“Yousee，“saidAlanwithasigh，pushingoverthepaperstoBarbara，whoreadthemcarefullyonebyone。
“Isee，“sheansweredpresently。“Itiswartotheknife。Alan，Ihatetheideaofit，butperhapsyouhadbettergoaway。Whileyouareheretheywillharassthelifeoutofyou。“
Meanwhilewiththeaidofabigjack-knifeandthedining-roompoker，Jeekiehadprizedoffthelidofthebox。ChancingtolookroundBarbarasawhimonhiskneesmutteringsomethinginastrangetongue，andbowinghiswhiteheaduntilittouchedanobjectthatlaywithinthebox。
“Whatareyoudoing，Jeekie？“sheasked。
“MakebowtoLittleBonsa，MissBarbara，tellherhowgladIamseehercomebackfromtown。Shelikefeelwelcome。Nowyoucomebowtoo，LittleBonsatakethatascompliment。“
“Iwon’tbow，butIwilllook，Jeekie，foralthoughIhaveheardsomuchaboutitIhaveneverreallyexaminedthisYellowGod。“
“Verygood，youcomelook，miss，“andJeekieproppedupthecaseupontheendofthedining-roomtable。Asfromitsheightandpositionshecouldnotseeitscontentsverywellwhilststandingaboveit，Barbarakneltdowntogetabetterviewofit。
“Mygoodness！“sheexclaimed，“whataterribleface，beautifultooinitsway。“
Hardlyhadthewordsleftherlipswhenforsomereasonunexplainedthatprobablyhadtodowiththeshiftingofthecentreofgravity，LittleBonsaappearedtoglideorfalloutofherboxwithastartlingsuddenness，andprojectherselfstraightatBarbara，who，withafaintscream，fearinglestthepreciousthingshouldbeinjured，caughtitinherarmsandforamomenthuggedittoherbreast。
“Saved！“sheexclaimed，recoveringherselfandplacingitonthetable，whereonJeekie，totheirastonishment，begantoexecuteakindofwardance。
“Oh！yes，“hesaid，“saved，verymuchsaved。Allsaved，mostmagnificentomen。LadykneeltoLittleBonsaandLittleBonsanipoutofbox，makebowandjumpinlady’sarms。Thatsplendid，first-classluck，formissandeverybody。WhenLittleBonsadothatneedfearnothingnomore。Allcomerightasrain。“
“Nonsense，“saidBarbara，laughing。Thenfromacautiousdistanceshecontinuedherexaminationofthefetish。
“See，“saidJeekie，pointingtothemisshapenlittlegoldlegswhichwereyetsodesignedthatitcouldbestoodupuponthem，“whenanyonewearLittleBonsa，tieheronheadbehindbytheselegs；look，heresameoldleatherstring。NowIputheron，forsheliketobewornagain，“andwithaquickmovementheclappedthemaskontohisface，manipulatedthegreasyblackleatherthongsandmadethemfast。Thusadornedthegreatnegrolookednolessthanterrific。
“Iseeyou，miss，“hesaid，turningthefixedeyesofopal-likestone，bloodshotwithlittlerubites，uponBarbara，“Iseeyou，thoughyounoseeme，fortheseeyesmadeverycunning。Butlisten，youhearme，“
andsuddenlyfromthemask，producedbysomecontrivancesetwithinit，thereproceededanawful，howlingsoundthatmadehershiver。
“Takethatthingoff，Jeekie，“saidAlan，“wedon’twantanybansheeshere。“
“Banshees？Notknowhim，hepoorEnglishfetishp’raps，“saidJeekie，asheremovedthemask。“ThisrealAfricangod，howlbansheeandallthatsortintomiddleofnextweek。ThisLittleBonsaandnomistake，tenthousandyearsoldandmore，eatuplives，somanythatnoonecancountthem，andgooneatingforever，yesuntothethirdandfourthgeneration，asTenCommandmentslayitdownforbenefitofChristianman，likeme。Lookatheragain，MissBarbara。“
MissBarbaratookthehateful，ancientthinginherhandsandstudiedit。Noonecoulddoubtitsantiquity，forthegoldplateofwhichitwasmadewasliterallywornawaywhereverithadtouchedtheforeheadsofthehighpriestsorpriestesseswhodonnedituponfestiveoccasionsordaysofsacrifice，showingthathundredsandhundredsofthemmusthaveuseditthusinsuccession。Sowasthevocalapparatuswithinthemouth，andsowerethelittletoad-likefeetuponwhichitwasstoodup。Alsothesubstanceofthegolditselfashereandtherepittedasthoughwithacidorsalts，thoughwhatthosesaltswereshedidnotinquire。Andyet，soconsummatewastheartwithwhichithadoriginallybeenfashioned，thatthebatteredbeautifulfaceofLittleBonsastillpeeredatthemwiththesamedevilishsmilethatithadwornwhenitleftthehandsofitsmaker，perhapsbeforeMohammedpreachedhisholywar，orevenearlier。
“Whatisallthatwritingonthebackofit？“askedBarbara，pointingtothelonglinesofrune-likecharacterswhichwereinscribedwithinit。
“Notknow，miss，thinktheydeadtonguecutinthebeginningwhenblackmencouldwrite。ButAsikipriestssweartheyremembereveryoneofthem，andthatwhynoonecancopyLittleBonsa，fortheylookinsideandseeifmarksallright。TheysaytheynamesofthosewhodiedforLittleBonsa，andwhentheyalldone，LittleBonsabeginagain，forLittleBonsaneverdie。Butp’rapspriestslie。“
“Idaresay，“saidBarbara，“buttakeLittleBonsaaway，forhoweverluckyshemaybe，shemakesmefeelsick。“
