“The Zulus of this province require to be treated of most carefully in the first instance, before the great question of Zulus in their own territory can be fully understood by the British public,” replied the correspondent. “I am at present making the Zulu of Durban my special study. I suppose you will be off at once to Pietermaritzburg?”
“No,” said Markham. “I intend remaining at Durban to study the—the Zulu characteristics for a few days.”
“But Lottie—I beg your pardon—Miss Vincent is going on at once.”
There was a little pause, during which Markham stared blankly at his friend.
“What on earth has that got to say to my remaining here?” he said.
Harwood looked at him and felt that Miss Lottie was right, even on purely artistic grounds, in choosing Oswin Markham as one of her actors.
“Nothing—nothing of course,” he replied to Markham's question.
But Miss Lottie had heard more than a word of this conversation. She tripped up to Mr. Harwood.
“Why don't you make some inquiry about your old friends, you most ungrateful of men?” she cried. “Oh, I have such a lot to tell you. Dear old Mrs. Crawford was in great grief about your going away, you know—oh, such great grief that she was forced to give a picnic the second day after you left, for fear we should all have broken down utterly.”
“That was very kind of Mrs. Crawford,” said Harwood; “and it only remains for me to hope fervently that the required effect was produced.”