"Why don't you keep your wretched little mongrel at home?" she inquired bitterly of Druro.
"It's a free country," responded Lundi blandly, wiping his damp brow and Toby's bloody ear with the same handkerchief. "You should train your bully to go for dogs of his own size."
"Well, I don't say he doesn't," admitted Druro. "But he does it on principle. He's a born reformer--aren't you, Tobe? Picks a scrap with any one he considers a disreputable, dissipated character." Toby's master smiled mockingly at Weary's mistress.
"Reformation, like charity, should begin at home," she flashed back, and the instant she had uttered the words could have bitten off her tongue. For everyone was smiling delightedly. A few quarrels and scandals give a zest to life in Rhodesia, and are always warmly welcomed. No one knew the real foundation of Gay's and Druro's misunderstanding, but it had been plain for some time that there was one.
"We were talking about getting up a picnic," said peace-loving Mrs. Hallett. "Mrs. Hading must be shown a real Rhodesian picnic."
"I want it to be a moonlight one!" cried Berlie. "They are twice as much fun."
"Yes; but there won't be a moon for nearly a month," someone complained.
"Well, we must have a day picnic now, and a moonlight one next month. We shall want your car, Lundi."
"You can have it any time. Where do you think of going?"
Everyone agreed that Mrs. Hading must see both of these lovely places.
"I have to go to Selukine anyway, on business," said Mrs. Hading, who had no idea of letting her plan to motor through that district in Druro's company be interfered with by picnics, "so please let it be Sombwelo."
"You can have my ranch there as a base of operations," proffered Lundi, "and make my boys do the work."
They all applauded this except Gay, who submitted that a picnic was not a picnic unless conducted on alfresco lines, with all the cooking and eating done out of doors by the picnickers themselves. Druro understood that she objected to his ranch and was sorry he had spoken, especially as some of the others looked at her with understanding eyes also. However, she was outvoted, everyone crying that if she liked hard work and out-door cooking, and spiders and ants running over the table-cloth and mosquitoes biting her ankles, she could have them, but they would have the ranch. To Druro's surprise and relief, she laughed and gave in quite pleasantly. Being a man, he could not know that, at that very moment, she was dismally deciding that, considering all that had passed, she could not possibly go to Druro's ranch.