The Transvaal from Within: A Private Record of Public Affairs

was a nice day for travelling. She had been intending to say something grateful on greeting him, but his manner did not invite it, so she tried to throw her thanks into a loo

f the luggage? Fortunately the luggage was not heavy, her own being by far t

much-she spoke very diffidently, in fact; the consciousness that she was being paid to talk and be entertaining weighted her tongue. She was reli

, oppressed by packages and baskets, entered; and, as the new-comer belonged to the category of persons who regard a railway journey as

bell tolled softly across the meadows, and somebody standing near her said he supposed "that was for five o'clock service." To have exchanged the jostle of London for a place where people had time to remember service on a week-day, to be able to catch the chirp of the bi

o landlady to chatter of the doings of last week's company; no stroll after tea with Tony just to see where the theatre was. How funny! She said "how funny!" but presently she meant "how painful!" And then it came upon her as a shock that the old life was going on still without her. Photographs were still being

over to the flower-

Perhaps you would like to go

I'm afraid I feel a trifle

keepers' advertisements. The sudden sight of theatrical printing was like a welcome to her

after a pause; "I'm sure I can understand yo

le, just that! I mean, I don't know what I ought to do, and I'm afra

f you talk when you like, and keep quiet when you like. You see, it is literally a companion I want, not somebody to ring the bell for me, and order

nually conscious that she must never be out of temper, and was frequently obliged to read aloud when she would rather have sat in reverie, she was practically her own mistress. Even, as the days went by s

not a popular watering-place; and in the summer Mary discovered that the population of fifty thousand was not very greatly increased. From Laburnum Lodge it took nearly twenty minutes to reach the shore, and a hill had to be climbed. At the top of the incline the better-

, and at first she absented herself on these occasions. But Mrs. Kincaid comment

quired one afternoon if she would mind choosing a novel at the circulating library for her she went fort

ucks came to an end and a patch of green began. She doubted whether the company would be touring so long, but the paper would tell her something of his doings anyhow. She ran her eye eagerly down the titles headed "On the Road." No, The Foibles evidently was not out now. Had the tour broken up for good, she wondered, or was there merely a vacation? She could

ve half a crown's worth 'to create'!" He had been lying on the sofa-how it a

EATON

ST

f Miss Olive Westla

mpanies

, but the paragraphs swam together, and it was several minutes before she could find it. Yes, here it was: "The Foibles of Fashion and Répertoire, opening August 4th." Camille, eh? She laughed bitterly. He was going to play Armand; he had

her. She gripped the bar with both hands, her breast heaved tumultuously; it seemed to her that her punishment was more than she had power to bear. Wasn't his sin worse than her own? she questioned; yet what price would he ever be called upon to pay for it? At most, perhaps, occasional discontent! Nobody would-blame

aid on his way to the Lodge. He was rather glad of the meeting, the man to whom women had been

his that had so few inflexions; "wh

Kincaid," she answered. "She was

e you getting on? Still satisfied with W

a great change from my life three months ago; I

good thing; my mother was saying the

I have wanted to k

er so content for a long while. You do

m quite well, thank you; I have a h

again. How horrible if chance brought him to the theatre

day herself? She ought to make

; I think she likes that

ot that company, among the many companies that came

was a garden you expected to see apple

t a bad little garden. We

e suddenly round a corner. And "Miss Westland" would look contemptuous,

old lady? a good deal if she

outside would be nicer. I daresay I'm better than

find to say of yoursel

are always laughing. We sit and read, or d

ivilege, you know, to bore everybody ab

resting to hear of a man's work in a profe

u the on

ught a lot through that. The practice wasn't very good-very remunerative, that's to say-an

d had a br

pose he'd have been of any monetary assistance; there wouldn't have been anything

e right kind of man

e. A brother must be such a help; a boy get

y good thing

ucation, doc

en are no more fit to be mothers than--And one comes across old

n lay soft and yellow in the restfulness of sunset. A certain liquidity was assumed by the rugged street in the haze that hung over it; a touch of transparence gilded its flights of steps, the tiles of the house-tops, and the homely faces of the fisher-folk where they loit

think--" sa

s behind him. He talked to her, and she a