, too, of the time
preceding; when he had been happy, contented here in his quiet way,
because then unconscious that he was already on the road to financial
ruin--of her father's arrival two years ago, when he had bought the
neighbouring stock farm upon which they now dwelt, and had prospered
exceedingly; but, more alluring topic still, of her own arrival home a
year later than that.

"And you have never quite forgiven me for admitting that I was
prepared--well--not to like you?" he said, when they had reached this
point.

"Forgiven you, darling? Why--is not the result a very triumph to me? I
knew that it was the moment we first looked at each other."

"Did you? From your side I was not so confident then. But I see you
now as you first came into the room--that bright, laughing glance
meeting mine, without an atom of _gene_ or self-consciousness. And
then--later. We did not have to _say_ much:--we knew that we belonged
to each other. Didn't we?"

"We did. We did indeed. Sweetheart, will you be very angry with me if
I say something that has been on my mind?"

"How can you use that word as between you and me?"

"Well, then--" she went on, strangely hesitatingly for her. "Even if
you had to part with Seven Kloofs, and there's no doubt, I'm afraid,
that it'll be no good for years--you might get a place you liked just as
well I have a little of my own, remember--not much, but all my own--and
that, with what you would save from the wreck, would surely be enough
to--to set us up again."

She spoke quickly, hurriedly, deprecatingly, as she noted the grave,
disapproving look which deepened upon his face in the brilliant
moonlight.

"No--no. Lalante, love, never that. No. Once you hinted that way
before--but--no, that could not be."

"Now you hurt me."

"Hurt you--hurt _you_? Child, if you only knew how I am adoring you at
this moment, if possible--I say _if_ possible--more than ever I have
done before. Hurt you? _You_?"

"Now, forgive me. It is I who am hurting you." And her voice quivered
in its tenderness of passion as she reached out her hand to him--they
were walking their horses now. "But I thought if two people belonged to
each other they had everything in common."

"Not at this stage, I'm afraid," he said, with a smile that was meant to
be reassuring, but was only sad. "You know I have a certain code of my
own."

"It would be a cruel one if it was not yours," she answered. But there