he window, the
same through which, years before, Bonaparte had watched the slouching
figure cross the yard. Gregory walked to the pigsty first, and
contemplated the pigs for a few seconds; then turned round, and stood
looking fixedly at the wall of the fuel-house as though he thought
it wanted repairing; then he started off suddenly with the evident
intention of going to the ostrich-camps; then paused, hesitated, and
finally walked off in the direction of the kopje.

Then Em went back to the corner and folded more sacks.

On the other side of the kopje Gregory caught sight of a white tail
waving among the stones, and a succession of short, frantic barks told
where Doss was engaged in howling imploringly to a lizard who had
crept between two stones, and who had not the slightest intention of
re-sunning himself at that particular moment.

The dog's mistress sat higher up, under the shelving rock, her face bent
over a volume of plays upon her knee. As Gregory mounted the stones she
started violently and looked up; then resumed her book.

"I hope I am not troubling you," said Gregory as he reached her side.
"If I am I will go away. I just--"

"No; you may stay."

"I fear I startled you."

"Yes; your step was firmer than it generally is. I thought it was that
of some one else."

"Who could it be but me?" asked Gregory, seating himself on a stone at
her feet.

"Do you suppose you are the only man who would find anything to attract
him to this kopje?"

"Oh, no," said Gregory.

He was not going to argue that point with her, nor any other; but no old
Boer was likely to take the trouble of climbing the kopje, and who else
was there?

She continued the study of her book.

"Miss Lyndall," he said at last, "I don't know why it is you never talk
to me."

"We had a long conversation yesterday," she said without looking up.

"Yes; but you ask me questions about sheep and oxen. I don't call that
talking. You used to talk to Waldo, now," he said, in an aggrieved tone
of voice. "I've heard you when I came in, and then you've just left off.
You treated me like that from the first day; and you couldn't tell from
just looking at me that I couldn't talk about the things you like. I'm
sure I know as much about such things as Waldo does," said Gregory, in
exceeding bitterness of spirit.

"I do not know which things you refer to. If you will enlighten me I am
quite prepared to speak of them," she said, reading as she spoke.