nada the lily- 第60部分

you　are　Umslopogaas；　my　brother；　or　should　be　by　your　greatness　and

the　axe。　To　the　man　I　cannot　altogether　swear　in　this　light；　but　to

the　axe　I　can　swear；　for　once　it　passed　so　very　near　my　eyes。〃



Thus　she　spoke　on；　gaining　time；　and　all　the　while　she　watched

Umslopogaas　till　she　was　sure　that　it　was　he　and　no　other。　Then　she

ceased　talking；　and；　flinging　herself　on　him；　she　kissed　him。



〃Now　I　trust　that　Zinita　sleeps　sound；〃　murmured　Umslopogaas；　for

suddenly　he　remembered　that　Nada　was　no　sister　of　his；　as　she　thought。



Nevertheless；　he　took　her　by　the　hand　and　said；　〃Enter；　sister。　Of　all

maidens　in　the　world　you　are　the　most　welcome　here；　for　know　I

believed　you　dead。〃



But　I；　Mopo；　ran　into　the　hut　before　her；　and　when　she　entered　she

found　me　sitting　by　the　fire。



〃Now；　here；　my　brother；〃　said　Nada；　pointing　at　me　with　her　finger；

〃here　is　that　old　umfagozan；　that　low　fellow；　who；　unless　I　dream；　but

a　very　little　while　ago　brought　shame　upon　meay；　my　brother；　he

struck　me；　a　maid；　with　his　kerrie；　and　that　only　because　I　said　that

I　would　stab　him　for　his　insolence；　and　he　did　worse：　he　swore　that　he

would　drag　me　to　some　old　chief　of　his　to　be　a　gift　to　him；　and　this

he　was　about　to　do；　had　you　not　come。　Will　you　suffer　these　things　to

go　unpunished；　my　brother？〃



Now　Umslopogaas　smiled　grimly；　and　I　answered：



〃What　was　it　that　you　called　me　just　now；　Nada；　when　you　prayed　me　to

protect　you？　Father；　was　it　not？〃　and　I　turned　my　face　towards　the

blaze　of　the　fire；　so　that　the　full　light　fell　upon　it。



〃Yes；　I　called　you　father；　old　man。　It　is　not　strange；　for　a　homeless

wanderer　must　find　fathers　where　she　canand　yet！　no；　it　cannot　be

so　changedand　that　white　hand？　And　yet；　oh！　who　are　you？　Once　there

was　a　man　named　Mopo；　and　he　had　a　little　daughter；　and　she　was　called

NadaOh！　my　father；　my　father；　I　know　you　now！〃



〃Ay；　Nada；　and　I　knew　you　from　the　first；　through　all　your　man's

wrappings　I　knew　you　after　these　many　years。〃



So　the　Lily　fell　upon　my　neck　and　sobbed　there；　and　I　remember　that　I

also　wept。



Now　when　she　had　sobbed　her　fill　of　joy；　Umslopogaas　brought　Nada　the

Lily　mass　to　eat　and　mealie　porridge。　She　ate　the　curdled　milk；　but

the　porridge　she　would　not　eat；　saying　that　she　was　too　weary。



Then　she　told　us　all　the　tale　of　her　wanderings　since　she　had　fled

away　from　the　side　of　Umslopogaas　at　the　stronghold　of　the　Halakazi；

and　it　was　long；　so　long　that　I　will　not　repeat　it；　for　it　is　a　story

by　itself。　This　I　will　say　only：　that　Nada　was　captured　by　robbers；

and　for　awhile　passed　herself　off　among　them　as　a　youth。　But；　in　the

end；　they　found　her　out　and　would　have　given　her　as　a　wife　to　their

chief；　only　she　persuaded　them　to　kill　the　chief　and　make　her　their

ruler。　They　did　this　because　of　that　medicine　of　the　eyes　which　Nada

had　only　among　women；　for　as　she　ruled　the　Halakazi　so　she　ruled　the

robbers。　But；　at　the　last；　they　all　loved　her；　and　she　gave　it　out

that　she　would　wed　the　strongest。　Then　some　of　them　fell　to　fighting；

and　while　they　killed　each　otherfor　it　came　about　that　Nada　brought

death　upon　the　robbers　as　on　all　othersshe　escaped；　for　she　said

that　she　did　not　wish　to　look　upon　their　struggle　but　would　await　the

upshot　in　a　place　apart。



After　that　she　had　many　further　adventures；　but　at　length　she　met　an

old　woman　who　guided　her　on　her　way　to　the　Ghost　Mountain。　And　who

this　old　woman　was　none　could　discover；　but　Galazi　swore　afterwards

that　she　was　the　Stone　Witch　of　the　mountain；　who　put　on　the　shape　of

an　aged　woman　to　guide　Nada　to　Umslopogaas；　to　be　the　sorrow　and　the

joy　of　the　People　of　the　Axe。　I　do　not　know；　my　father；　yet　it　seems

to　me　that　the　old　witch　would　scarcely　have　put　off　her　stone　for　so

small　a　matter。



Now；　when　Nada　had　made　an　end　of　her　tale；　Umslopogaas　told　his；　of

how　things　had　gone　with　Dingaan。　When　he　told　her　how　he　had　given

the　body　of　the　girl　to　the　king；　saying　that　it　was　the　Lily's　stalk；

she　said　it　had　been　well　done；　and　when　he　spoke　of　the　slaying　of

the　traitor　she　clapped　her　hands；　though　Nada；　whose　heart　was

gentle；　did　not　love　to　hear　of　deeds　of　death。　At　last　he　finished；

and　she　was　somewhat　sad；　and　said　it　seemed　that　her　fate　followed

her；　and　that　now　the　People　of　the　Axe　were　in　danger　at　the　hands　of

Dingaan　because　of　her。



〃Ah！　my　brother；〃　she　cried；　taking　Umslopogaas　by　the　hand；　〃it　were

better　I　should　die　than　that　I　should　bring　evil　upon　you　also。〃



〃That　would　not　mend　matters；　Nada；〃　he　answered。　〃For　whether　you　be

dead　or　alive；　the　hate　of　Dingaan。　Also；　Nada；　know　this：　I　am　not

your　brother。〃



When　the　Lily　heard　these　words　she　uttered　a　little　cry；　and；　letting

fall　the　hand　of　Umslopogaas；　clasped　mine；　shrinking　up　against　me。



〃What　is　this　tale；　father？〃　she　asked。　〃He　who　was　my　twin；　he　with

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