t. There he stood, and he was looking down
into May's eyes as he talked to her, was holding her hand in his for a
considerably longer time than was necessary for the purpose of bidding
farewell. There he stood, her perfidious lover--he who had left her
with such words of sworn affection upon his lips, that would be with her
until her dying day--he, the thought of whom, hourly, momentarily, it
might be in peril of death on the battle field, had filled her mind
waking and sleeping--while all the while here he was in quiet safety,
carrying on his intrigue with this girl. There he stood; there could
not be two Colvin Kershaws in the world, that ingenious story of the
"double" notwithstanding. This was the "double" then? Yet it was
wearing exactly the same clothes, exactly the same hat, even, as when
taking that last farewell of herself--that farewell whose memory had
thrilled her heart ever since.

"Courage, Aletta! Courage!" she heard Adrian say, but his voice sounded
as from another world. "Keep up a little longer. Now we will make
certain. Look!"

The man had parted from his companion now, and as he came down to the
front gate, his head was half turned, as with a last loving look towards
May, who was still on the _stoep_. Then he came out into the road, and
the door of the house closed.

He walked slowly along at first, not looking up. Then suddenly he did
look up, and caught the eyes of the two on the opposite side. The
effect was magical. With a bewildered start he half stopped as though
irresolute, then, averting his eyes, he trebled his pace and walked
rapidly away. But during that swift second his glance had met that of
Aletta straight and full; and if ever a human countenance showed dismay,
consternation, guilt, utter confusion, assuredly all these emotions were
stamped upon this man's countenance in that brief moment.

"Well now, was I mistaken?" said Adrian again, his voice sounding even
farther away this time. "Can you believe your own eyes now, Aletta?
You have seen?"

"Oh yes," she gasped. "I must believe my own eyes. Yes--yes, I have
seen."

The girl's face was colourless, her lips livid and shaking. Her steps
even seemed unsteady. Adrian feared that she would faint. But she did
not.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

VERY LIKE A PRISONER.

Colvin was beginning to have enough of it.

He had spent some weeks with Cronje's force, and into that short space
about half a lifetime of strange and