her to start and her eyes to dilate. But it passed
away and was gone. It heralded the approach of nobody. The distant
flying cackle of a cock koorhaan alarmed had the same effect, but no
sign of life, far or near, save the slow movement of black ostriches
grazing, and the occasional triple boom as they lifted up their voices.
The sun, flaming down in the cloudless forenoon, caused the great
expanse of plains to shimmer and glow with mirage-like effect, giving to
each distant table-topped mountain an appearance of being suspended in
mid-air.

Her eyes filled as she stood thus gazing, and two shining tears rolled
down.

"Oh, I must get away from here," she said to herself. "All this is
weighing upon my nerves. I hate men--selfish, cruel, heartless
wretches!"

She caught her voice, and was conscious that the pulsations of her heart
had undergone an acceleration. Away in the distance a large dust-cloud
was advancing, and with it the white tilt of a Cape cart.

"Only some tiresome Dutch people," she said to herself, with a weary
sigh. "I hope to goodness they won't come here, that's all."

But her wish was doomed to non-fulfilment, for very soon the cart was
seen to turn off the road that should have taken it by and to strike the
branch track leading direct to the house. A flutter of feminine
garments within it betokened the nature of the visit.

"May, where are you? May?" shouted Frank, in stentorian tones. "Oh,
there you are. Here's a whole crowd coming down into the drift. Looks
like the De la Reys. They'll be here in a minute."

"I wish they'd be somewhere else in a minute, then," muttered May to
herself with a frown that quite transformed the pretty, winning face
within the ample white _kapje_.

Frank's surmise proved correct. The occupants of the cart were the
three De la Rey girls and their brother Jan. As they drove up Mrs
Wenlock came out in a flutter of excitement and welcome.

"How good of you to come over!" she said. "I am so glad to see you. We
don't get many visitors just now. Why, Aletta, I should hardly have
known you. My, but you must have been away quite a long time. I
suppose you have been having grand times down at the Cape. And how tall
you have grown! Well, I always say it does a girl good to send her
about among folks and to see a little of the world. Let's see, I don't
think you and my May have ever met. She was not with us when we first
came up."

May, who had al