nada the lily-第68章

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whom　I　have　been　bred　up；　says　that　he　has　deceived　me　these　many

years；　that　he　is　not　my　brother；　who；　then；　is　he；　father？〃



〃He　is　your　cousin；　Nada。〃



〃Ah；〃　she　answered；　〃I　am　glad。　It　would　have　grieved　me　had　he　whom　I

loved　been　shown　to　be　but　a　stranger　in　whom　I　have　no　part；〃　and　she

smiled　a　little　in　the　eyes　and　at　the　corners　of　her　mouth。　〃But　tell

me　this　tale　also。〃



So　I　told　her　the　tale　of　the　birth　of　Umslopogaas；　for　I　trusted　her。



〃Ah；〃　she　said；　when　I　had　finished；　〃ah！　you　come　of　a　bad　stock；

Umslopogaas；　though　it　is　a　kingly　one。　I　shall　love　you　little

henceforth；　child　of　the　hyena　man。〃



〃Then　that　is　bad　news；〃　said　Umslopogaas；　〃for　know；　Nada；　I　desire

now　that　you　should　love　me　more　than　everthat　you　should　be　my　wife

and　love　me　as　your　husband！〃



Now　the　Lily's　face　grew　sad　and　sweet；　and　all　the　hidden　mockery

went　out　of　her　talkfor　Nada　loved　to　mock。



〃Did　you　not　speak　to　me　on　that　night　in　the　Halakazi　caves；

Umslopogaas；　of　one　Zinita；　who　is　your　wife；　and　Inkosikaas　of　the

People　of　the　Axe？〃



Then　the　brow　of　Umslopogaas　darkened：　〃What　of　Zinita？〃　he　said。　〃It

is　true　she　is　my　chieftainess；　is　it　not　allowed　a　man　to　take　more

than　one　wife？〃



〃So　I　trust；〃　answered　Nada；　smiling；　〃else　men　would　go　unwed　for

long；　for　few　maids　would　marry　them　who　then　must　labour　alone　all

their　days。　But；　Umslopogaas；　if　there　are　twenty　wives；　yet　one　must

be　first。　Now　this　has　come　about　hitherto：　that　wherever　I　have　been

it　has　been　thrust　upon　me　to　be　first；　and　perhaps　it　might　be　thus

once　morewhat　then；　Umslopogaas？〃



〃Let　the　fruit　ripen　before　you　pluck　it；　Nada；〃　he　answered。　〃If　you

love　me　and　will　wed　me；　it　is　enough。〃



〃I　pray　that　it　may　not　be　more　than　enough；〃　she　said；　stretching　out

her　hand　to　him。　〃Listen；　Umslopogaas：　ask　my　father　here　what　were

the　words　I　spoke　to　him　many　years　ago；　before　I　was　a　woman；　when；

with　my　mother；　Macropha；　I　left　him　to　go　among　the　Swazi　people。　It

was　after　you　had　been　borne　away　by　the　lion；　Umslopogaas；　I　told　my

father　that　I　would　marry　no　man　all　my　life；　because　I　loved　only

you；　who　were　dead。　My　father　reproached　me；　saying　that　I　must　not

speak　thus　of　my　brother；　but　it　was　my　heart　which　spoke；　and　it

spoke　truly；　for　see；　Umslopogaas；　you　are　no　brother　to　me！　I　have

kept　that　vow。　How　many　men　have　sort　me　in　wedlock　since　I　became　a

woman；　Umslopogaas？　I　tell　you　that　they　are　as　the　leaves　upon　a

tree。　Yet　I　have　given　myself　to　none；　and　this　has　been　my　fortune：

that　none　have　sought　to　constrain　me　to　marriage。　Now　I　have　my

reward；　for　he　whom　I　lost　is　found　again；　and　to　him　alone　I　give　my

love。　Yet；　Umslopogaas；　beware！　Little　luck　has　come　to　those　who　have

loved　me　in　the　past；　no；　not　even　to　those　who　have　but　sought　to

look　on　me。〃



〃I　will　bear　the　risk；　Nada；〃　the　Slaughterer　answered；　and　gathering

her　to　his　great　breast　he　kissed　her。



Presently　she　slipped　from　his　arms　and　bade　him　begone；　for　she　was

weary　and　would　rest。



So　he　went。







CHAPTER　XXXI



THE　WAR　OF　THE　WOMEN



Now　on　the　morrow　at　daybreak；　leaving　his　wolves；　Galazi　came　down

from　the　Ghost　Mountain　and　passed　through　the　gates　of　the　kraal。



In　front　of　my　hut　he　saw　Nada　the　Lily　and　saluted　her；　for　each

remembered　the　other。　Then　he　walked　on　to　the　place　of　assembly　and

spoke　to　me。



〃So　the　Star　of　Death　has　risen　on　the　People　of　the　Axe；　Mopo；〃　he

said。　〃Was　it　because　of　her　coming　that　my　grey　people　howled　so

strangely　last　night？　I　cannot　tell；　but　I　know　this；　the　Star　shone

first　on　me　this　morning；　and　that　is　my　doom。　Well；　she　is　fair

enough　to　be　the　doom　of　many；　Mopo；〃　and　he　laughed　and　passed　on；

swinging　the　Watcher。　But　his　words　troubled　me；　though　they　were

foolish；　for　I　could　not　but　remember　that　wherever　the　beauty　of　Nada

