Now　unable　to　control　myself　any　longer　I　broke　in：
  〃But　I　have；　mynheer。　　To　separate　Marie　and　myself　is　a　sin；　and　one
  that　will　break　her　heart。　　As　for　my　poverty；　I　have　something；　more
  perhaps　than　you　think；　and　in　this　rich　country　wealth　can　be　earned　by
  those　who　work；　as　I　would　do　for　her　sake。　　The　man　to　whom　you　would
  give　her　showed　his　true　nature　this　day；　for　he　who　can　play　so　low　a
  trick　to　win　a　wager；　will　play　worse　tricks　to　win　greater　things。
  Moreover；　the　scheme　must　fail　since　Marie　will　not　marry　him。〃
  〃I　say　she　shall；〃　replied　Marais；　〃and　that　whether　she　does　or　not；
  she　shall　accompany　me　and　not　stay　here　to　be　the　wife　of　an　English
  boy。〃
  〃Accompany　you　I　will；　father；　and　share　your　fortunes　to　the　last。　　But
  marry　Hernando　Pereira　I　will　not；〃　said　Marie　quietly。
  〃Perhaps；　mynheer；〃　I　added；　〃days　may　come　when　once　again　you　will　be
  glad　of　the　help　of　an　'English　boy。'〃
  The　words　were　spoken　at　random；　a　kind　of　ejaculation　from　the　heart；
  caused　by　the　sting　of　Marais's　cruelty　and　insults；　like　the　cry　of　a
  beast　beneath　a　blow。　　Little　did　I　know　how　true　they　would　prove；　but
  at　times　it　is　thus　that　truth　is　mysteriously　drawn　from　some　well　of
  secret　knowledge　hidden　in　our　souls。
  〃When　I　want　your　help　I　will　ask　for　it；〃　raved　Marais；　who；　knowing
  himself　to　be　in　the　wrong；　strove　to　cover　up　that　wrong　with　violence。
  〃Asked　or　unasked；　if　I　live　it　shall　be　given　in　the　future　as　in　the
  past；　Mynheer　Marais。　　God　pardon　you　for　the　woe　you　are　bringing　on
  Marie　and　on　me。〃
  Now　Marie　began　to　weep　a　little；　and；　unable　to　bear　that　sight；　I
  covered　my　eyes　with　my　hand。　　Marais；　who；　when　he　was　not　under　the
  influence　of　his　prejudices　or　passion；　had　a　kind　heart；　was　moved
  also；　but　tried　to　hide　his　feelings　in　roughness。　　He　swore　at　Marie；
  and　told　her　to　go　to　bed；　and　she　obeyed；　still　weeping。　　Then　my
  father　rose　and　said：
  〃Henri　Marais；　we　cannot　leave　here　to…night　because　the　horses　are
  kraaled；　and　it　would　be　difficult　to　find　them　in　this　darkness；　so　we
  must　ask　your　hospitality　till　dawn。〃
  〃_I_　do　not　ask　it；〃　I　exclaimed。　　〃I　go　to　sleep　in　the　cart；〃　and　I
  limped　from　the　room　and　the　house；　leaving　the　two　men　together。
  What　passed　afterwards　between　them　I　do　not　quite　know。　　I　gathered
  that　my　father；　who；　when　roused；　also　had　a　temper　and　was　mentally　and
  intellectually　the　stronger　man；　told　Marais　his　opinion　of　his
  wickedness　and　folly　in　language　that　he　was　not　likely　to　forget。　　I
  believe　he　even　drove　him　to　confess　that　his　acts　seemed　cruel；
  excusing　them；　however；　by　announcing　that　he　had　sworn　before　God　that
  his　daughter　should　never　marry　an　Englishman。　　Also　he　said　that　he　had
  promised　her　solemnly　to　Pereira；　his　own　nephew；　whom　he　loved；　and
  could　not　break　his　word。
  〃No；〃　answered　my　father；　〃because；　being　mad　with　the　madness　that　runs
  before　destruction；　you　prefer　to　break　Marie's　heart　and　perhaps　become
