s he hesitated. Should he throw up the whole affair,
leave the rebellion to look after itself, marry one of Hans Coetzee's
daughters, and trek to the old colony, or Bechuanaland, or anywhere? His
hand began to tighten on his bridle-rein and the horse to answer to the
pressure. As a first step towards it he would turn away to the left and
avoid her, when suddenly the thought of his successful rival flashed
into his mind. What, leave her with that man? Never! He had rather kill
her with his own hand. In another second he had sprung from his horse,
and, before she guessed who it was, he was standing face to face with
her. The strength of his jealous desire overpowered him.

"Ah, I thought he had come after missie," said Jantje, who, pursuing his
former tactics, was once more indulging his passion for slinking about
behind trees and in tufts of grass. "Now what will missie say?"

"How are you, Bessie?" said Muller in a quiet voice, but she, looking
into his face, saw that it belied the voice. It was alive with evil
passions that seemed to make it positively lurid, an effect that its
undoubted beauty only intensified.

"I am quite well, thank you, Mr. Muller," she answered as she began to
move homewards, commanding her voice as well as she could, but feeling
dreadfully frightened and lonely. She knew something of her admirer's
character, and feared to be left alone with him so far from any help,
for nobody was about now, and they were more than three hundred yards
from the house.

He stood before her so that she could not pass without actually pushing
by him. "Why are you in such a hurry?" he said. "You were standing still
enough just now."

"It is time for me to be going in. I want to see about the supper."

"The supper can wait awhile, Bessie, and I cannot wait. I am starting
for Paarde Kraal to-morrow at day-break, and I want to say good-bye to
you first."

"Good-bye," she said, more frightened than ever at his curious
constrained manner, and she held out her hand.

He took it and retained it.

"Please let me go," she said.

"Not till you have heard what I have to say. Look here, Bessie, I love
you with all my heart. I know you think I am only a Boer, but I am more
than that. I have been to the Cape and seen the world. I have brains,
and can see and understand things, and if you will marry me I will lift
you up. You shall be one of the first ladies in Africa, though I am only
plain Frank Muller now. Great thin