The Story of an African Farm

morn

d ridden home whistling he had shunned her. She might wish to enter into explanations, and he, Gregory Rose, was not the man for that kind of thing. If a woman had once thrown him ov

ll I go," he said; and Em thanked him so humbly that he wished she

doorway switching his whip, and moving r

wkwardly walked off. He might have found water in the kitchen, but he never glanced toward the buckets. In the front room a monkey and two tumblers stood on the centre-table; but he merely looked round, peeped into the parlour, looked round again, and then walked out

" sai

n aimless sort of way-"I suppose she'

" sa

I expect? Nice mo

N

the ostriches

e Em added, "I saw her go b

ed and uncros

ut," he said, "and see how things are getting o

lked to the pigsty first, and contemplated the pigs for a few seconds; then turned round, and stood looking fixedly at the wall of the fuel-house as though he thought it wanted

to the corner and

ion of short, frantic barks told where Doss was engaged in howling imploringly to a lizard who had crept b

e bent over a volume of plays upon her knee. As Gregory mounted th

aid Gregory as he reached her side

ou may

I startl

an it generally is. I thought

asked Gregory, seating him

ly man who would find anything

," said

any other; but no old Boer was likely to take the t

d the study

last, "I don't know why i

ation yesterday," she

"I've heard you when I came in, and then you've just left off. You treated me like that from the first day; and you couldn't tell from just looking at me

you will enlighten me I am quite prepared to

," said Gregory, in a more sorely aggrieve

s leather bag he is going to fetch his rations, and I suppose to kick his wife with his beautiful legs when he gets home. He has a right to; he bought her for two oxen. There is a lean dog going after him, to whom I suppose he never

regory, looking doubtfully from her to

stive. Will his race melt away in the heat of a collision with a higher? Are the men of the future to see his bones only in museums-a vest

they appeared to be of the nature of a joke; but, being seriously spoken, th

ther things-love, now," he added. "I wonder if we would think alike about that. I wrote an essay on love once; the master sa

nt remark. Can't yo

"I've forgotten the rest. But tel

action, half amusemen

g, and it spread its seed over the whole earth, and its name is love. I do not know which is right-perhaps both. There are different species that go under the same name. There is a love that begins in the head, and goes down to the heart, and grows slowly; but it lasts till death, and asks less than it gives. There is another love, that blots out wisdom, that is sweet with

de a remark; but she

red mountain-lilies that pour their voluptuous sweetness out for one day, and lie in the dust at night. There is no flower has the charm of all-the speed

sunlight falls on a torpid winter world; there, where the trees are bare, and the ground frozen, till it ring

lift two tiny, trembling green hands in love to him. And he touches the water, till down to its depths it feels him and melts, and it flows, and the things, strange sweet things that were locked up in it, it sings as it runs, for love of him. Each plant tries to bear at least one fragrant little flow

have already thought. We have the same

g with her little toe at a s

y. He knew he had learnt many about love; but the only thing that would come into his mind now was the "Battle

the stone Lyndall's foot had loosened, which, rolling against his little front paw, carried away a piece of white-skin. Doss stood on thre

t that dog,"

y, and re-opened the book, as thou

k would be endorsed. "He snapped at my horse's tail yesterday, and nearly made it throw me. I

d in her play; but he

in the world-that German. I mean-money enough to support a wife

ut softly with her left hand

t to see him the possessor of bank-shares, the chairman of a divisional council, and the father of a large family;

ything of him either,"

arve a statue that one might look at for half an hour without wanting to look at something else, I should not be surprised.

t she said was not wh

sort of way, muttering to himself like an old Kaffer witchdoctor! He works hard enough, but it's always as tho

le sore foot as she read, and Doss,

sisted Gregory, "what do

hich grows up very quietly, without any one's caring for

nk I am like?" asked

oked up fr

hat comes after a piece of bread stuck on a needle, an

eally are!" said Gregory feeling wretche

ways diverting to

o anything nice, and you do othe

's lives, and is always number two; but I think she is like many ac

u are!" said Gregory, with a b

r has more goodness in it than my whole body. I hope

he said, the blood rush

; angels are o

me. I know you could never like me; but, if I might but always be near you to serve you, I would be utterly, utterly happy.

t him for a

you could not do something to serve me?

turned his bur

el; you are ridic

e willing to give me your name within three weeks' time, I am willing to marry you, i

hat moved in the eyes above! He could not tell;

sm

ly mean it?"

use I love him; and I allow him to. Where I do not love I do not allow it. I believe you love me; I too could love so, that to lie under the foot of the thing I loved would be

kopje. At the bot

ke my arm? the pa

er fingers l

r words: You will give everything, and expect nothing. The knowledge that you are serving me is to be your reward; and you will have that. You wi

be of some use t

round the foot of the kopje and past the Kaffer huts. An old Kaffer maid knelt at the door of one grinding mealies. That she shou

window and saw them coming. She cried bi

er candle out, and half turned round to

u, Lyndall," she said, coming t

were asleep," L

dream," she said, holding the other's hands, "and

white, and its little eyes were shut, and its little face was like wax. I thought it was a doll, and I ran forward to take it; but some on

ose down to my ear and whisp

is only a little girl! Where is she?' And I

re you were, and they looked down at their black clothes, and shook their h

little girls and used to play together, when I loved you better than anything else in the world. It isn't any one

. "It is nice to be loved, but

Long after Lyndall lay in the dark thinking, thinking, thin

r in their sleeping