father's neck and begin to cry--thanks be to my bringing up of her, she
knew better than to throw them round mine. "Good Lord!" I said, losing
my temper, "what is the girl at now? She has got the husband for whom
she has been craving, and the first thing she does is to snivel. Well,
if I had done that to my husband I should have expected him to box my
ears, though Heaven knows that I should have had excuse for it."

Here the _predicant_ woke up, seeing his chance.

"Vrouw Botmar," he said, blinking at me like an owl, "it is my duty to
reprove your irreverent language even at this festive board, for a
word must be spoken both in and out of season, and without respect
of persons. Vrouw Botmar, I fear that you do not remember the Third
Commandment, therefore I will repeat it to you," and he did so, speaking
very slowly.

What I answered I cannot recollect, but even now I seem to see that
_predicant_ flying out of the door of the room holding his hands above
his head. Well, for once he met his match, and I know that afterwards he
always spoke of me with great respect.

After this again I remember little more till the pair started upon their
journey. Suzanne asked for Sihamba to say good-bye to her, and when she
was told that she was not to be found she seemed vexed, which shows that
the little doctoress did her injustice in supposing that just because
she was married she thought no more of her. Then she kissed us all in
farewell--ah! we little knew for how long that farewell was to be--and
went down to the waggon to which the sixteen black oxen, a beautiful
team, were inspanned, and standing there ready to start. But Ralph and
Suzanne were not going to ride in the waggon, for they had horses