nada the lily-第70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！





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

〃Nada　is　but　a　woman；　and；　after　the　fashion　of　us　women；　takes　all

that　she　can　gather。　But　he　is　a　man　and　a　chief；　and　should　know

wisdom　and　justice。〃



〃She　has　bewitched　him　with　her　beauty。　Let　us　kill　her；〃　said　the

other　women。



〃Nay；〃　answered　Zinita；　〃I　will　speak　with　her；〃　and　she　went　and

stood　in　the　path　along　which　the　Lily　walked　singing；　her　arms　folded

across　her　breast。



Now　Nada　saw　her　and；　ceasing　her　song；　stretched　out　her　hand　to

welcome　her；　saying；　〃Greeting；　sister。〃　But　Zinita　did　not　take　it。

〃It　is　not　fitting；　sister；〃　she　said；　〃that　my　hand；　stained　with

toil；　should　defile　yours；　fresh　with　the　scent　of　flowers。　But　I　am

charged　with　a　message；　on　my　own　behalf　and　the　behalf　of　the　other

wives　of　our　Lord　Bulalio；　the　weeds　grow　thick　in　yonder　corn；　and　we

women　are　few；　now　that　your　love　days　are　over；　will　not　you　come　and

help　us？　If　you　brought　no　hoe　from　your　Swazi　home；　surely　we　will

buy　you　one。〃



Now　Nada　saw　what　was　meant；　and　the　blood　poured　to　her　head。　Yet　she

answered　calmly：



〃I　would　willingly　do　this；　my　sister；　though　I　have　never　laboured　in

the　fields；　for　wherever　I　have　dwelt　the　men　have　kept　me　back　from

all　work；　save　such　as　the　weaving　of　flowers　or　the　stringing　of

beads。　But　there　is　this　against　itUmslopogaas；　my　husband；　charged

me　that　I　should　not　toil　with　my　hands；　and　I　may　not　disobey　my

husband。〃



〃Our　husband　charged　you　so；　Nada？　Nay；　then　it　is　strange。　See；　now；

I　am　his　head　wife；　his　Inkosikaasit　was　I　who　taught　him　how　to　win

the　axe。　Yet　he　has　laid　no　command　on　me　that　I　should　not　labour　in

the　fields　after　the　fashion　of　women；　I　who　have　borne　him　children；

nor；　indeed；　has　he　laid　such　a　command　upon　any　of　our　sisters；　his

other　wives。　Can　it　then　be　that　Bulalio　loves　you　better　than　us；

Nada？〃



Now　the　Lily　was　in　a　trap；　and　she　knew　it。　So　she　grew　bold。



〃One　must　be　most　loved；　Zinita；〃　she　said；　〃as　one　must　be　most　fair。

You　have　had　your　hour；　leave　me　mine；　perhaps　it　will　be　short。

Moreover　this：　Umslopogaas　and　I　loved　each　other　much　long　years

before　you　or　any　of　his　wives　saw　him；　and　we　love　each　other　to　the

end。　There　is　no　more　to　say。〃



〃Nay；　Nada；　there　is　still　something　to　say；　there　is　this　to　say：

Choose　one　of　two　things。　Go　and　leave　us　to　be　happy　with　our　lord；

or　stay　and　bring　death　on　all。〃



Now　Nada　thought　awhile；　and　answered：　〃Did　I　believe　that　my　love

would　bring　death　on　him　I　love；　it　might　well　chance　that　I　would　go

and　leave　him；　though　to　do　so　would　be　to　die。　But；　Zinita；　I　do　not

believe　it。　Death　chiefly　loves　the　weak；　and　if　he　falls　it　will　be

on　the　Flower；　not　on　the　Slayer　of　Men；〃　and　she　slipped　past　Zinita

and　went　on；　singing　no　more。



Zinita　watched　her　till　she　was　over　the　ridge；　and　her　face　grew　evil

as　she　watched。　Then　she　returned　to　the　women。



〃The　Lily　flouts　us　all；　my　sisters；〃　she　said。　〃Now　listen：　my

counsel　is　that　we　declare　a　feast　of　women　to　be　held　at　the　new　moon

in　a　secret　place　far　away。　All　the　women　and　the　children　shall　come

to　it　except　Nada；　who　will　not　leave　her　lover；　and　if　there　be　any

man　whom　a　woman　loves；　perhaps；　my　sisters；　that　man　would　do　well　to

go　on　a　journey　about　the　time　of　the　new　moon；　for　evil　things　may

happen　at　the　town　of　the　People　of　the　Axe　while　we　are　away

celebrating　our　feast。〃



〃What；　then；　shall　befall；　my　sister？〃　asked　one。



〃Nay；　how　can　I　tell？〃　she　answered。　〃I　only　know　that　we　are　minded

to　be　rid　of　Nada；　and　thus　to　be　avenged　on　a　man　who　has　scorned　our

loveay；　and　on　those　men　who　follow　after　the　beauty　of　Nada。　Is　it

not　so；　my　sisters？〃



〃It　is　so；〃　they　answered。



〃Then　be　silent　on　the　matter；　and　let　us　give　out　our　feast。〃



Now　Nada　told　Umslopogaas　of　those　words　which　she　had　bandied　with

