ly to all the three
girls. Kondje's countenance betrayed nothing more than the flush
produced by her ride. We started off in two separate parties. From
motives of discretion, I suppose, Kiusko remained behind with Suzannah
and the commodore. Edward and I had gone in front with Kondje-Gul and
Maud, who was quarrelling with her cousin upon the important question,
as to whether we should gallop straight ahead or make a round between
the trees. Kondje-Gul decided the matter by suddenly entering the cover.

"Who loves me, let him follow me!" she said, with a laugh.

I followed her, and in a few moments we found ourselves side by side.

"Oh, such a fine piece of news!" she said to me, as soon as Maud and
Edward, who were behind us, were out of hearing.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Well, I must tell you that the day before yesterday your aunt came to
see my mother while I was away, and there and then formally requested my
hand in marriage for the noble Count Daniel Kiusko. My mother related
this to me this morning, when I got up."

"And what did you answer her?"

"Oh, I laughed at first, and then I told mamma that she must inform you
at once, so that you may decide upon the manner in which she shall
repulse the enemy."

"That's simple enough," said I. "She has only to tell my aunt, when next
she calls, that she has consulted you."

"Is it as simple as that?"

"Certainly," I said, with a feeling of annoyance at the idea that she
knew of Daniel's love. "Is it not solely your will that has to be
consulted?"

Kondje-Gul regarded me with astonishment.

"My will?" she said. "Good heavens! do you love me no longer?"

"Why should you imagine I love you no longer?" I answered.

"One might suppose that you wished to remind me of that horrible liberty
which I am so much afraid of."

I then realised how stupid and abrupt I had been, and asked her
forgiveness.

"You naughty fellow!" she said, pointing to the golden bracelet clasped
round her arm.

We decided that I should go to her mother to concert with her and
dictate to her the precise terms of a refusal which should cut short all
Kiusko's hopes. We were just then emerging from the narrow avenue, and
Maud and Edward were joining us again. Our ride came to an end without
any other incident of note, except indeed that it appeared to me Daniel
was watching Kondje and myself, as if he wanted to guess what had taken
place during our _tete-a-tete_, which he had observed fro