Suddenly he started to his feet, walked up to the picture, and took his stand before it.

Long and wistfully he gazed into its features; it was easy to see that he was deeply moved.

With a sudden movement, as though no longer able to restrain himself, he seized the picture, loosened it from its nail, and held it close to his eyes.

At length, turning to the Boer-woman, he said, in a voice of deep emotion: "You will, I trust, dear madam, excuse this exhibition of my feelings; but this--this little picture recalls to me my first and best beloved, my dear departed wife, who is now a saint in heaven." Tant Sannie could not understand; but the Hottentot maid, who had taken her seat on the floor beside her mistress, translated the English into Dutch as far as she was able.
"Ah, my first, my beloved!" he added, looking tenderly down at the picture.

"Oh, the beloved, the beautiful lineaments! My angel wife! This is surely a sister of yours, madame ?" he added, fixing his eyes on Tant Sannie.
The Dutchwoman blushed, shook her head, and pointed to herself.
Carefully, intently, Bonaparte looked from the picture in his hand to Tant Sannie's features, and from the features back to the picture.