Zinita；　and　the　Slaughterer　was　troubled。　Yet；　because　of　his

foolishness　and　of　the　medicine　of　Nada's　eyes；　he　would　not　turn　from

his　way；　and　was　ever　at　her　side；　thinking　of　little　else　except　of

her。　Thus；　when　Zinita　came　to　him；　and　asked　leave　to　declare　a　feast

of　women　that　should　be　held　far　away；　he　consented；　and　gladly；　for；

above　all　things；　he　desired　to　be　free　from　Zinita　and　her　angry

looks　for　awhile；　nor　did　he　suspect　a　plot。　Only　he　told　her　that

Nada　should　not　go　to　the　feast；　and　in　a　breath　both　Zinita　and　Nada

answered　that　is　word　was　their　will；　as　indeed　it　was；　in　this

matter。



Now　I；　Mopo；　saw　the　glamour　that　had　fallen　upon　my　fosterling；　and

spoke　of　it　with　Galazi；　saying　that　a　means　must　be　found　to　wake

him。　Then　I　took　Galazi　fully　into　my　mind；　and　told　him　all　that　he

did　not　know　of　Umslopogaas；　and　that　was　little。　Also；　I　told　him　of

my　plans　to　bring　the　Slaughterer　to　the　throne；　and　of　what　I　had

done　to　that　end；　and　of　what　I　proposed　to　do；　and　this　was　to　go　in

person　on　a　journey　to　certain　of　the　great　chiefs　and　win　them　over。



Galazi　listened；　and　said　that　it　was　well　or　ill；　as　the　chance　might

be。　For　his　part；　he　believed　that　the　daughter　would　pull　down　faster

than　I；　the　father；　could　build　up；　and　he　pointed　to　Nada；　who　walked

past　us；　following　Umslopogaas。



Yet　I　determined　to　go；　and　that　was　on　the　day　before　Zinita　won

leave　to　celebrate　the　feast　of　women。　So　I　sought　Umslopogaas　and

told　him；　and　he　listened　indifferently；　for　he　would　be　going　after

Nada；　and　wearied　of　my　talk　of　policy。　I　bade　him　farewell　and　left

him；　to　Nada　also　I　bade　farewell。　She　kissed　me；　yet　the　name　of　her

husband　was　mingled　with　her　good…bye。



〃Now　madness　has　come　upon　these　two；〃　I　said　to　myself。　〃Well；　it

will　wear　off；　they　will　be　changed　before　I　come　again。〃



I　guessed　little；　my　father；　how　changed　they　would　be。







CHAPTER　XXXII



ZINITA　COMES　TO　THE　KING



Dingaan　the　king　sat　upon　a　day　in　the　kraal　Umgugundhlovu；　waiting

till　his　impis　should　return　from　the　Income　that　is　now　named　the

Blood　River。　He　had　sent　them　thither　to　destroy　the　laager　of　the

Boers；　and　thence；　as　he　thought；　they　would　presently　return　with

victory。　Idly　he　sat　in　the　kraal；　watching　the　vultures　wheel　above

the　Hill　of　Slaughter；　and　round　him　stood　a　regiment。



〃My　birds　are　hungry；〃　he　said　to　a　councillor。



〃Doubtless　there　shall　soon　be　meat　to　feed　them；　O　King！〃　the

councillor　answered。



As　he　spoke　one　came　near；　saying　that　a　woman　sought　leave　to　speak

to　the　king　upon　some　great　matter。



〃Let　her　come；〃　he　answered；　〃I　am　sick　for　tidings；　perhaps　she　can

tell　of　the　impi。〃



Presently　the　woman　was　led　in。　She　was　tall　and　fair；　and　she　held

two　children　by　the　hand。



〃What　is　thine　errand？〃　asked　Dingaan。



〃Justice；　O　King；〃　she　answered。



〃Ask　for　blood；　it　shall　be　easier　to　find。〃



〃I　ask　blood；　O　King。〃



〃The　blood　of　whom？〃



〃The　blood　of　Bulalio　the　Slaughterer；　Chief　of　the　People　of　the　Axe；

the　blood　of　Nada　the　Lily；　and　of　all　those　who　cling　to　her。〃



Now　Dingaan　sprang　up　and　swore　an　oath　by　the　head　of　the　Black　One

who　was　gone。



〃What？〃　he　cried；　〃does　the　Lily；　then；　live　as　the　soldier　thought？〃



〃She　lives；　O　King。　She　is　wife　to　the　Slaughterer；　and　because　of　her

witchcraft　he　has　put　me；　his　first　wife；　away　against　all　law　and

honour。　Therefore　I　ask　vengeance　on　the　witch　and　vengeance　also　on

him　who　was　my　husband。〃



〃Thou　art　a　good　wife；〃　said　the　king。　〃May　my　watching　spirit　save　me

from　such　a　one。　Hearken！　I　would　gladly　grant　thy　desire；　for　I；　too；

hate　this　Slaughterer；　and　I；　too；　would　crush　this　Lily。　Yet；　woman；

thou　comest　in　a　bad　hour。　Here　I　have　but　one　regiment；　and　I　think

that　the　Slaughterer　may　take　some　killing。　Wait　till　my　impis　return

from　wiping　out　the　white　Amaboona；　and　it　shall　be　as　thou　dost

desire。　Whose　ar