She knelt down beside him, and supporting him with her left arm, with her right held the gourd to his lips.
How it came about Hadden never knew, but before that draught was finished a change pa.s.sed over him. Whether it was the savage girl"s touch, or her strange and fawn-like loveliness, or the tender pity in her eyes, matters not--the issue was the same. She struck some cord in his turbulent uncurbed nature, and of a sudden it was filled full with pa.s.sion for her--a pa.s.sion which if, not elevated, at least was real.
He did not for a moment mistake the significance of the flood of feeling that surged through his veins. Hadden never shirked facts.
"By Heaven!" he said to himself, "I have fallen in love with a black beauty at first sight--more in love than I have ever been before. It"s awkward, but there will be compensations. So much the worse for Nahoon, or for Cetywayo, or for both of them. After all, I can always get rid of her if she becomes a nuisance."
Then, in a fit of renewed weakness, brought about by the turmoil of his blood, he lay back upon the pillow of furs, watching Nanea"s face while with a native salve of pounded leaves she busied herself dressing the wounds that the leopard had made.
It almost seemed as though something of what was pa.s.sing in his mind communicated itself to that of the girl. At least, her hand shook a little at her task, and getting done with it as quickly as she could, she rose from her knees with a courteous "It is finished, _Inkoos_," and once more took up her position by the roof-tree.
"I thank you, Lady," he said; "your hand is kind."
"You must not call me lady, _Inkoos_," she answered, "I am no chieftainess, but only the daughter of a headman, Umgona."
"And named Nanea," he said. "Nay, do not be surprised, I have heard of you. Well, Nanea, perhaps you will soon become a chieftainess--up at the king"s kraal yonder."
"Alas! and alas!" she said, covering her face with her hands.
"Do not grieve, Nanea, a hedge is never so tall and thick but that it cannot be climbed or crept through."
She let fall her hands and looked at him eagerly, but he did not pursue the subject.
"Tell me, how did I come here, Nanea?"
"Nahoon and his companions carried you, _Inkoos_."
"Indeed, I begin to be thankful to the leopard that struck me down.
Well, Nahoon is a brave man, and he has done me a great service. I trust that I may be able to repay it--to you, Nanea."
This was the first meeting of Nanea and Hadden; but, although she did not seek them, the necessities of his sickness and of the situation brought about many another. Never for a moment did the white man waver in his determination to get into his keeping the native girl who had captivated him, and to attain his end he brought to bear all his powers and charm to detach her from Nahoon, and win her affections for himself.
He was no rough wooer, however, but proceeded warily, weaving her about with a web of flattery and attention that must, he thought, produce the desired effect upon her mind. Without a doubt, indeed, it would have done so--for she was but a woman, and an untutored one--had it not been for a simple fact which dominated her whole nature. She loved Nahoon, and there was no room in her heart for any other man, white or black. To Hadden she was courteous and kindly but no more, nor did she appear to notice any of the subtle advances by which he attempted to win a foothold in her heart. For a while this puzzled him, but he remembered that the Zulu women do not usually permit themselves to show feeling towards an undeclared suitor. Therefore it became necessary that he should speak out.
His mind once made up, he had not to wait long for an opportunity. He was now quite recovered from his hurts, and accustomed to walk in the neighbourhood of the kraal. About two hundred yards from Umgona"s huts rose a spring, and thither it was Nanea"s habit to resort in the evening to bring back drinking-water for the use of her father"s household.
The path between this spring and the kraal ran through a patch of bush, where on a certain afternoon towards sundown Hadden took his seat under a tree, having first seen Nanea go down to the little stream as was her custom. A quarter of an hour later she reappeared carrying a large gourd upon her head. She wore no garment now except her moocha, for she had but one mantle and was afraid lest the water should splash it. He watched her advancing along the path, her hands resting on her hips, her splendid naked figure outlined against the westering sun, and wondered what excuse he could make to talk with her. As it chanced fortune favoured him, for when she was near him a snake glided across the path in front of the girl"s feet, causing her to spring backwards in alarm and overset the gourd of water. He came forward, and picked it up.
"Wait here," he said laughing; "I will bring it to you full."
"Nay, _Inkoos_," she remonstrated, "that is a woman"s work."
"Among my people," he said, "the men love to work for the women," and he started for the spring, leaving her wondering.
Before he reached her again, he regretted his gallantry, for it was necessary to carry the handleless gourd upon his shoulder, and the contents of it spilling over the edge soaked him. Of this, however, he said nothing to Nanea.
"There is your water, Nanea, shall I carry it for you to the kraal?"
"Nay, _Inkoos_, I thank you, but give it to me, you are weary with its weight."
"Stay awhile, and I will accompany you. Ah! Nanea, I am still weak, and had it not been for you I think that I should be dead."
"It was Nahoon who saved you--not I, _Inkoos_."
"Nahoon saved my body, but you, Nanea, you alone can save my heart."
"You talk darkly, _Inkoos_."
"Then I must make my meaning clear, Nanea. I love you."
She opened her brown eyes wide.
"You, a white lord, love me, a Zulu girl? How can that be?"
"I do not know, Nanea, but it is so, and were you not blind you would have seen it. I love you, and I wish to take you to wife."
"Nay, _Inkoos_, it is impossible. I am already betrothed."
"Ay," he answered, "betrothed to the king."
"No, betrothed to Nahoon."
"But it is the king who will take you within a week; is it not so? And would you not rather that I should take you than the king?"
"It seems to be so, _Inkoos_, and I would rather go with you than with the king, but most of all I desire to marry Nahoon. It may be that I shall not be able to marry him, but if that is so, at least I will never become one of the king"s women."
"How will you prevent it, Nanea?"
"There are waters in which a maid may drown, and trees upon which she can hang," she answered with a quick setting of the mouth.
"That were a pity, Nanea, you are too fair to die."
"Fair or foul, yet I die, _Inkoos_."
"No, no, come with me--I will find a way--and be my wife," and he put her arm about her waist, and strove to draw her to him.
Without any violence of movement, and with the most perfect dignity, the girl disengaged herself from his embrace.
"You have honoured me, and I thank you, _Inkoos_," she said quietly, "but you do not understand. I am the wife of Nahoon--I belong to Nahoon; therefore, I cannot look on any other man while Nahoon lives. It is not our custom, _Inkoos_, for we are not as the white women, but ignorant and simple, and when we vow ourselves to a man, we abide by that vow till death."
"Indeed," said Hadden; "and so now you go to tell Nahoon that I have offered to make you my wife."
"No, _Inkoos_, why should I tell Nahoon your secrets? I have said "nay"
to you, not "yea," therefore he has no right to know," and she stooped to lift the gourd of water.
Hadden considered the situation rapidly, for his repulse only made him the more determined to succeed. Of a sudden under the emergency he conceived a scheme, or rather its rough outline. It was not a nice scheme, and some men might have shrunk from it, but as he had no intention of suffering himself to be defeated by a Zulu girl, he decided--with regret, it is true--that having failed to attain his ends by means which he considered fair, he must resort to others of more doubtful character.
"Nanea," he said, "you are a good and honest woman, and I respect you.
As I have told you, I love you also, but if you refuse to listen to me there is nothing more to be said, and after all, perhaps it would be better that you should marry one of your own people. But, Nanea, you will never marry him, for the king will take you; and, if he does not give you to some other man, either you will become one of his "sisters,"
or to be free of him, as you say, you will die. Now hear me, for it is because I love you and wish your welfare that I speak thus. Why do you not escape into Natal, taking Nahoon with you, for there as you know you may live in peace out of reach of the arm of Cetywayo?"