Part 21 (2/2)

”Certainly,” acquiesced Denha, with ready tact, that she did not wish to pursue the subject And he was right Even as in theupon anything that would tend to set her forth in his eyes as a strong, self-reliant Amazon type of woman; irls, Mr Denha, breezy naturalness which had so struck him ”If I were musical, for instance, and all that, I could play to you of an evening

I's so slow”

”I've only had one evening here, and I didn't find that a bit slow,” he answered ”Incidentally, the other evenings we have spent together have been anything but slow”

”Together!” There was so in the word, and the way in which he said it, that struck curiously upon her ears

”I'lad of that,” she answered ”One always thinks that anybody out froland, accustomed to the livelier sides of life, must become hideously bored in an out-of-the-ilderness such as this really is”

”It's a very beautiful wilderness, anyway,” he said, looking out over the great panora over fifty ht ”But that's where you make the mistake The very contrast is so infinitely restful Not only restful, but invigorating Slow! Think, for instance, of all the vividly interesting stories and reour journey here Why, they loith life--and such life! The life which puts those 'livelier sides of life'

you were just quoting into a dull, drab groove of htest possibility of a chance ofbored”

There was a vehemence, an intensity, about this deliverance that rather astonished Verna This , or at least not quite right, when she had just sized him up as an even, prosperouscould ruffle, a charreat enthusiasan to realise that she had not seen every side of him, and the discovery in no way diminished her interest in him

”Well, that rather relieves me, from the responsibility point of view, at any rate,” she answered, flashi+ng up at hith of it, I'll get you to excuse me There's a lot to do inside But we'll have such a jolly tiht nod she left him

Denham lit a fresh pipe, and strolled out a little way fro had been withdrawn He racious companionshi+p To the full consciousness of this he aith a start He was too old and experienced to do anything thataround” her, wherefore he took a walk

But as he looked out upon the panoralow of the a to interest his naturalist soul, in the bushes or grass, he was still thinking--well, he had better not think Yet, why should he not? The question pressed itself practically home to him He was his own master, and in every way in a position to please himself Why should he not do so?

What a rare ”find” this was! he told hi on Verna And if he ed to withdraw for an hour or so, what did it h his ht” And this was the first day of his arrival No, assuredly it was tihtly uttered words of parting, ”We'll have such a jolly time of it this afternoon” Well, it should be no fault of his if they did not

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

DRAWING IN

”Mr Denharaot up for the ride ”Instead of going doe'll go up, if you don't mind Do you?”

”Why, of course not I a, saddled, the boy walking them up and down

Verna was in a sort of khaki-coloured riding habit, with a hat to match

In it was a subtle combination of the fashi+onable and civilised build with the congruous costuether charet a beautiful view; and the road is delightful If you feel like getting off to look for a specimen, do so at any time Noill you put me into that saddle?”

The smile she beamed at him recalled him to himself The naked truth of it was that Denham had about shed himself, as a snake sheds its skin

He was a hard-headed man of the world--a keen, successful financier, yet by noas di that he scarcely knew hialore; yet it seemed to be reserved for him that he should meet, in the wilds of Zululand--and the wilds of Zululand can be very wild indeed, even up to date--an experience utterly outside of all that had gone before

”Thanks,” she said, gathering up her reins ”Noe o exactly where we like, and do exactly e like We are going to make an easy afternoon of it”

”Certainly,” he answered ”I a taken so much care of”