"WHAT A MAN SOWETH."
"Percy, I want you to ride part of the way back with me."
"Delighted, old chap. But--"
"There's no `but' in the case at all. To be plain, you must."
"It isn't to talk any more about--er--what we were on to last night, is
it? Because that's settled."
"Well, it concerns that, for it concerns her, and you've got to hear
it."
"But I don't want to. And I shan't believe it if I do," was the reply,
shortly made.
The two were standing by the cattle-kraal, which contained a troop of
horses just driven in from the veldt. In the thick of them, armed with
halters and _reims_, two Kaffir servants and a Hottentot were catching
out those required. In front of the house Bayfield's spider was being
inspanned.
"Now it's of no use turning restive, Percy. You've got to hear what
I've got to tell you. It's about--_her_. You can take your choice.
Either you hear it from me--in which case it need go no farther, or--
you'll hear it from anybody and everybody--for then I shall be obliged
to make it public."
"Do you mean to say you'll spread abroad your infernal slanders,
Hilary!" The young fellow's face was as white as a sheet, and he could
hardly speak for the extent of his agitation.
"Not unless you force me to. Look. There's your gee in the kraal now.
Tell one of them to catch it and come along with me. You'll live to
thank me till your dying day."
The stronger will prevailed--even apart from the fell significance of
the alternative held out. By the time the inspanning was complete, and
good-byes were in progress, Percival was on the scene with his horse
saddled up and ready.
"Aren't you coming in the spider with us, Mr Blachland?" said Lyn,
noticing that he, too, was preparing to mount.
"Not the first part of the way," he answered. "There's a home matter
Percy and I want to talk over, so he's going to ride an hour or two on
the road with me. Good-bye again, Earle. Had a ripping good shoot.
Good-bye, Mrs Fenham," for the latter had now appeared for the first
time. She looked quite unruffled, but there was that in her face which
told one, at any rate, there, that she was prepared to begin the war.
"Good-bye, Hilary--er--Mr Blachland," she responded sweetly, contriving
that the words and tone should be distinctly audible to Lyn, who,
already seated in the spider, could not possibly avoid hearing them.
But had Hermia only known it the shaft had fallen harmless.
"Did you hear that, father?" Lyn began, as they drove off. "That woman
actually called Mr Blachland by his Christian name?"