nada the lily-第69章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

herthe　Lily　flower；　such　as　there　is　no　other　in　the　world；　to　be

the　joy　of　the　People　of　the　Axe　and　a　wife　to　me。〃



With　one　accord　the　headmen　answered：　〃Indeed　you　did　well；

Slaughterer；〃　for　the　glamour　of　Nada　was　upon　them　and　they　would

cherish　her　as　others　had　cherished　her。　Only　Galazi　the　Wolf　shook

his　head。　But　he　said　nothing；　for　words　do　not　avail　against　fate。

Now　as　I　found　afterwards；　since　Zinita；　the　head　wife　of　Umslopogaas；

had　learned　of　what　stock　he　was；　she　had　known　that　Nada　was　no

sister　to　him。　Yet　when　she　heard　him　declare　that　he　was　about　to

take　the　Lily　to　wife　she　turned　upon　him；　saying：



〃How　can　this　be；　Lord？〃



〃Why　do　you　ask；　Zinita？〃　he　answered。　〃Is　it　not　allowed　to　a　man　to

take　another　wife　if　he　will？〃



〃Surely；　Lord；〃　she　said；　〃but　men　do　not　wed　their　sisters；　and　I

have　heard　that　it　was　because　this　Nada　was　your　sister　that　you

saved　her　from　Dingaan；　and　brought　the　wrath　of　Dingaan　upon　the

People　of　the　Axe；　the　wrath　that　shall　destroy　them。〃



〃So　I　thought　then；　Zinita；〃　he　answered；　〃now　I　know　otherwise。　Nada

is　daughter　to　Mopo　yonder　indeed；　but　he　is　no　father　to　me；　though

he　has　been　named　so；　nor　was　the　mother　of　Nada　my　mother。　That　is

so；　Councillors。〃



Then　Zinita　looked　at　me　and　muttered；　〃O　fool　of　a　Mouth；　not　for

nothing　did　I　fear　evil　at　your　hands。〃



I　heard　the　words　and　took　no　note；　and　she　poke　again　to　Umslopogaas；

saying：　〃Here　is　a　mystery；　O　Lord　Bulalio。　Will　it　then　please　you　to

declare　to　us　who　is　your　father？〃



〃I　have　no　father；〃　he　answered；　waxing　wroth；　〃the　heavens　above　are

my　father。　I　am　born　of　Blood　and　Fire；　and　she；　the　Lily；　is　born　of

Beauty　to　be　my　mate。　Now；　woman；　be　silent。〃　He　thought　awhile；　and

added；　〃Nay；　if　you　will　know；　my　father　was　Indabazimbi　the　Witch…

finder；　the　smeller…out　of　the　king；　the　son　of　Arpi。〃　This

Umslopogaas　said　at　a　hazard；　since；　having　denied　me；　he　must　declare

a　father；　and　dared　not　name　the　Black　One　who　was　gone。　But　in　after

years　the　saying　was　taken　up　in　the　land；　and　it　was　told　that

Umslopogaas　was　the　son　of　Indabazimbi　the　Witch…finder；　who　had　long

ago　fled　the　land；　nor　did　he　deny　it。　For　when　all　this　game　had　been

played　out　he　would　not　have　it　known　that　he　was　the　son　of　Chaka；　he

who　no　longer　sought　to　be　a　king；　lest　he　should　bring　down　the　wrath

of　Panda　upon　him。



When　the　people　heard　this　they　thought　that　Umslopogaas　mocked

Zinita；　and　yet　in　his　anger　he　spoke　truth　when　he　said　first　that　he

was　born　of　the　〃heavens　above；〃　for　so　we　Zulus　name　the　king；　and　so

the　witch…doctor　Indabazimbi　named　Chaka　on　the　day　of　the　great

smelling　out。　But　they　did　not　take　it　in　this　sense。　They　held　that

he　spoke　truly　when　he　gave　it　out　that　he　was　born　of　Indabazimbi　the

Witch…doctor；　who　had　fled　the　land；　whither　I　do　not　know。



Then　Nada　turned　to　Zinita　and　spoke　to　her　in　a　sweet　and　gentle

voice：　〃If　I　am　not　sister　to　Bulalio；　yet　I　shall　soon　be　sister　to

you　who　are　the　Chief's　Inkosikaas；　Zinita。　Shall　that　not　satisfy

you；　and　will　you　not　greet　me　kindly　and　with　a　kiss　of　peace；　who

have　come　from　far　to　be　your　sister；　Zinita？〃　and　Nada　held　out　her

hands　towards　her；　though　whether　she　did　this　from　the　heart　or

because　she　would　put　herself　in　the　right　before　the　people　I　do　not

know。　But　Zinita　scowled；　and　jerked　at　her　necklace　of　beads；

breaking　the　string　on　which　they　were　threaded；　so　that　the　beads

rolled　upon　the　black　earthen　floor　this　way　and　that。



〃Keep　your　kisses　for　our　lord；　girl；〃　Zinita　said　roughly。　〃As　my

beads　are　scattered　so　shall　you　scatter　this　People　of　the　Axe。〃



Now　Nada　turned　away　with　a　little　sigh；　and　the　people　murmured；　for

they　thought　that　Zinita　had　treated　her　badly。　Then　she　stretched　out

her　hand　again；　and　gave　the　lily　in　it　to　Umslopogaas；　saying：



