"You are just in time for lunch，" I said， "and as luck will have it there is a good rock cod and a leg of oribé buck for you to eat. Boy， set two more places.""One more place， if you please， sir，" said Savage. "I should prefer to take my food afterwards.""You will have to get over that in Africa，" I muttered. Still I let him have his way， with the result that presently the strange sight was seen of the magnificent English majordomo standing behind my chair in the little room and handing round the square-face as though it were champagne. It was a spectacle that excited the greatest interest in my primitive establishment and caused Hans with some native hangers-on to gather at the window. However， Lord Ragnall took it as a matter of course and I thought it better not to interfere.
When we had finished we went on to the stoep to smoke， leaving Savage to eat his dinner， and I asked Lord Ragnall where his luggage was. He replied that he had left it at the Customs. "Then，" I said， "I will send a native with Savage to arrange about getting it up here. If you do not mind my rough accommodation there is a room for you， and your man can pitch a tent in the garden."After some demur he accepted with gratitude， and a little later Savage and the native were sent off with a note to a man who hired out a mule-cart.
"Now，" I said when the gate had shut behind them， "will you tell me why you have come to Africa？""Disaster，" he replied. "Disaster of the worst sort.""Is your wife dead， Lord Ragnall？"
"I do not know. I almost hope that she is. At any rate she is lost to me."An idea leapt to my mind to the effect that she might have run away with somebody else， a thing which often happens in the world. But fortunately I kept it to myself and only said， "She was nearly lost once before， was she not？""Yes， when you saved her. Oh！ if only you had been with us， Quatermain， this would never have happened. Listen： About eighteen months ago she had a son， a very beautiful child. She recovered well from the business and we were as happy as two mortals could be， for we loved each other， Quatermain， and God has blessed us in every way； we were so happy that I remember her telling me that our great good fortune made her feel afraid. One day last September when I was out shooting， she drove in a little pony cart we had， with the nurse， and the child but no man， to call on Mrs. Scroope who also had been recently confined. She often went out thus， for the pony was an old animal and quiet as a sheep.
"By some cursed trick of fate it chanced that when they were passing through the little town which you may remember near Ragnall， they met a travelling menagerie that was going to some new encampment. At the head of the procession marched a large bull elephant， which Idiscovered afterwards was an ill-tempered brute that had already killed a man and should never have been allowed upon the roads. The sight of the pony cart， or perhaps a red cloak which my wife was wearing， as she always liked bright colours， for some unknown reason seems to have infuriated this beast， which trumpeted. The pony becoming frightened wheeled round and overturned the cart right in front of the animal， but apparently without hurting anybody. Then"--here he paused a moment and with an effort continued--"that devil in beast's shape cocked its ears， stretched out its long trunk， dragged the baby from the nurse's arms， whirled it round and threw it high into the air， to fall crushed upon the kerb. It sniffed at the body of the child， feeling it over with the tip of its trunk， as though to make sure that it was dead. Next， once more it trumpeted triumphantly， and without attempting to harm my wife or anybody else， walked quietly past the broken cart and continued its journey， until outside the town it was made fast and shot.""What an awful story！" I said with a gasp.
"Yes， but there is worse to follow. My poor wife went off her head， with the shock I suppose， for no physical injury could be found upon her. She did not suffer in health or become violent， quite the reverse indeed for her gentleness increased. She just went off her head. For hours at a time she would sit silent and smiling， playing with the stones of that red necklace which those conjurers gave her， or rather counting them， as a nun might do with the beads of her rosary. At times， however， she would talk， but always to the baby， as though it lay before her or she were nursing it. Oh！ Quatermain， it was pitiful， pitiful！
"I did everything I could. She was seen by three of the greatest brain-doctors in England， but none of them was able to help. The only hope they gave was that the fit might pass off as suddenly as it had come. They said too that a thorough change of scene would perhaps be beneficial， and suggested Egypt； that was in October. I did not take much to the idea， I don't know why， and personally should not have acceded to it had it not been for a curious circumstance. The last consultation took place in the big drawing-room at Ragnall. When it was over my wife remained with her mother at one end of the room while I and the doctors talked together at the other， as I thought quite out of her earshot. Presently， however， she called to me， saying in a perfectly clear and natural voice：
"'Yes， George， I will go to Egypt. I should like to go to Egypt.' Then she went on playing with the necklace and talking to the imaginary child.
"Again on the following morning as I came into her room to kiss her， she exclaimed， "'When do we start for Egypt？ Let it be soon.'
"With these sayings the doctors were very pleased， declaring that they showed signs of a returning interest in life and begging me not to thwart her wish.
