THE GIFT. 
423 
“as siie turned, her eves met the eyes ok the man who came UP BESIDE Tin? TRAIN.” 
lessly, as it seemed to her for no good reason. 
“ My journey has tired me — the breakdown 
of the car was annoying — and if 1 talk less now 
I can talk more this afternoon ! ” 
“ Don’t mention it. Lady Mildred.’ 7 
“ I won’t again.” she smiled. :t But I felt 
an apology was due. By the way ” — her voice, 
altered, became negligent, almost over-care- 
less in its careless tone — “ you told me you 
were in for Omofaga. I think ? ” 
“ Yes ; I’m in for Omofaga.” 
He had hesitated before answering ; his 
tone, too, had changed ; it masked anxiety, 
so it seemed to its hearer * but his face told 
nothing at all. Lady Mildred spoke again. 
“ You’ve heard nothing — yet ? ” 
“ No ; I’ve heard nothing. I expect 
nothing. It is virgin soil — from a military 
standpoint ; they are just starting a militia — 
Vol. xlvi.— 54. 
and there is much good work to be done. And 
I want it ” — it was as if he had tried not to 
speak meaningly, yet could not escape giving 
emphasis to his words — “ I want it for other— 
for private reasons. It would give me much 
that I have not got. It might give me more.” 
u 1 see 1 ” 
She looked at him ; she felt that disturbing 
sense of his power again ; she became con- 
scious that she was weaker than she deemed 
herself. And she did not tell him that 
Omofaga was his — through her. She dared 
not. She was afraid of him ; of the words 
which must follow upon the knowledge. She 
spoke only when the train came level with the 
goods sidings that told her Woolwich was 
near. 
“ You will get it,” she said, and fumbled 
with her glove-button. “ You will get 
