and before she had finished Ralph was as one who is brain sick, for he
ground his teeth and stamped upon the earth like an angry bull. At last,
when Suzanne had told him all, she said:

"Now, Ralph, you will understand why I would not let you kiss me before
you had heard my story. It was because I feared that after hearing it
you would not wish to kiss me any more."

"You talk like a foolish girl," he answered, taking her into his arms
and embracing her, "and though the insult can only be paid back in
blood, I think no more of it than if some beast had splashed mud into
your face, which you had washed away at the next stream."

"Ah!" she cried, "you swore that you would not try to kill him for this
offence."

"Yes, Sweet, I swore, and I will keep my oath. This time I will not try
to kill Swart Piet."

Then they went into the house, and Ralph spoke to Jan about this matter,
of which indeed I had already told him something. Jan also was very
angry, and said that if he could meet Piet van Vooren it would go
hard with him. Afterwards he added, however, that this Piet was a very
dangerous man, and one whom it might be well to leave alone, especially
as Suzanne had taken no real hurt from him.

Nowadays, and here in Natal, such a villain could be made to answer
to the law, either for attempting the life of the Kaffir, or for the
assault upon the girl, or for both, but in those times it was different.
Then the Transkei had but few white people in it, living far apart, nor