n as the flesh of the cloven-hoofed goat.

He had told her many things.

"Light of my heart," said he, "our lord Sandi is my father and my
mother, a giver of riches, and a plentiful provider of pence. Now it
seems to me, that though he is a just man and great, having neither fear
of his enemies nor soft words for his friends, yet the lords of his land
who live so very far away do him no honour."

"Master," said the woman quietly, "is it no honour that he should be
placed as a king over us?"

Bosambo beamed approvingly.

"Thou hast spoken the truth, oh my beloved!" said he, in the
extravagance of his admiration. "Yet I know much of the white folk, for
I have lived along this coast from Dacca to Mossomedes. Also I have
sailed to a far place called Madagascar, which is on the other side of
the world, and I know the way of white folk. Even in Benguella there is
a governor who is not so great as Sandi, and about his breast are all
manner of shining stars that glitter most beautifully in the sun, and he
wears ribbons about him and bright coloured sashes and swords." He
wagged his finger impressively. "Have I not said that he is not so great
as Sandi. When saw you my lord with stars or cross or sash or a sword?

"Also at Decca, where the Frenchi live. At certain places in the Togo,
which is Allamandi,[1] I have seen men with this same style of
ornaments, for thus it is that the white folk do honour to their kind."

[Footnote 1: Allamandi--German territory.]

He was silent a long time and his brown-eyed wife looked at him
curiously.

"Yet what can you do, my lord?" she asked. "Although you are very
powerful, and Sandi loves you, this is certain, that none will listen to
_you_ and do honour to Sandi at your word--though I do not know the ways
of the white people, yet of this I am sure."

Again Bosambo's large mouth stretched from ear to ear, and his two rows
of white teeth gleamed pleasantly.

"You are as the voice of wisdom and the very soul of cleverness," he
said, "for you speak that which is true. Yet I know ways, for I am very
cunning and wise, being a holy man and acquainted with blessed apostles
such as Paul and the blessed Peter, who had his ear cut off because a
certain dancing woman desired it. Also by magic it was put on again
because he could not hear the cocks crow. All this and similar things I
have here." He touched his forehead.

Wise woman that she was, she had made no attempt to pry into her
husb