her hand, and offered coffee and a seat on the
sofa. Leaving him there, the German hurried away to see how the little
plum-pudding he had left at home was advancing; and Tant Sannie remarked
that it was a hot day. Bonaparte gathered her meaning as she fanned
herself with the end of her apron. He bowed low in acquiescence. A long
silence followed. Tant Sannie spoke again. Bonaparte gave her no ear;
his eye was fixed on a small miniature on the opposite wall, which
represented Tant Sannie as she had appeared on the day before her
confirmation, fifteen years before, attired in green muslin. Suddenly he
started to his feet, walked up to the picture, and took his stand before
it. Long and wistfully he gazed into its features; it was easy to see
that he was deeply moved. With a sudden movement, as though no longer
able to restrain himself, he seized the picture, loosened it from
its nail, and held it close to his eyes. At length, turning to the
Boer-woman, he said, in a voice of deep emotion:

"You will, I trust, dear madam, excuse this exhibition of my feelings;
but this--this little picture recalls to me my first and best beloved,
my dear departed wife, who is now a saint in heaven."

Tant Sannie could not understand; but the Hottentot maid, who had taken
her seat on the floor beside her mistress, translated the English into
Dutch as far as she was able.

"Ah, my first, my beloved!" he added, looking tenderly down at the
picture. "Oh, the beloved, the beautiful lineaments! My angel wife! This
is surely a sister of yours, madame?" he added, fixing his eyes on Tant
Sannie.

The Dutchwoman blushed, shook her head, and pointed to herself.

Carefully, intently, Bonaparte looked from the picture in his hand to
Tant Sannie's features, and from the features back to the picture. Then
slowly a light broke over his countenance, he looked up, it became
a smile; he looked back at the miniature, his whole countenance was
effulgent.

"Ah, yes; I see it now," he cried, turning his delighted gaze on the
Boer-woman; "eyes, mouth, nose, chin, the very expression!" he cried.
"How is it possible I did not notice it before?"

"Take another cup of coffee," said Tant Sannie. "Put some sugar in."

Bonaparte hung the picture tenderly up, and was turning to take the cup
from her hand, when the German appeared, to say that the pudding was
ready and the meat on the table.

"He's a God-fearing man, and one who knows how to behave himself," sai