"I don't see why it should be," was the half-snuffy rejoinder. "There's nothing ridiculous in common civility."
"No, only to see you all treading on each other's heels to do konza to a woman who's nearly losing her life trying not to laugh at the crowd of you."
"Hallo! what's this?" sung out Holmes, not sorry for an excuse to change the subject. "Why, you used a Zulu word, Stanninghame, and yet you say you never were in South Africa before."
"Well, and then? I've once or twice known fellows use a Greek word who had never been near the land of Socrates in their lives."
"Still, that's different. Every fellow learns Greek at school, but no fellow learns Zulu, eh?"
"You can't swear to that. Well, never mind. Perhaps I have been mugging it up as a preliminary to coming out here. Note, however, Holmes, that I used the word advisedly. Konza does not mean to show civility, but to do homage, and that of a tolerably abject kind—in fact, to knuckle under."
"All the same, I believe you have been out here before," went on Holmes, staring at him with a new interest. "Only you're such a mysterious chap that you won't let on."
"Have it so, if you will. Only, aren't you rather drawing a red herring across the trail, Holmes? We were talking about Miss Ormskirk."
"Um—yes, so we were. But, have you talked to her at all, Stanninghame? I believe even you would be fetched if you did."