“Oh no … no. It’s all in the past. Our families didn’t approve and …”

“Oh dear.”

“It would hardly have been right for us. If it had been we should have married, shouldn’t we?”

“I rather liked that lawyer … the one who came down to see you. It seemed that he was really concerned about you. And your stepmother. She’s very beautiful, isn’t she? When I look at her …” She laughed a little mirthlessly. “Well, I think she is all that I am not.”

“You are very nice as you are, Myra. You must not denigrate yourself so much.”

“And you are nice to say so. But tell me about this lawyer. You knew him in Edinburgh, did you?”

“Yes.”

“He was a friend of your family, I suppose.”

“You could say that.”

I had to stop the trend of this conversation.

I said quickly: “And it all turned out well for you.”

She said: “Yes. My grandfather was right. I might have married someone my mother found for me. But I didn’t and if I had there wouldn’t have been Roger.”

“So you are completely happy now?”

“Well …”

“You are, aren’t you?”

She hesitated, looked at me thoughtfully and then, I believed, decided to confide in me. “Sometimes … I’m afraid.”

“Afraid of what?”

“He is so distinguished, isn’t he? Sometimes I wonder …”

“Tell me what you wonder.”

“Whether I’m good enough. What does he see in me? If he hadn’t been rich himself I should have thought it was the money …”

I laughed at her. “Myra, you must stop thinking like that. He married you, didn’t he? He loves you, not your money.”

“It’s so hard to believe. He is so wonderful. Of course, if he had needed the money …”

“Stop it, Myra!” I laughed again and she laughed with me. I was so relieved. I had thought she was afraid of him and all she feared was that she was not attractive enough for him.

I must overcome this ridiculous feeling that there was something rather sinister about Roger Lestrange.

IT WAS NO USE trying to hold back the days. They were passing with alarming rapidity.

Very soon we should arrive at our destination and reality would take the place of this dreamlike idyllic existence which we had been enjoying for the last few weeks.

We should have to face whatever we found—our school. Where should we find the pupils? Lilias had said it was no use planning anything until we saw what we were coming to.

We were due in Cape Town in two days’ time.

Roger Lestrange had said we must accompany him and Myra to Kimberley. It was a longish journey, but he had done it more than once and he could help us and take us to our new home.

We accepted his offer with alacrity.

“It really was good fortune for us to be travelling in the same ship,” said Lilias. “They have made it all so much more interesting for us than it would otherwise have been.”

She did not realise how much we owed to Roger Lestrange, but I was soon to discover.

That night I went out onto the deck as I often did. I loved to sit there underneath the velvety sky with the stars more brilliant than they seemed at home. The air was warm and there was hardly anyone about. It was perfect peace.

It will soon be over, I thought, and what shall we find? Myra and Roger Lestrange would not be far away. It was good to have them as friends—particularly in a foreign country.

And as I sat there I heard a light footstep on the deck and before I looked up I guessed who it was.

He said: “Hello. Revelling in the starry night? May I?” He drew up a chair and sat beside me.

“It is pleasant, isn’t it?” I said.

“It’s more than pleasant. It’s delightful.”

“I agree.”

“I wonder more people don’t take advantage of it. Never mind. It gives us an opportunity to talk in peace. How are you feeling? Nearly there, you know.”

“I was just thinking of that when you came up.”

“It’s a bit of a gamble, isn’t it?”

“Rather more than that.”

“You’ll be all right. We shall not be far away.”

“You must be looking forward to getting to your home.”

“I’ve enjoyed the trip.”

“Of course. You met Myra.”

“Yes, and you … and Miss Milne. It has been very illuminating.”

“Illuminating?”

“It is always interesting meeting people, don’t you think?”

“Oh yes, of course.”

“You and Myra seem to get along very well.”

“I think we do. I’ve grown fond of her.”

“That’s good. She’s rather retiring. I like to see you two friendly. I couldn’t bear to think of you down there in that steerage … or whatever it is.”

“Oh … yes, at first it really was rather dreadful.”

“I’m glad I rescued you from that. Glad for myself as well as you.”

“Rescued us?”

“Well, I couldn’t leave you down there, could I?”

“You mean … you …”

“Look, it was nothing. Forget it.”

“But … they said there was a mistake. We thought …”

“I insisted that you were not told.”

“Please tell me exactly what happened.”

“It’s quite clear. You paid for a cabin and you got what you paid for.”

“I … I see. Lilias wanted to have the cheapest. That Society was lending the money and she could not bear to be in debt.”

“Very worthy sentiments.”

“So it was you who …”

“I had you moved. I paid the extra so that you could enjoy the voyage in comfort.”

I felt myself flushing. “But … we must pay you back.”

“Certainly not.”

“Lilias …”

“Lilias need know nothing of the transaction. Just imagine her feelings. Besides, she would feel she had to pay me. That would be as bad as paying the Society. And you know how she hates to be in debt.”

I was silent for a moment. Then I said: “I can pay you.”

“I shall refuse to take it.”

“But you must.”

“Why? It was a little gift. It was nothing. And think what a pleasure it has been for me … and for Myra … to have your company, which we could not have had, you know, if we had had to be separated on different sides of the barriers.”

