ck cavalry regiment, but resigned his commission
some years before. I asked him why.

"Well," he said, "I came into a good lot of money on my mother's
death and could not see a prospect of any active service. While
the regiment was abroad I liked the life well enough, but at home
it bored me. Too much society for my taste, and that sort of
thing. Also I wanted to travel; nothing else really amuses me."

"You will soon get tired of it," I answered, "and as you are well
off, marry some fine lady and settle down at home."

"Don't think so. I doubt if I should ever be happily married, I
want too much. One doesn't pick up an earthly angel with a
cast-iron constitution who adores you, which are the bare
necessities of marriage, under every bush." Here I laughed.
"Also," he added, the laughter going out of his eyes, "I have had
enough of fine ladies and their ways."

"Marriage is better than scrapes," I remarked sententiously.

"Quite so, but one might get them both together. No, I shall
never marry, although I suppose I ought as my brothers have no
children."

"Won't you, my friend," thought I to myself, "when the skin grows
again on your burnt fingers."

For I was sure they had been burnt, perhaps more than once. How,
I never learned, for which I am rather sorry for it interests me
to study burnt fingers, if they do not happen to be my own. Then
we changed the subject.

Anscombe's wagons were delayed for a day or two by a broken axle
or a bog hole, I forget which. So, as I had nothing particular
to do until the Natal post-cart left, we spent the time in
wandering about Pretoria, which did not take us long as it was
but a little dorp in those days, and chatting with all and
sundry. Also we went up to Government House as it was now
called, and left cards, or rather wrote our names in a book for
we had no cards, being told by one of the Staff whom we met that
we should do so. An hour later a note arrived asking us both to
dinner that night and telling us very nicely not to mind if we
had no dress things. Of course we had to go, Anscombe rigged up
in my second best clothes that did not fit him in the least, as
he was a much taller man than I am, and a black satin bow that he
had bought at Becket's Store together with a pair of shiny pumps.

I actually met you, my friend, for the first time that evening,
and in trouble too, though you may have forgotten the incident.
We had made a mistake about the time