Hans, however, who arrived to help me put on my best clothes for the ceremony, was for once consoling.
"Don't look sick, baas," he said, "for if there is storm in the morning, there is shine at night." "Yes," I answered, speaking more to myself than to him, "but what will happen between the storm of the morning and the peace of the night ?" It was arranged that the commission, which, counting the native after-riders, consisted of over a hundred people, among them several boys, who were little more than children, was to ride at one hour before noon.

Nobody could get about to make the necessary preparations until the heavy rain had passed away, which it did a little after eight o'clock.

Therefore when I left the wagon to eat, or try to eat some breakfast, I found the whole camp in a state of bustle.
Boers were shouting to their servants, horses were being examined, women were packing the saddle-bags of their husbands and fathers with spare clothes, the pack-beasts were being laden with biltong and other provisions, and so forth.
In the midst of all this tumult I began to wonder whether my private business would not be forgotten, since it seemed unlikely that time could be found for marriages.

However, about ten o'clock when, having done everything that I had to do, I was sitting disconsolately upon my wagon box, being too shy to mix with that crowd of busy mockers or to go to the Prinsloos' camp to make inquiries, the vrouw herself appeared.
"Come on, Allan," she said, "the commandant is waiting and swearing because you are not there.

Also, there is another waiting, and oh! she looks lovely.