_ that it's high time you were in bed, George,"
returned Beryl, equable and smiling. "So off you go there now, and
sharp."

Her word was law in matters of this kind, admitting of no appeal, so
Master George slouched off accordingly, making a virtue of necessity by
declaring he was beastly tired, and further had only stopped up to help
amuse us; which final speech certainly carried that effect.

Beryl remained talking with us a little while longer, then she, too,
went inside.

"What on earth I should do without my girl, Kenrick, I don't know,"
thereafter said her father. "Yet I suppose I shall have to some day."

"Will you?" I said vacuously, for the words raised an uncomfortable
twinge.

"Why, yes, I suppose so, in the ordinary way of things."

"Oh! um--yes, ah! I suppose so," I echoed idiotically, feeling devoutly
thankful that the gloom of night concealed a stupid reddening which I
could feel spreading over my asinine countenance, and wondering if the
other detected the inconsequent inanity of the rejoinder begotten of an
_arriere-pensee_. But I realised keenly the only side of the situation
that would reconcile me to Beryl's father having to do without her.

I had now had time to straighten out my affairs in England; and arrange
for having my capital transferred to this country, though this could not
be done yet, by reason of its investment requiring notice of withdrawal.
I had caused such of my personal belongings as I needed--and such were
not extensive--to be shipped out to me, also some money which I could
touch, and this I promptly invested in live stock, under the advice of
my most competent of instructors. So by now I reckoned myself fairly
and squarely launched. By the way, the man whose boat had constituted
the first step in my change of fortunes, having found out my identity,
had put in a claim for compensation, but had been directed to wait. Now
he too was paid in full, and so everybody was satisfied.

We were nearing midsummer, i.e. Christmas and the New Year, but the
intensifying heat notwithstanding, the face of the veldt was smiling and
green, for we had had a series of splendid rains. Such a season, it was
pronounced, had not been known for years. Stock was fat and thriving,
and there was little or no disease. Even our turbulent neighbours had
quieted down, and were busy ploughing and sowing, with the result that
there was an abnormal but welcome lull in cattle lifting and other
ma