“WhereIputher，Major？“askedJeekieofAlan。“Inboxinlibrarywheresheusedtolive，orinplate-safewithspoons？Orunderyourbedwhereshealwayskeepeyeonyou？“
“Oh！putherwiththespoons，“saidAlanangrily，andJeekiedepartedwithhistreasure。
“Ithink，dear，“remarkedBarbaraasthedoorclosedbehindhim，“thatifIcometolunchhereanymore，Ishallbringmyownchristeningpresentwithme，forIcan’teatoffsilverthathasbeenshutupwiththatthing。Nowletusgettobusiness——showmethediaryandthemap。“
“DearestAlan，“wroteBarbarafromTheCourttwodayslater，“I
havebeenthinkingeverythingover，andsinceyouaresosetuponit，Isupposethatyouhadbettergo。Tomethewholeadventureseemsperfectlymad，butatthesametimeIbelieveinourluck，orratherintheProvidencewhichwatchesoverus，andIdon’tbelievethatyou，orIeither，willcometoanyharm。Ifyoustophere，youwillonlyeatyourheartoutandcommunicationbetweenusmustbecomeincreasinglydifficult。Myuncleisfuriouswithyou，andsincehediscoveredthatweweretalkingoverthetelephone，tohisowngreatinconveniencehehashadthewirescutoutsidethehouse。Thathorridletterofhistoyousayingthatyouhad’compromised’meinpursuanceofa’mercenaryscheme’isallpartandparcelofthesamething。Howareyoutostophereandsubmittosuchinsults？Iwenttoseemyfriendthelawyer，andhetellsmethatofcoursewecanmarryifwelike，butinthatcasemyfather’swill，whichhehasconsultedatSomersetHouse，isabsolutelydefinite，andifIdosoinoppositiontomyuncle’swishes，Imustloseeverythingexcept￡200ayear。NowI
amnomoney-grubber，butIwillnotgivemyunclethesatisfactionofrobbingmeofmyfortune，whichmaybeusefultobothofusbyandby。ThelawyersaysalsothathedoesnotthinkthattheCourtofChancerywouldinterfere，havingnopowertodosoasfarasthewillisconcerned，andnotbeingabletomakeawardofapersonlikemyselfwhoisoverageandhastheprotectionofthecommonlawofthecountry。Soitseemstomethattheonlythingtodoistobepatient，andwaituntiltimeuntiestheknot。
“Meanwhile，ifyoucanmakesomemoneyinAfrica，somuchthebetter。Sogo，Alan，goassoonasyoulike，forIdonotwishtoprolongthisagony，ortoseeyouexposeddailytoallyouhavetobear。Wheneveryoureturnyouwillfindmewaitingforyou，andifyoudonotreturn，stillIshallwait，asyouinlikecircumstanceswillwaitforme。ButIthinkyouwillreturn。“
Thenfollowedmuchthatneednotbewritten，andattheendapostscriptwhichran:
“IamgladtohearthatyouhavesucceededinshiftingthemortgageonYarleys，althoughtheinterestissohigh。Writetomewheneveryougetachance，tothecareofthelawyer，forthentheletterswillreachme，butnevertothishouse，ortheymaybestopped。I
willdothesametoyoutotheaddressyougive。Good-bye，dearestAlan，mytrueandonlylover。Iwonderwhereandwhenweshallmeetagain。Godbewithusbothandenableustobearourtrial。
“P。P。S。IhearthattheSaharaflotationwas/really/asuccess，notwithstandingthe/Judge/attacks。SirRobertandmyunclehavemademillions。Iwonderhowlongtheywillkeepthem。“
AweekafterhereceivedthisletterAlanwasontheseasheadingfortheshoresofWesternAfrica。
Itwasdawnatlast。AllnightithadrainedasitcanraininWestAfrica，fallingonthewideriverwithahissingsplash，sullenandcontinuous。Now，towardsmorning，therainhadceasedandeverywhereroseasoftandpearlymistthatclungtothefaceofthewatersandseemedtoentangleitselflikestrandsofwoolamongthebranchesoftheborderingtrees。Onthebankoftheriverataspotthathadbeenclearedofbush，stoodatent，andoutofthistentemergedawhitemanwearingasunhelmetandgreyflannelshirtandtrousers。ItwasAlanVernon，whointhesesurroundingslookedlargerandmorecommandingthanhehaddoneattheLondonoffice，oreveninhisownhouseofYarleys。Perhapsthemoustacheandshortbrownbeardwhichhehadgrown，orhisskin，alreadyalteredandtannedbythetropics，hadchangedhisappearanceforthebetter。Atanyrateitwaschanged。Sowerehismannerandbearing，whereofallthediffidencehadgone。Nowtheywerethoseofamanaccustomedtocommandwhofoundhimselfinhisrightplace。
“Jeekie，“hecalled，“wakeupthosefellowsandcomeandlighttheoil-stove。Iwantmycoffee。“
Thereonadeepvoicewasheardspeakinginsomenativetongueandsaying:
“Ceaseyoursnoring，youblackdogs，andarouseyourselves，foryourlordcallsyou，“aninvocationthatwasfollowedbythesoundofkicks，thumps，andmutteredcurses。
AminuteortwolaterJeekiehimselfappeared，andhealsowasmuchchangedinappearance，fornowinsteadofhissmart，Europeanclothes，heworeawhiterobeandsandalsthatgavehimanairatoncedignifiedandpatriarchal。
“Good-morning，Major，“hesaidcheerfully。“Ihopeyousleepwell，Major，inthislow-lyingandaccursedsituation，whichismorethanwedoinboatthathalffullofwater，tosaynothingofsmellofblackmanandprevalentmosquito。Buttherainitoverandgone，andpresentlythesunshineout，somightbemuchworse，nocauseatallcomplain。“
