This made me laugh, remembering Falkner's aspirations and the cocksure way in which he had "warned me off" that night in Majendwa's country. But I was as willing to consider her wishes in this matter, as I was in every other. Falkner had accepted the situation, well--much as I should have expected him to, in that he had sulked, and made himself intensely disagreeable for quite a long time. I was sorry for him, but not so much as I might have been, for I felt sure that it was his conceit which had received the wound rather than his feelings. Which sounds ill natured. Tyingoza was not particularly elated when I broke the news of my intended departure. "So you are going to build a new hut at last, Iqalaqala," he said, with a chuckle. "I am, but not here." "Not here?" "No. I am going to leave trading, and raise cattle instead." "The people will be sorry, Iqalaqala, for we have been friends. _Au_! is it not ever so in life? You hold a man by the hand, and lo, a woman takes hold of his other hand, and--he holds yours no more." "But in this case we still hold each other by the hand, Tyingoza," I said. "For I am not going into another country nor does the whole world lie between Isipanga and where I shall be." "The people will be sorry," he repeated. It was not long before Kendrew found his way over. "Heard you were back, Glanton," he said. "Well and how did you get on with Sewin up-country?" "Middling. He has his uses, and--he hasn't." "Well, I shouldn't find any use for him for long. It's all I can do to stand that dashed commandeering way of his, and `haw-haw' swagger, as it is. Been down there since you got back? But of course you have," he added with a knowing laugh. "I say though, but doesn't it seem a sin to bury two splendid looking girls in an out-of-the-way place like this?" "Don't know about that. At any rate I propose to bury one of them in just such an out-of-the-way place," I answered. "I believe it's the thing to offer congratulations on these occasions, so congratulate away, Kendrew. I'll try and take it calmly." "Eh--what the dev--Oh I say, Glanton--You don't mean--?" "Yes, I do mean. Compose yourself, Kendrew. You look kind of startled." "Which of them is it?" "Guess," I said, on mischief intent, for I detected a note of eagerness in his tone and drew my own conclusions. "The eldest of course?" "Right," I answered after a moment of hesitation intended to tease him a little longer. "Why then, I do congratulate you, old chap," he said with a heartiness in which I thought his own relief found vent. "I say though. You haven't lost much time about it." "No? Well you must allow for the hastiness of youth." And then he fired off a lot more good wishes, and soon suggested we should ride over to the Sewins together as he was so near. And reading his motive I sympathised with him and agreed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------