rs, who nudged
each other and laughed at us as we passed to where the old vrouw was
seated on a stool by her wagon drinking coffee. I remember that her
vatdoek was spread over her knees, for she also had a new dress, which
she was afraid of staining.

"Well, my dears," she said in her loud voice, "are you married already
that you hang so close together?"

"No, my aunt," I answered; "but we want to be, and have come to you to
help us."

"That I will do with all my heart, though to speak truth, young people,
at your age, as things are, I should have been inclined to help myself,
as I have told you before. Heaven above us! what is it that makes
marriage in the sight of God? It is that male and female should declare
themselves man and wife before all folk, and live as such. The pastor
and his mumblings are very well if you can get them, but it is the
giving of the hand, not the setting of the ring upon it; it is the
vowing of two true hearts, and not words read out of a book, that make
marriage. Still, this is bold talk, for which any reverend predicant
would reprove me, for if young folk acted on it, although the tie might
hold good in law, what would become of his fee? Come, let us seek the
commandant and hear what he has to say. Allan, pull me up off this
stool, where, if I had my way, after so much travelling, I should like
to sit while a house was built over my head and for the rest of my
life."

I obeyed, not without difficulty, and we went to find Retief.

At the moment he was standing alone, watching two wagons that had just
trekked away. These contained his wife with other members of his family,
and some friends whom he was sending, under the charge of the Heer Smit,
to a place called Doornkop, that lay at a distance of fifteen miles or
more. At this Doornkop he had already caused a rough house, or rather
shed, to be built for the Vrouw Retief's occupation, thinking that she
would be more comfortable and perhaps safer there during his absence
than at the crowded camp in a wagon.

"Allemachte! Allan," he said, catching sight of me, "my heart is sore;
I do not know why. I tell you that when I kissed my old woman good-bye
just now I felt as though I should never see her again, and the tears
came into my eyes. I wish we were all safe back from Dingaan. But there,
there, I will try to get over to see her to-morrow, as we don't start
till Monday. What is it that you want, Allan, with that 'mooi mesje' of
yours?"-