"'You must trust in yourself,' I told him, as he sat by the table and would have it that he was not hungry.
"'I trust in you,' he answered, with a pitiable attempt at his old sparkle. 'You have proved yourself; I have not—yet, and I could do the work of three Kafirs, too.'
"The next day he came home at noon, with a swing in his gait and his fingers working.
"'I've got work,' he said, 'at last.'
"I stopped sewing and looked at him. 'Is it a white man's work?' I asked.
"'It is work,' he retorted.
"'Very well,' I said; 'but remember, we sink or soar together, and in neither case will I blame you. If you get white man's work, you shall have a white man's wife; but if you are going to do the work of Kafirs—'
"'Yes,' he said; 'and what then?'
"'In that case,' I answered, 'I shall do washing to eke it out and be a level mate for you.'
"'By God, you won't!' he cried, and his hand came down hard on the table. There was no mistaking his face: the command and the earnestness of it lighted up his eyes. I stared at him in a good deal of surprise, for though I had known it was there, this was the first I had seen of the steel strain in my man.