  guilty　of　her　blood。〃
  Then　he　left　him。
  The　darkness　was　intense。　　Through　it　I　groped　my　way　to　the　cart；　which
  stood　where　it　had　been　outspanned　on　the　veld　at　a　little　distance　from
  the　house；　wishing　heartily；　so　miserable　was　I；　that　the　Kaffirs　might
  choose　that　black　night　for　another　attack　and　make　an　end　of　me。
  When　I　reached　it　and　lit　the　lantern　which　we　always　carried；　I　was
  astonished　to　find　that；　in　a　rough　fashion；　it　had　been　made　ready　to
  sleep　in。　　The　seats　had　been　cleared　out；　the　hind　curtain　fastened；
  and　so　forth。　　Also　the　pole　was　propped　up　with　an　ox…yoke　so　as　to
  make　the　vehicle　level　to　lie　in。　　While　I　was　wondering　vaguely　who
  could　have　done　this；　Hans　climbed　on　to　the　step；　carrying　two　karosses
  which　he　had　borrowed　or　stolen；　and　asked　if　I　was　comfortable。
  〃Oh；　yes！〃　I　answered；　〃but　why　were　you　going　to　sleep　in　the　cart？〃
  〃Baas；〃　he　replied；　〃I　was　not；　I　prepared　it　for　you。　　How　did　I　know
  that　you　were　coming？　　Oh；　very　simply。　　I　sat　on　the　stoep　and　listened
  to　all　the　talk　in　the　sitkammer。　　The　window　has　never　been　mended；
  baas；　since　the　Quabies　broke　it。　　God　in　Heaven！　what　a　talk　that　was。
  I　never　knew　that　white　people　could　have　so　much　to　say　about　a　simple
  matter。　　You　want　to　marry　the　Baas　Marais's　daughter；　the　baas　wants
  her　to　marry　another　man　who　can　pay　more　cattle。　　Well；　among　us　it
  would　soon　have　been　settled；　for　the　father　would　have　taken　a　stick
  and　beaten　you　out　of　the　hut　with　the　thick　end。　　Then　he　would　have
  beaten　the　girl　with　the　thin　end　until　she　promised　to　take　the　other
  man；　and　all　would　have　been　settled　nicely。　　But　you　Whites；　you　talk
  and　talk；　and　nothing　is　settled。　　You　still　mean　to　marry　the　daughter；
  and　the　daughter　still　means　not　to　marry　the　man　of　many　cows。
  Moreover；　the　father　has　really　gained　nothing　except　a　sick　heart　and
  much　bad　luck　to　come。〃
  〃Why　much　bad　luck　to　come；　Hans？〃　I　asked　idly；　for　his　naive　summing
  up　of　the　case　interested　me　in　a　vague　way。
  〃Oh！　Baas　Allan；　for　two　reasons。　　First；　your　reverend　father；　who　made
  me　true　Christian；　told　him　so；　and　a　predicant　so　good　as　he；　is　one
  down　whom　the　curse　of　God　runs　from　Heaven　like　lightning　runs　down　a
  tree。　　Well；　the　Heer　Marais　was　sitting　under　that　tree；　and　we　all
  know　what　happens　to　him　who　is　under　a　tree　when　the　lightning　strikes
  it。　　That　my　first　Christian　reason。　　My　second　black…man　reason；　about
  which　there　can　be　no　mistake；　for　it　has　always　been　true　since　there
  was　a　black　man；　is　that　the　girl　is　yours　by　blood。　　You　saved　her　life
  with　your　blood；〃　and　he　pointed　to　my　leg；　〃and　therefore　bought　her
  for　ever；　for　blood　is　more　than　cattle。　　Therefore；　too；　he　who　would
  divide　her　from　you　brings　blood　on　her　and　on　the　other　man　who　tries
  to　steal　her；　blood；　blood！　and　on　himself　I　know　not　what。〃　　And　he
  waved　his　yellow　arms；　staring　up　at　me　with　his　little　black　eyes　in　a
