He asked me if I would like to assist, but I declined respectfully, having no taste for such things.

So I left him boiling his instruments and putting on what looked like a clean nightgown over his clothes, and returned to the stoep.
Here I found Marnham, whose eyes were rather bloodshot, though otherwise, except for a shaky hand, he seemed right enough.

He murmured something about having overslept himself and inquired very politely, for his manners were beautiful, after Anscombe and as to whether we were quite comfortable and so forth.

After this I consulted him as to the best road for our servants to travel by to Pretoria, and later on despatched them, giving Footsack various notes to ensure the delivery of the oxen to him.

Also I gave him some money to pay for their keep and told him with many threats to get back with the beasts as quick as he could travel.
Then I sent him and the two other boys off, not without misgivings, although he was an experienced man in his way and promised faithfully to fulfil every injunction to the letter.