Poppy

h the open French windows a number of large woolly moths were buzzing in and out, much intrigued by the light that shone through a pink silk lamp-shade, which had been made and presented to the es

ntly, removing the dinner-things deftly without clamour, making no sound but the

the boys solemnly spread down its centre a strip of silver embroidery, while another placed two silver bowls of roses at each end, and remov

rom a Kaffir's skin. They disported themselves amongst the pot-washers and dish cleaners, the cooks and stable-boys, with many a merry snicker and laugh, chattering like magpies, clicking and cla

uld sleep here in the house of the Old Baas, as he had now done for many nights, but where did

t the house of Por-tal-he who was gay always with an angry f

rookfield-who had slept in the house of Umkoomata for the matter of six weeks now? Where

ich might have been gathered that her chief characteristics were a kanga

e the deck of a yacht, broad and white-planked, and lined with a long row of eve

squitoes, sending them in shrieking swarms to roost in the roof. Incidentally, he was trying to persuad

oose end?" He gave a glance at Bramham seated by him, pipe in mouth, hands in pockets, the p

began to think himse

" He stared at the moonlit night, his eyes full of a wistfulness that was extraordinarily boyish in a man on the wrong side of forty. He thought of a

" His face changed, the boyishness passed and the business-man reappeared.

for a moment or so, t

lly couldn't get away at present, Carson. Why not take a run up to the Rand? By the tim

g is confoundedly dull on the Rand. I was si

wrong

e comes out-she is on the water! The Dales are away. Bill Godley is up Inyanga way. McLeod's finances are in bits, and he's too busy keeping a stiff lip to be sociable. Clewer is now Public Prosecutor and has b

isgusting!" com

erves, Bram. It's too high. Lord knows, I don't feel any t

I hope you're not in for another, Karri!" he said. "By Jove! When South African

discontent and cynicism that lay across the beauty of the fine face beside him. Carson wore in his eyes the look, and round the mouth the marks, of one who has "wearied of every templ

the first, maybe it wouldn't be there at all! And you can't comfort a man for his soul's bitterness, as though he has the stomac

med to him finer than that of any man he had ever known-and he knew most men of any consequen

some woman,

did turn his mind

dvice about so

am; let's hear

reasons of his own, b

e an ass

You know quite well you are

ried up Bramh

ocked hi

'deadly doing' down,

dear fellow. Or give it to Abinger

of much use to him. He scarcely does much '

his case!" said Bramham grimly. "Where the

n shr

He could give us some vivid inside inform

le in silence. La

nced! And, I suppose, if she had studied her man for a hundred years, instead of three months, she could not have got in a subtler revenge on Abinger-laying w

evil. That was the point

r who the other w

that the whole Rand was nose to trail. But the fact was, I suppose,

from behind a curtain in Abinger's room and slashed his face open before the other

inger and get to the bottom of the mystery. There is no doubt that if he hadn't disappeared so neatly afterwards the police would have fou

as what Carmen

the subject dropped. When he came bac

aggrievedly; "especially the adventuress brand. I didn't think

ght before him with

okfield's typewri

eyebrows moved, b

m cont

ure and a high colour-but wha

ironical echo fro

ritated

you'll be disappointed. Nothing of the sort. It'

egan to

am! This is n

bout it afterwards, or sigh over the stub-end of his cheque-book even with his closest friend. At t

ted, as one who wishes to be quite fair and square; "and sh

n gri

te sure the other

of War! Are

quite different-English, I think; anyway, she's no Colonial. I don't know what to make of it, to tell

is unlovely?" asked Ca

d alive-looking-not like some of the dead ducks you see around these parts sometimes-then suddenly right under my eyes

hing tale of highway robb

ext?" a

wl of his pipe agai

med. After a pause he added: "I wish you

; his face grew

sted in girls, Bram; I'm afra

ut he didn't. He got up and leaned again

on, Karri. What with that girl with the sai

oes Brookfie

his mind as to whether he should tell that part of the story at all. Ev

t bread-and-butter to her, etc. Of course, I said 'Right!' But when it came to finding the work for her ... well, Milligan, my head man, put it to me that it meant taking away the typewriting from our own man, who can't do anything else, and has a wife and family ... and when I tho

business it was

e has the shifty eye of Miss Sophie Cornell. All the same, I didn't contempl

red what?"

uld for the other half. I wasn't prepared to plank down one-fifty by any means, but the Cornell girl got hold of me and pitched me a long story about her friend, an English girl, who had got left in Kimberley by some people she was governessing for ... also, she was so full of gratitude about all our plans for them, that before I knew where I was I had promised. Well, Brookie asked me to arrange the thing quietly and take the house over from the Lumsdens in my name, as he didn't want to appear in the matter, b

tle blac

or would, turn those two poor girls out now they're so happy! So, of course, I've just got to tip up the rest of the money and look pleasant ... and, after all, you know, Karri, why should I?... They

you've been rooked. I never heard of suc

s wife was coming back unexpectedl

nt kinds of fool, Bram, if yo

me," grumbled Bramham, and

irl's not too cl

Bramham's face, mingled with irri

d her out of a hole, and there the matter ends. I don't really regret the money-because of that other girl-but as you k

pay? I should

women would have had to get out.

as well that Mrs. Brookfield has come back. I wouldn't live in the house with B

I've really no right to have told you; but you understand that I've been a good deal annoyed, and it's been a relief to speak of it. Of course, if Brookie had been here I should have gone into

ig

off along the shining sands silvered by the light

came no more to Sea House. But he hail

say to a dr

a drink," said

y n

not. I don't wan

ere! Now, damn

as easily infur

sion Carson

t like you-if y

ame calm; he prepared

like you and Charlie Bramham better than anyone in this rotten c

ot up, and walke