  way　that　was　most　uncanny。
  〃Nonsense！〃　I　said。　　〃Why　do　you　talk　such　bad　words？〃
  〃Because　they　are　true　words；　Baas　Allan。　　Oh；　you　laugh　at　the　poor
  Totty；　but　I　had　it　from　my　father；　and　he　from　his　father　from
  generation　to　generation；　amen；　and　you　will　see。　　You　will　see；　as　I
  have　seen　before　now；　and　as　the　Heer　Marais　will　see；　who；　if　the　great
  God　had　not　made　him　madfor　mad　he　is；　baas；　as　we　know；　if　you　Whites
  don'tmight　have　lived　in　his　home　till　he　was　old；　and　have　had　a　good
  son…in…law　to　bury　him　in　his　blanket。〃
  Now　I　seemed　to　have　had　enough　of　this　eerie　conversation。　　Of　course
  it　is　easy　to　laugh　at　natives　and　their　superstitions；　but；　after　a
  long　life　of　experience；　I　am　bound　to　admit　that　they　are　not　always
  devoid　of　truth。　　The　native　has　some　kind　of　sixth　sense　which　the
  civilised　man　has　lost；　or　so　it　seems　to　me。
  〃Talking　of　blankets；〃　I　said　in　order　to　change　the　subject；　〃from　whom
  did　you　get　these　karosses？〃
  〃From　whom？　　Why；　from　the　Missie；　of　course；　baas。　　When　I　heard　that
  you　were　to　sleep　in　the　cart　I　went　to　her　and　borrowed　them　to　cover
  you。　　Also；　I　had　forgotten；　she　gave　me　a　writing　for　you；〃　and　he　felt
  about；　first　in　his　dirty　shirt；　then　under　his　arm；　and　finally　in　his
  fuzzy　hair；　from　which　last　hiding　place　he　produced　a　little　bit　of
  paper　folded　into　a　pellet。　　I　undid　it　and　read　these　words；　written
  with　a　pencil　and　in　French：
  〃I　shall　be　in　the　peach　orchard　half　an　hour　before　sunrise。　　Be　there
  if　you　would　bid　me　farewell。M。〃
  〃Is　there　any　answer；　baas？〃　asked　Hans　when　I　had　thrust　the　note　into
  my　pocket。　　〃If　so　I　can　take　it　without　being　found　out。〃　Then　an
  inspiration　seemed　to　strike　him；　and　he　added：　〃Why　do　you　not　take　it
  yourself？　　The　Missie's　window　is　easy　to　open；　also　I　am　sure　she　would
  be　pleased　to　see　you。〃
  〃Be　silent；〃　I　said。　　〃I　am　going　to　sleep。　　Wake　me　an　hour　before　the
  cock…crowand；　staysee　that　the　horses　have　got　out　of　the　kraal　so
  that　you　cannot　find　them　too　easily　in　case　the　Reverend　wishes　to
  start　very　early。　　But　do　not　let　them　wander　far；　for　here　we　are　no
  welcome　guests。〃
  〃Yes；　baas。　　By　the　way；　baas；　the　Heer　Pereira；　who　tried　to　cheat　you
  over　those　geese；　is　sleeping　in　an　empty　house　not　more　than　two　miles
  away。　　He　drinks　coffee　when　he　wakes　up　in　the　morning；　and　his
  servant；　who　makes　it；　is　my　good　friend。　　Now　would　you　like　me　to　put
  a　little　something　into　it？　　Not　to　kill　him；　for　that　is　against　the
  law　in　the　Book；　but　just　to　make　him　quite　mad；　for　the　Book　says
  nothing　about　that。　　If　so；　I　have　a　very　good　medicine；　one　that　you
  white　people　do　not　know；　which　improves　the　taste　of　the　coffee；　and　it
  might　save　much　trouble。　　You　see；　if　he　came　dancing　about　the　place
  without　any　clothes　on；　like　a　common　Kaffir；　the　Heer　Marais；　although
  _he_　is　really　mad　also；　might　not　wish　for　him　as　a　son…