tic
dissertations, trying not to agree in the wrong place; trying, in short,
to look as if I knew something about it all, yet not altogether
succeeding, I fear, as I became aware when I caught the glance of Miss
Sewin's eyes, and the smile upon her sweet, half-averted face. Then the
stars came out with a rush, and the jackals began to bay along the
hillside in the gloom of the bush.

"Confound it!" grumbled the Major, looking upward. "It's dark already;
pitch dark, by Jove! and Glanton hasn't seen half what I've been doing
yet, since he was here last. You get no twilight at all in this
infernal country. Well, I suppose we must go in."

Nothing could be more pleasant and home-like than that cheerful, lighted
room, as we sat at table. We talked about the country and surroundings,
the life and its drawbacks, and the Major waxed reminiscent on byegone
sport in India, and his anecdotes thereon interested me though I fear
the others had heard them more than once before. Falkner was inclined
to be extra friendly and had discarded his usual offhand and
supercilious manner, which I own was wont to try my patience sorely, and
questioned me repeatedly as to my projected trip into Zululand, to which
I had incidentally referred. Afterwards the two girls played and sang--
uncommonly well. Falkner too, sang a very good song or two, and
altogether I found I was thoroughly enjoying myself, the said enjoyment
being doubtless enhanced by an obtruding recollection of my lonely hut,
away up the mountain, and evenings spent in my own company until such
time as I should smoke myself to sleep.

"Mr Glanton, we would so much like to see your trading store," said
Edith, the youngest girl, when the music was ended.

I answered that there was little on earth to see there, that it was a
greasy, dusty place, hardly fit for ladies, and so on, but that such as
it was they would be more than welcome.

"And you will show us some Zulus for the occasion?" added her sister,
with one of those glances which made me resolve to assemble half
Tyingoza's location if she set her heart upon it.

"Well, yes," I said. "Only you mustn't take me by surprise. It's a
rough and tumble place, and I might be taken just at the very moment
when I couldn't offer you a decent lunch."

But they declared that this was just what they wanted--to take me by
surprise, and see exactly how I lived, and so on. The while a desperate
idea had come into my head, but, wo