"You old vagabond of a praying German, are you deaf?"
Tant Sannie stood before the steps of the kitchen; upon them sat the lean
Hottentot, upon the highest stood Bonaparte Blenkins, both hands folded
under the tails of his coat, and his eyes fixed on the sunset sky.
The German dropped the saddle on the ground.
"Bish, bish, bish! what may this be?" he said, and walked toward the house.
"Very strange!"
The girls followed him: Em still weeping; Lyndall with her face rather
white and her eyes wide open.
"And I have the heart of a devil, did you say? You could run me through
with a knife, could you?" cried the Dutchwoman. "I could not drive the
Kaffer maid away because I was afraid of you, was I? Oh, you miserable
rag! I loved you, did I? I would have liked to marry you, would I? would
I? WOULD I?" cried the Boer-woman; "you cat's tail, you dog's paw! Be near
my house tomorrow morning when the sun rises," she gasped, "my Kaffers will
drag you through the sand. They would do it gladly, any of them, for a bit
of tobacco, for all your prayings with them."
"I am bewildered, I am bewildered, said the German, standing before her and
raising his hand to his forehead; "I--I do not understand."
"Ask him, ask him?" cried Tant Sannie, pointing to Bonaparte; "he knows.
You thought he could not make me understand, but he did, he did, you old
fool! I know enough English for that.
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