fellow-travellers to New Zealand a day
or two later. As a matter of fact, Mr Kitchener was on his way from
England to New Zealand, where he was superintending a sheep-run for his
father in those days. He had come out by P. & O., and transhipped at
Melbourne after two or three days' delay there.

Several other passengers from the _Massilia_ were also going on to New
Zealand, and naturally they felt like old friends after the five or six
weeks already spent together. They thought _I_ wanted to be alone, and I
thought _they_ wanted to be alone, and so I kept severely to the upper
deck, feeling often lonely, and they all remained on the lower deck,
wishing I would come down and talk to them sometimes. In spite of these
misconceptions on either side, Mr Kitchener and I became sufficiently
friendly for him to give me a very kind and hospitable invitation to
spend the last few days of the year at his "station," about nine miles
from Dunback, in the Dunedin district. I think I must have told him of
my disappointment in missing my companion in Sydney, after travelling so
many thousand miles to join her, and doubtless he felt some interest in
this Stanley and Livingstone sort of chase, with two women taking the
principal characters!

Anyway, the invitation was given and accepted, and he kindly promised to
ask one or two people to meet me in his house.

All this came to pass some weeks later, on my return from the New
Zealand lakes, and just before an expedition to the "Sounds," generally
known as the "Sounds Trip."

This is a pleasure trip, organised for early January, which is, of
course, midsummer there. It lasts for ten days, and gives one the
opportunity of seeing to the best advantage these glorious inlets of the
sea.

My week at the sheep station was to precede this, as I have explained;
in fact, as the steamer sailed late in the afternoon, it was possible to
go on board without stopping for the night at Dunedin, whence we were to
sail. But at the last moment a slight contretemps took place. Owing to
some delay the steamer would not be able to leave till Monday, instead
of the Saturday morning as arranged, and our kind host insisted on
extending his hospitality for the two extra days.

Now each day there had been some talk about having an impromptu
_seance_, and each day I had successfully evaded the arrangement. I have
a great dislike to sitting in casual circles with strangers, and it
seemed to me that no good purp