“It was very good of you, but you must allow me to refund the money, my share at least.”

“I will not allow it.”

“I cannot accept.”

“My dear … D-Diana, you already have.”

“But …”

“No buts please. Think of proud Lilias. She must go on believing that there was a misunderstanding in allotting the cabins and when it was realised it was put right.”

“Why should you do this?”

“Because I could not bear to think of you two ladies in such conditions. I should not have told you.”

“But you have.”

“It slipped out. Perhaps I wanted to let you know that I wanted to help you. After all, it is a big step you’re taking and I suggested you should come to South Africa. I very much want it to be a success.”

“You are very good and I am grateful to you. But I would rather …”

“Will you please me in this matter? Say no more about it. I have been delighted to have your company … so has Myra. In fact, we have all had a pleasant voyage.” He laid his hand on mine. “Please see it this way … and not another word about the matter.”

I should have guessed. We had paid so little for the voyage.

We had been so inexperienced in these matters. It was good of him to be concerned. That was how I must try to see it. But the discovery did make me feel a little uneasy.

IN TWO MORE DAYS we should reach our destination. One could sense the tension throughout the ship. For myself—and I knew that Lilias felt the same—there was an immense excitement which at times would almost be overcome by a fearful apprehension. There were times when it was brought home forcibly to us that, somewhat blithely, we had decided to leave all that was familiar to start an entirely new life.

We now began to ask ourselves how well equipped we were to do this and we were very preoccupied. We would sit in silence staring out over the sea, each aware that our thoughts were running on similar lines.

Roger Lestrange, I was sure, was fully aware of our feelings; he continually sought to allay our fears. All was going to be well. He would be at hand. We must remember that we had friends.

I remember vividly that sunny day, sitting there on the deck, looking out over an aquamarine sea with scarcely a ripple to disturb its tranquility. Lilias and I had been joined by Roger and Myra. Poor Myra; I guessed her apprehensions about her new life were as deep as mine and Lilias’.

The captain, who was on his daily round of the ship, came into sight.

“Good afternoon,” he said. “Lovely day.”

We agreed that it was.

“Soon be there,” he added.

“On a day like this it seems too soon,” said Roger.

“Yes … and the weather is set fair for the next few days, it seems. Though the Cape can be tricky.”

“Indeed,” said Roger. “I’ve had experience of that.”

The captain smiled and his eyes rested on Lilias, Myra and me.

“You young ladies will be visiting South Africa for the first time.”

“Yes,” said Lilias.

“You could have chosen a better time, wouldn’t you say, Mr. Lestrange?”

“It will probably blow over,” said Roger.

“This time it seems to be a little more serious.”

“Oh, there’s been trouble before?” said Lilias.

“Oh yes … brewing for years, but I’d say that now it seems to be coming to the boil.”

“The captain is referring to Kruger. He’s getting rather truculent just now.”

“It’s been seething for some time, I know,” said the captain. “But after the Jameson Raid … well, things have gone from bad to worse.”

“Why is this?” I asked.

“What would you say?” asked the captain, looking at Roger.

“It’s simple. Cecil Rhodes wants a British South Africa. Kruger wants it for the Afrikaners. It will be all right. Kruger wouldn’t dare go too far.”

“We’ll wait and see,” said the captain. “Well, I must be getting along. I’ll see you later.”

After he had gone I turned to Roger. “I should like to know more about these matters.”

“Of course. You’re going to live there. Naturally enough you want to know.”

“The captain seemed quite concerned,” said Lilias.

“Well, to put it briefly,” said Roger, “this jostling for power has been going on for some time, but when diamonds and gold were found in the country, it meant that people came and settled from elsewhere. They were mostly British subjects. Consequently the population changed and the newcomers, whom the Afrikaners called Uitlanders—Outlanders, of course—wanted to play a dominating role in the administration of the country. Paul Kruger was President of the Transvaal and he could see what was coming.”

“He’s a very strong leader, I believe,” said Lilias.

“Indeed he is. He realised at once that if the Uitlanders were given a vote the Afrikaners would be outnumbered, with disastrous consequences to them. They were suspicious of the British who, right from the first, had maintained a different attitude towards the black population. When the emancipation of slavery had taken place in Britain the British wanted to extend it to South Africa. This was something which the Boers could not tolerate because it robbed them of the labour on their farms. It is a long story of conflict.”

“And now the captain seems to think it is ‘coming to the boil.’ “

“We’ve been thinking that for some time. The reason that there is a scare now is because Kruger has ordained that no Uitlander may have a vote in the presidential elections, and only those who have lived fourteen years in the country and are forty years old can vote in the Volksraad elections. That is for the parliament, of course.”

“It seems hardly fair if these Uitlanders had settled in the country.”

“Exactly. Besides, many of them have become wealthy and are contributing considerably to the finances of the country and yet are denied a vote. You could not expect men like Cecil Rhodes and Jameson to stand aside and let such a state of affairs go on.”

“Then, of course, there was the Jameson Raid,” said Lilias.

“That delayed matters for some time. Especially when the Emperor of Germany sent a telegram congratulating Kruger on his success in the affair; on the other hand, there is no doubt that the British government is more determined than ever to show its strength.”