in a man of his
hard and calculating nature, he poured forth a torrent of adjurations to
her to pull herself together, and muster up all her courage and listen
to what there was to tell; and at length he prevailed.

"Let me hear all," she said, in a dull voice, sitting back in a low cane
chair on the stoep, one in which _he_ had often sat. "No. I don't want
anything," as her father besought her to let him fetch something in the
shape of a restorative. "It's deeper than that. Only, my heart is
broken at this moment. Well, tell me everything."

Le Sage was gulping with his own voice--in fact, could not command it.

"Tell me. Tell me," she went on. "How much longer am I to wait?"

"It's this way, Miss Lalante," struck in Warren, who having pulled
himself together, now judged it high time to come to the rescue. "There
was a scrimmage up there between the King's party--the Usutus--those who
favour Cetywayo's restoration, you know--and the other faction--those
who don't. Somehow Wyvern and his friend--Fleetwood the other man's
name was--got between the two and were--killed. I have it from an
eye-witness, another up-country trader, who, however, managed to
escape."

"Who is he?"

"A man named Bexley--Jim Bexley. He's a rough customer but a reliable
one. I'm afraid, in this case, too reliable."

"And he saw it done?"

Warren nodded.

"Could I see him?"

"Certainly. But--had you better? It will take a few days to get hold
of him, but it shall be done if it would give you the smallest atom of
comfort, as indeed what should not?"

"Did he see them killed?"

Again Warren nodded.

"Then how did he escape himself?"

There was an uncomfortable directness about this cross-examination which
Warren didn't like and hadn't bargained for. He was a believer in
woman's instinct, and to that extent began to feel uneasy. What if
Rawson had been lying to him after all? But he answered:

"Just then the Usutus were attacked by the rival faction and in the
confusion Bexley escaped. You see, he is an experienced Zulu trader,
and knew a lot of them. Some of them would be sure to favour him. I
received the news much earlier, but in order not to prematurely alarm
you, I sent for the man himself so as to hear the story direct."

What was this? No word of thanks, of appreciation such as he had
expected, passed Lalante's lips. Her eyes were fixed on his with a
hard, unflinching and, as he thought, distrustful gaz