〃Here　is　a　token　of　our　betrothal；　Lord；　for　never　a　head　of　cattle

have　my　father　and　I　to　sendwe　who　are　outcasts；　and；　indeed；　the

bridegroom　must　pay　the　cattle。　May　I　bring　you　peace　and　love；　my

Lord！〃



Umslopogaas　took　the　flower；　and　looked　somewhat　foolish　with　ithe

who　was　wont　to　carry　the　axe；　and　not　a　flower；　and　so　that　talk　was

ended。



Now　as　it　chanced；　this　was　that　day　of　the　year　when；　according　to

ancient　custom；　the　Holder　of　the　Axe　must　challenge　all　and　sundry　to

come　up　against　him　to　fight　in　single　combat　for　Groan…Maker　and　the

chieftainship　of　the　people。　Therefore；　when　the　talk　was　done；

Umslopogaas　rose　and　went　through　the　challenge；　not　thinking　that　any

would　answer　him；　since　for　some　years　none　had　dared　to　stand　before

his　might。　Yet　three　men　stepped　forward；　and　of　these　two　were

captains；　and　men　whom　the　Slaughterer　loved。　With　all　the　people；　he

looked　at　them　astonished。



〃How　is　this？〃　he　said　in　a　low　voice　to　that　captain　who　was　nearest

and　who　would　do　battle　with　him。



For　answer　the　man　pointed　to　the　Lily；　who　stood　by。　Then　Umslopogaas

understood　that　because　of　the　medicine　of　Nada's　beauty　all　men

desired　to　win　her；　and；　since　he　who　could　win　the　axe　would　take　her

also；　he　must　look　to　fight　with　many。　Well；　fight　he　must　or　be

shamed。



Of　the　fray　there　is　little　to　tell。　Umslopogaas　killed　first　one　man

and　then　the　other；　and　swiftly；　for；　growing　fearful；　the　third　did

not　come　up　against　him。



〃Ah！〃　said　Galazi；　who　watched；　〃what　did　I　tell　you；　Mopo？　The　curse

begins　to　work。　Death　walks　ever　with　that　daughter　of　yours；　old

man。〃



〃I　fear　so；〃　I　answered；　〃and　yet　the　maiden　is　fair　and　good　and

sweet。〃



〃That　will　not　mend　matters；〃　said　Galazi。



Now　on　that　day　Umslopogaas　took　Nada　the　Lily　to　wife；　and　for　awhile

there　was　peace　and　quiet。　But　this　evil　thing　came　upon　Umslopogaas；

that；　from　the　day　when　he　wedded　Nada；　he　hated　even　to　look　upon

Zinita；　and　not　at　her　alone；　but　on　all　his　other　wives　also。　Galazi

said　it　was　because　Nada　had　bewitched　him；　but　I　know　well　that　the

only　witcheries　she　used　were　the　medicine　of　her　eyes；　her　beauty；

and　her　love。　Still；　it　came　to　pass　that　henceforward；　and　until　she

had　long　been　dead；　the　Slaughterer　loved　her；　and　her　alone；　and　that

is　a　strange　sickness　to　come　upon　a　man。



As　may　be　guessed；　my　father；　Zinita　and　the　other　women　took　this

ill。　They　waited　awhile；　indeed；　thinking　that　it　would　wear　away；

then　they　began　to　murmur；　both　to　their　husband　and　in　the　ears　of

other　people；　till　at　length　there　were　two　parties　in　the　town；　the

party　of　Zinita　and　the　party　of　Nada。



The　party　of　Zinita　was　made　up　of　women　and　of　certain　men　who　loved

and　feared　their　wives；　but　that　of　Nada　was　the　greatest；　and　it　was

all　of　men；　with　Umslopogaas　at　the　head　of　them；　and　from　this

division　came　much　bitterness　abroad；　and　quarrelling　in　the　huts。　Yet

neither　the　Lily　nor　Umslopogaas　heeded　it　greatly；　nor　indeed；

anything；　so　lost　and　well　content　were　they　in　each　other's　love。



Now　on　a　certain　morning；　after　they　had　been　married　three　full

moons；　Nada　came　from　her　husband's　hut　when　the　sun　was　already　high；

and　went　down　through　the　rock　gully　to　the　river　to　bathe。　On　the

right　of　the　path　to　the　river　lay　the　mealie…fields　of　the　chief；　and

in　them　laboured　Zinita　and　the　other　women　of　Umslopogaas；　weeding

the　mealie…plants。　They　looked　up　and　saw　Nada　pass；　then　worked　on

sullenly。　After　awhile　they　saw　her　come　again　fresh　from　the　bath；

very　fair　to　see；　and　having　flowers　twined　among　her　hair；　and　as　she

walked　she　sang　a　song　of　love。　Now　Zinita　cast　down　her　hoe。



〃Is　this　to　be　borne；　my　sisters？〃　she　said。



〃No；〃　answered　another；　〃it　is　not　to　be　borne。　What　shall　we　do

shall　we　fall　upon　her　and　kill　her　now？〃



〃It　would　be　more　just　to　kill　Bulalio；　our　lord；〃　answered　Zinita。

〃Nada　is　bu