nd flowers, and trees, and birds, and four-footed
things. I don't want to be bothered with my fellow-creatures; they are
a nuisance. If they are in difficulties, and can't find a way out for
themselves, they might just as well go under."

"You heartless little heathen!" affectionately.

The girl brightened suddenly. "Why! it understands, Meryl!... The
Spirit of the Waters heard me, and now it is laughing. It is great
enough to understand and appreciate the feelings of both of us. Don't
you hear the note of revelling now?... Why!... it's all revelling. The
waters are shrieking with joy. They've come tearing down the Zambesi
valley for the rapture of plunging over the precipice, and now they
are just beside themselves with the excitement and delight of it.
O!... they heard me say I don't care about my fellow-creatures, that
they are just a nuisance, and they're shouting to me, 'Neither do we
... neither do we!... Silly, wide-eyed, open-mouthed humans come and
stare at us, and try to describe us, saying we are lovely and
wonderful and pretty and such-like, and we just roar at them and their
puniness and take our glorious plunge.' That is what the waters are
saying to me now, Meryl. I feel as if I simply must plunge with them.
Take me away. I can't bear any more to-day." And they went silently
back through the lovely plantations to the hotel.

But in the evening, in the moonlight, her mood changed again.

"I feel a little like you to-night, Meryl. The big things do matter,
of course. If I'm such a silly little goat I can't do anything big
myself, I guess I'll help you whenever it's possible. And, of course,
even humans matter a little, though I do like dogs and horses so much
better; but there's something so calm and big and strong about the
waters to-night, they are telling me all the time that the big things
matter. O, Meryl, it's so lovely--so lovely--it hurts dreadfully...."

And after a pause: "If it hadn't been for you I should never have
taken the trouble to come and see it. I won't grouse at the dust any
more."

And later: "I'm glad there's no sign of a human habitation at hand,
and that the wilderness is all round. They had to be splendidly
isolated--magnificently alone--the god who did it understood that. One
can think of the wide reaches of Africa afterwards, and the gem, like
a priceless jewel, set in them. Deep silence, wide horizons, untrodden
country on every hand, and this in the midst like a treasure