e a
chair. We sat opposite each other, the President in the middle. I
spoke slowly, Mr. Grobler interpreting. This was hardly necessary,
President Kruger answering much that I said before it was interpreted.
I could understand him perfectly from my familiarity with German and
especially _Platt-Deutsch_.

I explained that I had not come to talk politics. 'No, no politics,'
interrupted the President in a thick loud voice. Nor had I come to ask
favour for my husband, as I felt assured that the honesty of his
motives would speak for themselves at the day of his trial; but I
_had_ come as a woman and daughter of a Republic to ask him to
continue the clemency which he had thus far shown, and to thank Mrs.
Kruger for the tears which she had shed when Johannesburg was in
peril.

President Kruger relaxed a little. 'That is true, she did weep.' He
fixed me with his shrewd glance. 'Where were you?' he asked abruptly.

'I was in Johannesburg with my husband.'

'Were you not afraid?'

'Yes, those days have robbed me of my youth.'

'What did you think I was going to do?'

'I hoped that you would come to an understanding with the Reformers.'

His face darkened.

'I was disappointed that the Americans went against me,' he said.

Mr. Sammy Marx rose and left the room. I was seized with one of those
sudden and unaccountable panics, and from sheer embarrassment--my mood
was far too tragic to admit of flippancy--blurted out, 'You must come
to America, Mr. President, as soon as all this trouble is settled, and
see how _we_ manage matters.'

Kruger's face lighted up with interest. 'I am too old to go so far.'

'No man is older than his brain, Mr. President'; and Kruger, who knew
that in all the trouble he had shown the mental vigour of a man in his
prime, accepted my praise with a hearty laugh. This was joined in by
the Boers from the other end of the room.

Mrs. Kruger refused to see me, and I liked her none the less for her
honest prejudice. I stood to go. President Kruger rose, removed the
pipe from between his teeth, and, coughing violently, gave me his
hand.

Mr. Grobler escorted me to the gate. 'Mrs. Hammond, I shall be glad to
serve you in any way possible to me,' he said with courtesy.

'Then will you say to Mrs. Kruger that I am praying to the same God
that peace may come?'

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3.--The preliminary trial of the Reform Committee
prisoners was called this morning. The hearing was in the second
Raadza