Part 9 (1/2)

”I think you are tired of it,” she flashed. ”I suppose you have a lot of black wives over yonder, like that disgusting old Pemberton and Young. That's why you're so fond of going into the Matabele country, and leaving me all alone for weeks.”

”Apparently you know more about Pemberton's and Young's conjugal arrangements than I do, but let me a.s.sure you you're utterly wrong in your estimate of mine.”

”I don't believe it. You are all of you alike, once you take to going among those beastly natives.”

”You don't believe it? That I can't help, so there it stays. And now I've lazed long enough, I must rustle about and see to things.”

Left there, Hermia watched his tall form, like a pillar of white, wending up the low kopje at the back of the stockade. He had become very reserved, very self-contained and inscrutable of late; so much so indeed, that it was almost impossible to gauge how much he knew or suspected. Now she felt uneasy, uncomfortable with a dim consciousness of having come off second best in the recent cut and thrust. Well, perhaps he was right. She was tired of the existing state of affairs-- perhaps a trifle tired of him.

And he? The kopje up which he had taken his way, ascended by an easy acclivity to a point which commanded an immense view to the south and westward. Range upon range of rolling slope and wooded ridge lay there outspread--vast and scarcely inhabited country, a land given over to wild game and a few shrinking, starving remnants of tribes living in daily fear of the sweep of the terrible Matabele besom. The evening was still, and golden, and beautiful, and, seated under a mahobo-hobo tree, Blachland lit his pipe, and began to think out the position.

So Hermia was tired of their life together! He had seen it coming on, and at first the knowledge had caused him some concern. He contrasted the lives of other pioneers, living all alone, or in native fas.h.i.+on, with two or three dusky-hued daughters of the land, in rough, uncivilised manner, growing more and more into the happy-go-lucky, soulless simplicity of life of the barbarous aborigines themselves,-- contrasted them with the life he himself led, its comfort, and refined companions.h.i.+p, and, until lately, love,--and, doing so, a qualm of regret tinged his mind. It was evanescent however. For he himself was growing tired of this mode of life. He had embarked on it when he and Hermia had reckoned the world well lost for each other's sake. Now, neither of them so reckoned any more; nay, further, to be perfectly candid with themselves, they wondered how they ever could have. Why not leave it then, move to some more cheerful and civilised quarter of the globe? To do so would be tantamount to leaving each other.

Hermia had taxed him with being jealous, and he had replied, and rightly, that he was past the capacity for any such foolishness. But he had no intention of remaining her dupe. That he had ample cause for jealousy in the matter just under discussion, he was well aware; but that was nothing to what he would meet with should they return to civilisation together. She could no more cleave to one, and one only, than she could fly over the moon. They had better part.

Over the vast roll of country beneath, stretching away into misty dimness, his glance swept. How would he take to civilisation again?

The old restlessness would come upon him. The wandering up-country life had got into his system. The other kind, too, was not so very great as to lure him back to it either. He supposed he had made a mess of things. Well, most people did one way and another, and it couldn't be helped.

Up the slope, through the spa.r.s.e bushes, a herd of cattle was threading--his cattle; and in the tall dark form of their driver he recognised Hlangulu, the Matabele. Mechanically, however, he took in this while his thoughts reverted to their former train. Would they miss each other? he wondered; or, rather, would he miss Hermia? That she would hardly waste a regret on him he knew, for he had long since discovered the shallow emptiness of her nature, and that what he had at one time taken for depth was the mere frenzied abandonment of a pa.s.sing pa.s.sion, wholly unrestrained and absorbing for the time being; but now, and indeed long since, burnt out. Turning, he looked back on the group of primitive buildings within the protecting stockade, his home. A stillness and peace seemed to brood over it in the evening light. He could make out Hermia's form crossing a section of the enclosure. He thought of the years they had been together. Had those years been happy? Well, hardly. Disillusionment had not been long in coming, and with its growth their brief and spurious happiness had faded. They did not quarrel, but it was a case of mutual toleration. And now, at last, he had returned one fine day to recognise that his place was filled by another. Decidedly the time had come for them to part.

”_Nkose_!”

Blachland looked up. His meditations must have run on, for the utterer of this sonorous salutation was he who, but a moment ago it seemed, was right away down there driving the cattle, yet he had had time to take them borne and return here himself.

”What is it, Hlangulu?”

The man dropped down into a squatting att.i.tude, and began to talk.

Blachland, who understood natives, let him run on about nothing in particular--the state of the country, the new settlements of the pioneers, the King, the decreasing of the game, and so forth,--for he knew something was coming. Presently it came.

”_Nkose_ is even as Umlimo. The dark mysteries of the Great bold no terrors for him?”

”Not any,” was the laconic reply.

”Yet it is certain death to look into such.”

”Death is certain, but the time of death, never. I have looked at 'certain death' before, yet here I am.”

”_Au_, _Nkose_! What you desire is not possible, save by one way.”

”And that way?”

”Is known to me alone.”

”And you are going to make it known to me. Now, Hlangulu, men are men, and men have motives. Why are you going to do this?”

”What is that which is most desired by all white men, _Nkose_?”

”Gold.”