or my daily
portion, I would not be in the least eager to exchange it for the
roughness and ups and downs of a trading trip and the kraals of savages.
But then after all, there was a considerable difference in our years,
and my experience was a good deal behind me, whereas his was not.

Soon the family came out, and I was received with all the accustomed
cordiality, and rather more. Why had I not been near them for so long,
especially as I was about to go away for quite a considerable time, and
so forth? I began to feel self-reproachful, as I thought of my motive,
but it was not easy to find an excuse, the usual "rather busy," and when
I tried I could see Aida Sewin's clear eyes reading my face, and there
was the faintest glimmer of a smile about her lips that seemed to say
plainly: "I don't believe a word of it."

"So you're going to take this fellow with you after all, Glanton," said
the Major as we sat down to lunch. "Well, you'll have a handful, by
Jove you will! I hope you'll keep him in order, that's all."

"Oh he'll be all right, Major," I said. "And the experience won't do
him any harm either."

"Don't you go trying any more experiments at the expense of the chiefs'
head-rings up there, Falkner," said Edith, the younger girl.

"Oh shut up," growled Falkner. "That joke's a precious stale one. I
seem to be getting `jam and judicious advice' all round, by Jove!"

"Well, and you want it--at any rate the advice--only you never take it,"
was the retort.

"Nobody ever does, Miss Edith," I said, coming to his rescue. "Advice
is one of those commodities people estimate at its own cost--nothing to
wit; and set the same value upon it."

"Now you're cynical, Mr Glanton," she answered, "and I don't like
cynical people."

"That's a calamity, but believe me, I'm not naturally so. Why I rather
set up for being a philanthropist," I said.

"You certainly are one, as we have every reason to know," interposed her
sister.

I felt grateful but foolish, having no mind to be taken seriously. But
before I could stutter forth any reply, which was bound to have been an
idiotic one, she went on, tactfully:

"For instance that boy you sent us--Ivondwe. Why he's a treasure.
Everything has gone right since he came. He can talk English, for one
thing."

"Can he? That's an accomplishment I should never have given him credit
for, and I don't know that it's altogether a recommendation. You know,
we don't care for En