"Mother, they hooted us on the road to the Recreation Ground."
Upon the great brows of the Mother-Superior sat the majesty of coming tempest. Her white hand clenched, her tone was awfully stern:
"Who were 'they'?"
"Some drunken Boers and store-boys—at least, I think they were drunk—and some Dutch railway-men. They cried shame on the Dutch girls for learning from vile English idolaters. Then more men came up and joined them. They threw stones, and threatened to duck Sister Cleophée and the two other Sisters in the river. And they might have tried to, though we senior girls got round them—at least, some of us did—and said they should try that on us first——"
"That was courageous."
"We"—Lynette laughed a little nervously—"we were awfully frightened, all the same."
"My dear, without fear there would have been no courage. Then I am told an English officer interposed?"
"He was coming from the direction of the Hospital—a tall thin man in Service khâki, with a riding-sjambok under his arm. But it would have been as good as a sword if he had used it on those men. When he lifted it in speaking to them they huddled together like sheep."
"You have no idea who he was, of course?"
"I do not know his name, but I heard one of the Boers say, 'That slim duyvel with the sjambok is the new Military Commandant.' Another officer was with him, much younger, taller, and with fair hair. He——"