But I noted that from this day forward they
began to treat him as a son. The new relationship between Stephen and
Hope seemed to be tacitly accepted without discussion. Even the
natives accepted it, for old Mavovo asked me when they were going to
be married and how many cows Stephen had promised to pay Brother John
for such a beautiful wife. "It ought to be a large herd," he said,
"and of a big breed of cattle."
Sammy, too, alluded to the young lady in conversation with me, as "Mr.
Somers's affianced spouse." Only Hans said nothing. Such a trivial
matter as marrying and giving in marriage did not interest him. Or,
perhaps, he looked upon the affair as a foregone conclusion and
therefore unworthy of comment.
We stayed at Bausi's kraal for a full month longer whilst Stephen
recovered his strength. I grew thoroughly bored with the place and so
did Mavovo and the Zulus, but Brother John and his wife did not seem
to mind. Mrs. Eversley was a passive creature, quite content to take
things as they came and after so long an absence from civilization, to
bide a little longer among savages.
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