第28部分(第6/7 頁)

until　August　11；　1880。

The　circumstance　of　my　marriage　gave　me　pause　as　to　my　plan　of　leading　a　farmer’s　life　in　South　Africa；　and　as　my　father　and　family　were　very　anxious　that　I　should　re…enter　the　Colonial　Service；　I　made　some　attempt　to　do　so。　It　is；　however；　one　thing　to　give　up　a　billet　and　quite　another　to　get　it　back　again。　Had　Sir　Theophilus　Shepstone　or　even　Sir　Owen　Lanyon　still　been　in　power　in　the　Transvaal；　doubtless　there　would　have　been　little　difficulty。　But　a　new　Pharaoh　had　arisen　in　the　shape　of　Sir　Gar　Wolseley　who　knew　not　Joseph；　and　probably　wished　to　keep　any　available　patronage　in　his　own　hands。　At　any　rate；　on　the　matter　being　referred　to　him；　he　replied　“that　arrangements　are　in　contemplation　which　prevent　your　reinstatement　in　the　office　of　Master　of　the　High　Court　in　the　Transvaal。”

Those　“arrangements”　were　indeed　a　blessing　in　disguise；　since；　had　I　been　reinstated；　we　should　have　had　the　pleasure；　as　I　have　shown；　of　going　through　the　siege　of　Pretoria；　and　on　the　Retrocession　I　should　have　been　dismissed　from　my　office　without　pensation；　as　I　believe　happened　to　the　gentleman　who　succeeded　me。　It　was　one　of　the　peculiar　cruelties　of　that　act　that　Englishmen　who　had　taken　service　under　the　British　Government　in　the　Transvaal　were　treated　thus；　since；　of　course；　even　if　the　opportunity　had　been　given；　they　could　scarcely　transfer　their　allegiance　from　the　Queen　to　a　Boer　Republic。　But；　after　all；　they　suffered　no　worse　things　than　scores　of　British　subjects　whose　farms　were　looted；　and　who　in　practice　were　left　to　send　in　their　bill　to　their　new　Dutch　masters　—　with　results　that　may　be　imagined。

When　I　went　home　in　1879　Mr。　（or；　as　he　afterwards　became；　Sir　Melmoth）　Obsorn　entrusted　me　with　the　guardianship　of　his　son