has turned. By-and-by it may set to the north again--that is another
matter--then we shall see."

Bessie made no answer beyond pursing up her pretty mouth and slowly
picking a leaf from the vine that trailed overhead.

The big Dutchman took off his hat and stroked his beard perplexedly.
Evidently he was meditating something that he was afraid to say. Twice
he fixed his cold eyes on Bessie's fair face, and twice looked down
again. The second time she took alarm.

"Excuse me one minute," she said, and made as though to enter the house.

"_Wacht een beeche_" (wait a bit), he ejaculated, breaking into Dutch
in his agitation, and even catching hold of her white dress with his big
hand.

Drawing the dress from him with a quick twist of her lithe form, she
turned and faced him.

"I beg your pardon," she said, in a tone that could not be called
encouraging: "you were going to say something."

"Yes--ah, that is--I was going to say----" and he paused.

Bessie stood with a polite look of expectation on her face, and waited.

"I was going to say--that, in short, that I want to marry you!"

"Oh!" exclaimed Bessie with a start.

"Listen," he went on hoarsely, his words gathering force as he spoke, as
is the way even with uncultured people when they speak from the heart.
"Listen! I love you, Bessie; I have loved you for three years. Every
time I have seen you I have loved you more. Don't say me nay--you don't
know how I do love you. I dream of you every night; sometimes I dream
that I hear your dress rustling, then you come and kiss me, and it is
like being in heaven."

Here Bessie made a gesture of disgust.

"There, I have offended you, but don't be angry with me. I am very rich,
Bessie; there is the place here, and then I have four farms in Lydenburg
and ten thousand _morgen_ up in Waterberg, and a thousand head of
cattle, besides sheep and horses and money in the bank. You shall have
everything your own way," he went on, seeing that the inventory of his
goods did not appear to impress her--"everything--the house shall be
English fashion; I will build a new _sit-kammer_ (sitting-room) and it
shall be furnished from Natal. There, I love you, I say. You won't say
no, will you?" and he caught her by the hand.

"I am very much obl