"Alaric, do you remember the time that we killed the _indhlondhlo_, down
in the forest, Mandevu's sudden appearance?"
"Yes," eagerly. "What then?"
"Do you remember his reference to your power of snake-charming, not once
but twice?"
"Good God! I should think so. I thought it strange at the time."
"Well, could he--or anybody--have witnessed the whole affair?"
"N-no," he answered thoughtfully. "I don't see how any natives could
have been concealed within sight or even earshot. The horses would have
winded them and have got restive, whereas they were perfectly quiet."
"I can't make out that part of it at all," said Verna. "I must think.
He knew about that other snake-charming incident. I could see that.
The question is--if he knew, how did he know? Some one must have seen
it, and if they saw the one thing they'd have seen the other."
"Yes; they must have. Verna, I have an instinct," he went on somewhat
gloomily, "a sure and certain instinct that this net will close round
me. Everything in life looked too bright since I succeeded in ridding
myself of this incubus, and, then I found _you_. After that everything
was positively radiant. Of course it couldn't last."
"But it can last, and it shall. Dear one, you said just now that you
were placing your life in my hands, and that precious life I shall guard
with a jealous care. I have means of hearing things from outside which
you would hardly believe, and shall set them working at once. No, it
would take a great deal more to part us now--Do you remember the day we
first met," she broke off, "and they were talking of this very affair in
the hotel? Well, I volunteered the remark that you had just come
through the Makanya, but nobody heard. They were all talking at once,
but I didn't repeat it. Some instinct warned me not to."
"Ah, that first day! We little thought what we were going to be to each
other then."
Verna shook her head. "I'm by no means so sure of that," she said.
"No more am I, now I come to think of it."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
After this Denham threw off his depression as though by magic. As the
days went by and no news came from outside, he was almost dazzled in the
sunshine of happiness that flooded his heart. He had dreaded the effect
of the revelation upon Verna, and now that he had made it, so far from
her love for him lessening it had, if possible, deepened tenfold.
Then fell the bolt from the clear sky.