Aletta De la Rey could have given to any man. She had no
poorer an opinion of herself than had other girls of her quality and
circumstance. She was aware--normally, that is--that what she lacked in
attractiveness in one direction was counterbalanced by different
advantages in another. Yet now she found herself magnifying her
defects, and almost entirely losing sight of their compensations. Of a
truth here too were "symptoms."

Thus meditating, not quite for the first time, Aletta strolled along
through the willows by the river bed--much more bed than "river" now,
although a faint trickle had kept some of the deeper reaches fairly
supplied. She was given to an occasional solitary stroll. It was good
for the individual to retire sometimes into private life, was her
explanation. But the other girls put--or pretended to put--a different
construction upon it. They declared mischievously that there was
something on between her and somebody in Cape Town, and she wanted to go
and have a good think about him. She, for her part, only laughed, and
let them think so if they wanted to. But they humoured her and her
inclinations all the same, for, as we said elsewhere, Aletta occupied a
sort of metaphorical pedestal within her own family circle.

It was a lovely morning--blue and golden and cloudless. A mirage-like
shimmer arose from the veldt, and the sunlight slanted upon the facets
of near rock-walls engirdling turret-shaped cone, or flat-topped mount,
as though sweeping over patches of gems. A "kok-a-viek," the yellow
African thrush, was calling to his mate in his melodious triple hoot
among the willows hard by, and the sounds of workaday life--mellowed by
distance--the lowing of cattle, and the shout of native voices, were
borne to the girl's ears as she stood there, revelling, though half
unconsciously, in the glow of her youth and vitality, in the sheer joy
and delight of living.

Suddenly an old koorhaan concealed somewhere among the thorns on the
opposite river bank opened his head, and emitted his long, strident
crowing. Another answered further off, then another, and presently the
whole veldt was alive with the shrill barkings of the clamourous little
bustards. Then the first offender rose with an uproarious suddenness
that startled Aletta, and put up about ten more, which could be seen
winging their way, far and near, adding their alarmed cacklings to his.

Something had scared the bird--something or som