he
longed-for communication at last! and the thrill of delight that went
through him almost made up for the long, wearing anxiety. But this was
nipped in the bud by a second glance at the envelope. It was not
directed in Aletta's handwriting.

He tore it open. A glance at the end of the sheet showed that the
handwriting was that of Piet Plessis' wife. At the same time an
enclosure fell out. This at any rate was from Aletta. Eagerly he
picked it up--then, as he mastered the contents, a look of the blankest
dismay and bewilderment came over his features. For the contents were
very brief, and they ran thus:

"I am going home at once. No explanations are needed, are they? For,
remember--_I saw_.

"Good-bye, Aletta."

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

He stared at the sheet of paper, and his look of bewilderment grew
blanker and blanker. What did it mean? What on earth _could_ it mean?
No explanations needed? But they very much _were_ needed, he thought.
And what on earth mystery lay covered by those words, so significantly
underlined--"_I saw_?" What did the writer see? The thing passed
comprehension. He turned to the other letter with some wild hope of
finding enlightenment there.

It did not afford him much. Aletta had asked her to enclose this note
to him, wrote Mrs Plessis, and was going back home to Ratels Hoek at
once. "I hope there is nothing wrong," she went on, "but the child has
been very strange during the last two or three days. I don't know what
to make of it. She will not give me her confidence, and made me promise
faithfully not so much as to hint to Piet that anything had upset her.
She leaves us to-morrow, and travels back home in charge of Adrian. But
I trust there is nothing really the matter."

In charge of Adrian! Ah, now he began to see light. Adrian was behind
whatever had happened. Why, of course. His every motive made that way.
All that cordiality of his had not altogether gone down with Colvin.
There was a suggestion of malice underlying it, which should have put
him more on his guard. Adrian had played him some dirty trick in his
absence, though what it might be he could as yet form no idea.

He glanced at the letter, also at the note. Both bore a date some ten
days old. Why, Aletta would have been home now for days. Well, his
mind was made up. Instead of returning to Pretoria, he would proceed
straight to Ratels Hoek.