It was a square, comfortable-looking mansion, with the Dutch stoep in front, and the half-arch of small-paned glass above the front door, which was painted white and bore a massive brass knocker.

"Get on to the stoep!

As she listened, these drew nearer, and soon she heard footsteps on the stoep outside.

The smell of tobacco wafted in, and she realized that the two men were sitting smoking together on the stoep.

She lay for awhile watching the orange light of evening gleaming through the creeper that entwined the comer of the stoep outside her window.

The voices on the stoep recalled her.

She fancied that it was out of sight of the two men on the stoep, but as she reached it, she realized her mistake.

"Come and sit on the stoep!

Very reluctantly she moved out on to the wooden stoep, and turned towards the visitor.

She was somewhat surprised to see Burke take him unceremoniously by the shoulder as he stood before her and march him off the stoep.

It was a considerable shock to her to find them in possession of the stoep when she rode up, but the sight of the red-faced Englishman who strode out to meet her reassured her in a moment.

" She gave her horse to a Kaffir boy, and went with her new friend up the steps of the stoep.

Haven't you got a verandah evenI beg its pardon, a stoep?" "We have nothing at all that makes for comfort," declared Mrs. Merston, with bitter emphasis.

I'll smoke a pipe on the stoep," he said.

They parted before the stoep, he leading her animal away, she going within to attend to the many duties of her household.

She was at length restlessly superintending the laying of lunch when Joe hurried in with the news that a baas was waiting on the stoep round the corner to see her.

They went out on to the stoep to smoke cigarettes when it was over, and drink the coffee which she went to prepare.

Stepping out on to the stoep with her tray, she saw him bent over the back of a chair, convulsed with coughing, and stood still in alarm.

One day, returning from a ride to find Fair Rosamond swabbing the floor of the stoep with her bath-sponge, she lost her temper completely and wholly unexpectedly, and cut the girl across her naked shoulders with her riding-switch.

It was in the guttural tones of Hans Schafen the overseer, and with a jerk she remembered that the man always sat on the corner of the stoep to await Burke if he arrived before their return from the lands.

Perhaps he had already heard what a few seconds later reached her own ears,the sound of Guy's feet upon the stoep outside the window.

She wrenched herself free from these nightmares in the very early morning while the stars were still in the sky, and went out on to the stoep to banish the evil illusions from her brain.

But the moment passed so quickly, sped by the sound of Kelly's feet upon the stoep, and Burke's arm pressed her close and then fell away.

He would be sure to smoke his pipe on the stoep before turning in.

He was scarcely aware of them in his desire to be gone, merely throwing an order here and there as he partook of a hasty breakfast, and then striding forth to their vast relief to mount into the Cape cart with its two skittish horses that awaited him beyond the stoep.