had　pleased　the　sight　of　men；　there　men　had　been　given　to　death。



Then　I　went　to　lead　Nada　to　the　place　of　assembly　and　found　her

awaiting　me。　She　was　dressed　now　in　some　woman's　garments　that　I　had

brought　her；　her　curling　hair　fell　upon　her　shoulders；　on　her　wrist

and　neck　and　knee　were　bracelets　of　ivory；　and　in　her　hand　she　bore　a

lily　bloom　which　she　had　gathered　as　she　went　to　bathe　in　the　river。

Perhaps　she　did　this；　my　father；　because　she　wished　here；　as

elsewhere；　to　be　known　as　the　Lily；　and　it　is　the　Zulu　fashion　to　name

people　from　some　such　trifle。　But　who　can　know　a　woman's　reason；　or

whether　a　thing　is　by　chance　alone；　my　father？　Also　she　had　begged　me

of　a　cape　I　had；　it　was　cunningly　made　by　Basutus；　of　the　whitest

feathers　of　the　ostrich；　this　she　put　about　her　shoulders；　and　it　hung

down　to　her　middle。　It　had　been　a　custom　with　Nada　from　childhood　not

to　go　about　as　do　other　girls；　naked　except　for　their　girdles；　for　she

would　always　find　some　rag　or　skin　to　lie　upon　her　breast。　Perhaps　it

was　because　her　skin　was　fairer　than　that　of　other　women；　or　perhaps

because　she　knew　that　she　who　hides　her　beauty　often　seems　the

loveliest；　or　because　there　was　truth　in　the　tale　of　her　white　blood

and　the　fashion　came　to　her　with　the　blood。　I　do　not　know；　my　father；

at　the　least　she　did　so。



Now　I　took　Nada　by　the　hand　and　led　her　through　the　morning　air　to　the

place　of　assembly；　and　ah！　she　was　sweeter　than　the　air　and　fairer

than　the　dawn。



There　were　many　people　in　the　place　of　assembly；　for　it　was　the　day　of

the　monthly　meeting　of　the　council　of　the　headmen；　and　there　also　were

all　the　women　of　the　kraal；　and　at　their　head　stood　Zinita。　Now　it　had

got　about　that　the　girl　whom　the　Slaughterer　went　to　seek　in　the　caves

of　the　Halakazi　had　come　to　the　kraal　of　the　People　of　the　Axe；　and

all　eyes　watched　for　her。



〃Wow！〃　said　the　men　as　she　passed　smiling；　looking　neither　to　the

right　nor　to　the　left；　yet　seeing　all〃Wow！　but　this　flower　is　fair！

Little　wonder　that　the　Halakazi　died　for　her！〃



The　women　looked　also；　but　they　said　nothing　of　the　beauty　of　Nada；

they　scarcely　seemed　to　see　it。



〃That　is　she　for　whose　sake　so　many　of　our　people　lie　unburied；〃　said

one。



〃Where；　then；　does　she　find　her　fine　clothes？〃　quoth　another；　〃she　who

came　here　last　night　a　footsore　wanderer？〃



〃Feathers　are　not　enough　for　her：　look！　she　must　bear　flowers　also。

Surely　they　are　fitter　to　her　hands　than　the　handle　of　a　hoe；〃　said　a

third。



〃Now　I　think　that　the　chief　of　the　People　of　the　Axe　will　find　one　to

worship　above　the　axe；　and　that　some　will　be　left　mourning；〃　put　in　a

fourth；　glancing　at　Zinita　and　the　other　women　of　the　household　of　the

Slaughterer。



Thus　they　spoke；　throwing　words　like　assegais；　and　Nada　heard　them

all；　and　knew　their　meaning；　but　she　never　ceased　from　smiling。　Only

Zinita　said　nothing；　but　stood　looking　at　Nada　from　beneath　her　bent

brows；　while　by　one　hand　she　held　the　little　daughter　of　Umslopogaas；

her　child；　and　with　the　other　played　with　the　beads　about　her　neck。

Presently；　we　passed　her；　and　Nada；　knowing　well　who　this　must　be；

turned　her　eyes　full　upon　the　angry　eyes　of　Zinita；　and　held　them

there　awhile。　Now　what　there　was　in　the　glance　of　Nada　I　cannot　say；

but　I　know　that　Zinita；　who　was　afraid　of　few　things；　found　something

to　fear　in　it。　At　the　least；　it　was　she　who　turned　her　head　away；　and

the　Lily　passed　on　smiling；　and　greeted　Umslopogaas　with　a　little　nod。



〃Hail；　Nada！〃　said　the　Slaughterer。　Then　he　turned　to　his　headmen　and

spoke：　〃This　is　she　whom　we　went　to　the　caves　of　the　Halakazi　to　seek

for　Dingaan。　Ou！　the　story　is　known　now；　one　told　it　up　at　the　kraal

Umgugundhlovu　who　shall　tell　it　no　more。　She　prayed　me　to　save　her

from　Dingaan；　and　so　I　did；　and　all　would　have　gone　well　had　it　not

been　for　a　certain　traitor　who　is　done　with；　for　I　took　another　to

Dingaan。　Look　on　her　now；　my　friends；　and　say　if　I　did　not　well　to　win

herthe　Lily　flower；　such　as　there　is　no　o