t the least
consciousness of the fact on her part, without seemingly vivid interest
on his, he had yet manoeuvred the conversation so that it was confined
mainly to the time during which she had known Colvin, on the subject of
whom, before she had uttered a dozen sentences, she had, to the
practised eye and ear of her companion, completely given herself away.
Where was Colvin now? Why, at home, she supposed, on his own place,
close to theirs. No wonder she had been so startled at the
extraordinary likeness. Anyhow, the mistake was very excusable. Was it
not?

"It was a very fortunate mistake for me," Kenneth replied. "I hope we
may meet again," he went on, for by this time they were at her own door.
He could even read what was passing in her mind--how she was treading
down an impulse to ask him in, remembering that, after all, their
introduction had been startlingly unconventional.

"Yes, indeed, I hope we may," she answered. "At any rate, you know
where I'm staying. Good-bye. Thanks so much for bringing me back."

Kenneth Kershaw turned away, and as he strolled along his thoughts were
busy.

"By Jove, that _is_ a pretty little girl," he was saying to himself.
"Not quite up to the mark in other ways perhaps, but pretty enough even
to make up for that," with a recollection of the bright smile, and the
look in the sea-blue eyes, which had accompanied the farewell handclasp.
"And Colvin? She let go a lot about him. Likely to turn up here, is
he? Reputed to stand in too much with the Boers! Suspicion of
entanglement with a Boer girl--She shut up like an oyster when she came
to that part, though. Well, well. This day's work may turn out not
bad. Colvin on this side, the two peas likeness between us, that dear
little girl in there whom I can simply twist round my finger, and turn
to any account, _and_ the war! Strange if my luck doesn't take a sudden
turn in the right direction. Colvin, the only obstacle, worth reckoning
on, that is. Obstacles have to be removed sometimes. Yes, his luck has
run too long. Hurrah for the war?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note 1. From the letters Z.A.R.P. (Zuid Afrikaansche Republieke
Politie--South African Republic's Police). The joke has passed into a
recognised popular term.

CHAPTER TWO.

A TRANSVAAL OFFICIAL.

Petrus Johannes Stephanus Gerhardus Du Plessis, commonly known to his
kinsfolk and acquaintance an