irtue of the nature of some of the things, not over-fragrant.

The natives entered, rather shyly, giving the salute. They stared
curiously at Denham. His fine physique and general bearing impressed
them. There could only be one opinion as to what had brought him there.
He had come to offer U' Ben _lobola_ for the _Inkosazana_. But they
would make a fine pair! This they told each other afterwards.

"Well, what is wanted?" Verna asked.

"Tobacco. Smoking tobacco such as white people use," answered one of
the women.

"Sapazani's `children' indulging in white men's customs? Ah, ah!"
answered Verna, with a shake of the head. The woman looked somewhat
subdued, and managed to convey that it was a thing they did not wish
talked about.

The while Denham was taking in the whole scene, keenly interested.
Never had the liquid Zulu sounded so melodious as when it flowed from
Verna's lips, he decided to himself. Then other things were
requisitioned. Yards of calico were unfolded, and critically examined
by the intending purchaser. He watched the deftness and patience with
which Verna handled the things and bore with the intending purchasers,
who would look at the articles and then go and squat in a corner of the
room and talk over the transaction with each other in an undertone. The
boy was looking at him sideways, with staring eyeballs.

"That's their way," said Verna, with a merry glance at him. "You can't
rush these people. If you did you'd lose all your trade."

"By Jove! but I never thought there could be so much poetry in handing
things out over a counter," he burst forth.

"Thanks. But remember what I told you just now, also on a former
occasion," she answered, her eyes sparkling with fun. "You must not pay
me compliments, especially ironical ones. I am only an up-country
trader's daughter, who helps her father, up to her little best."

"Upon my conscience there was nothing ironical about it," he replied
somewhat vehemently, "It was dead, sober earnest."

She smiled again and nodded; then turning to the native women suggested
they had been a good while making up their minds. They took the hint,
and the deal was concluded.

Denham, the while, was in something of a maze. Most girls situated as
she was would have rather tried to keep him off witnessing this phase of
their everyday home life--in other words, would have tried all they knew
to "sink the shop." This one, on the contrary, had actually