but preferred rather to work out their own salvation.' He added many
unpleasant remarks about the Reformers. I said to one of his
countrymen, 'Why does he, in his safety, flourish about, pinning us
deeper down in the wreckage?'

'Don't let that distress you. Everybody understands that he belongs to
the other party. If he were of the party in power he would be howling
for the Reformers. Remember, Mrs. Hammond, that our system of party
politics seems to call for such attitudes of injustice.' I didn't
quite understand the argument, but the gentleman spoke with
conviction, and I was willing to accept his proffered comfort.

In our quiet home at Park Town we had settled down to domestic
routine. The guard had gone to housekeeping in a tent under the
dining-room window. They had made friends with Totsey, and then with
Totsey's master, little Jack. Although I never recognised them beyond
a formal bow, in answer to their salute as we drove in and out of the
grounds, I realised that they were kind-hearted men. They were
Burghers belonging to the Volunteer Corps, and were quite a different
grade altogether from the men who composed our guard at Pretoria. At
first we had thirteen, then the number was diminished to nine. Each
man was paid $5.00 a day out of my good man's pocket, fed, and cab
fare provided (to fetch and carry the relief squad from and to the
town).

It was very like boiling a kid in its mother's milk, but I had the
gratification of remarking once or twice with casual superiority
during conjugal conversation, that revolutions were expensive things,
and that was _some_ comfort.