that you should stop here in luxury while your husband went out to
confront grave difficulties among the Sisas--not the Sneezers--for I may
tell you at once that the difficulties are very grave? There is a noted
witch-doctor amongst this people named Menzi, who, I understand, is
suspected of having burned down the mission-house, and probably the
church also, because he said that it was ridiculous that an unmarried
man like the late priest should have so large a dwelling to live alone.
This, of course, was but a cunning excuse for his savage malevolence,
but if another apparent celibate arrives, he might repeat the argument
and its application. Also often these barbarians consider that a man who
is not married _must_ be insane! Therefore it is absolutely necessary
that you and the child should be present with me from the first."

"Oh! is it?" said Dorcas, turning very pink. "Well, I am sorry to say
that just now it is absolutely necessary that I should be absent from
you, since I have a tennis party this afternoon--the officers of the
garrison are coming and about half a dozen girls--and I must go to
arrange about the tea."

"A tennis party! A tennis party to those godless officers and probably
equally godless girls," exclaimed her husband. "I am ashamed of you,
Dorcas, you should be occupied with higher things."

Then at last the worm turned.

"Do you know, Thomas," she answered, springing up, "that I am inclined
to be ashamed of you too, who I think should be occupied in keeping your
temper. You have accepted some strange mission without consulting me,
you have promised 1,000 pounds of my money without consulting me, and
now you scold me because I have a few young people to play tennis and