Thirty-four
We were not able to return to Johannesburg that night. The shells werecoming over pretty fast, and I gathered that we were now more or less cutoff, owing to the rebels having obtained possession of a new part of thesuburbs.
Our place of refuge was a farm some twenty miles or so from Johannes-burg—right out on the veld. I was dropping with fatigue¹. All the excite-ment and anxiety of the last two days had left me little better than a limprag.
I kept repeating to myself, without being able to believe it, that ourtroubles were really over. Harry² and I were together and we should neverbe separated again. Yet all through I was conscious of some barrierbetween us—a constraint³ on his part, the reason of which I could notfathom.
Sir Eustace had been driven off in an opposite direction accompanied bya strong guard. He waved his hand airily to us on departing.
I came out on to the stoep early on the following morning and lookedacross the veld in the direction of Johannesburg. I could see the greatdumps glistening⁴ in the pale morning sunshine, and I could hear the lowrumbling mutter of the guns. The Revolution was not over yet.
The farmer’s wife came out and called me in to breakfast. She was akind, motherly soul, and I was already very fond of her. Harry had goneout at dawn and had not yet returned, so she informed me. Again I felt astir of uneasiness pass over me. What was this shadow of which I was soconscious between us?
After breakfast I sat out on the stoep, a book in my hand which I did notread. I was so lost in my own thoughts that I never saw Colonel Race rideup and dismount from his horse. It was not until he said “Good morning,Anne,” that I became aware of his presence.
“Oh,” I said, with a flush, “it’s you.”
“Yes. May I sit down?”
He drew a chair up beside me. It was the first time we had been alonetogether since that day at the Matopos. As always, I felt that curious mix-ture of fascination⁵ and fear that he never failed to inspire in me.
“What is the news?” I asked.
“Smuts will be in Johannesburg tomorrow. I give this outbreak threedays more before it

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