Horses, men, equipages were crowded together; Sir Adrian appeared--there was a hearty shout--the grooms and orderlies brought up the chargers, they were rowing and fretting with impatience. My pretty Zara was led by a dragoon, to be ridden only occasionally. The General and staff were soon in their saddles--the crowd gave way--Sir Adrian waved his hat--the aides-de-camp bowed right and left, and the cavalcade proceeded at a rapid pace down the street. In ten minutes not a trace was left of this gallant array. The Rashleighs were to follow the Governor in the afternoon. They drove up to the door of Government House in their travelling equipage, saddle and sumpter horses following. Lady Amabel could not see them--I would not; but from my dressing-room, where I sat trying to draw, I could hear Mrs Rashleigh's imperative voice. I looked through the Venetian blinds for an instant, and turned away, sick at heart. It was evening before Lady Amabel and I met. How vast the room looked as we two sat at dinner, with a lamp shining on a table usually crowded with guests. Next day we departed for Newlands. Sweet, gentle, kind Lady Amabel. She had, as I have told you, begun to penetrate the cause of my occasional dejection: occasional--for there were times when I had no doubt of Clarence Fairfax's attachment. But she had her misgivings about Mrs Rashleigh, whom she spoke of once or twice as a "dangerous woman;" and this was a strong expression for Lady Amabel. She now drew from me a part of "Love's sad history," and expressed her regrets at Clarence's departure without opening his mind to her. In many ways she betrayed uneasiness at the idea of Mrs Rashleigh's determination to follow the authorities to the frontier. How solitary now to me were those long, green vistas at Newlands! The fountain of Egeria had its own peculiar melancholy charm, and many early morning hours were passed in these bowers, consecrated in memory to love and happiness. Letters soon arrived, bringing us hopeful intelligence of peace with Kafirland; but an immense press of business was likely to detain Sir Adrian for some time. He even talked of a journey to Natal, on the northeastern coast; but, the fear of absolute and immediate danger removed, visitors poured in to offer their congratulations, for Lady Amabel had endeared herself to many. The despatches contained a note for me. I put it aside till I could open it in solitude. It was full of kindness, and I was comparatively happy. On the other hand, I was doomed to hear of fetes and balls got up to celebrate Sir Adrian's arrival at Graham's Town, the capital of the frontier. Mrs Rashleigh was doing the honours of his house; her husband and herself were its inmates, and I could detect many a lurking smile on the lips of keen-witted, ill-natured visitors, as they listened to the relation of these "facts and scraps" to Lady Amabel.