ek. As it chanced the
effort was not very successful, since the boiling liver fat burnt the
vrouw's fingers, causing her to drop it on the grass, and, I am sorry to
add, to swear as well. Not to be defeated, however, having first sucked
her fingers to ease their smart, she seized the sizzling liver with the
vatdoek and deposited it upon the dirty tin.

"There, nephew," she said triumphantly, "there are more ways of killing
a cat than by drowning. What a fool I was not to think of the vatdoek
at first. Allemachte! how the flesh has burnt me; I don't suppose that
being killed would hurt much more. Also, if the worst comes to the
worst, it will soon be over. Think of it, Allan, by to-night I may be
an angel, dressed in a long white nightgown like those my mother gave me
when I was married, which I cut up for baby-clothes because I found
them chilly wear, having always been accustomed to sleep in my vest
and petticoat. Yes, and I shall have wings, too, like those on a white
gander, only bigger if they are to carry _my_ weight."

"And a crown of Glory," I suggested.

"Yes, of course, a crown of Glory--very large, since I shall be a
martyr; but I hope one will only have to wear it on Sundays, as I never
could bear anything heavy on my hair; moreover, it would remind me of a
Kaffir's head-ring done in gold, and I shall have had enough of Kaffirs.
Then there will be the harp," she went on as her imagination took fire
at the prospect of these celestial delights. "Have you ever seen a harp,
Allan? I haven't except that which King David carries in the picture in
the Book, which looks like a broken rimpi chair frame set up edgeways.
As for playing the thing, they will have to teach me, that's all, which
will be a difficult business, seeing that I would sooner listen to cats
on the roof than to music, and as for making it--"

So she chattered on, as I believe with the object of diverting and
amusing me, for she was a shrewd old soul who knew how important it was
that I should be kept in an equable frame of mind at this crisis in our
fates.

Meanwhile I was doing my best with the lump of liver, that tasted
painfully of vatdoek and was gritty with sand. Indeed, when the vrouw's
back was turned I managed to throw the most of it to Hans behind me, who
swallowed it at a gulp as a dog does, since he did not wish to be caught
chewing it.

"God in heaven! how fast you eat, nephew," said the vrouw, catching
sight of my empty tin. Then