“Do you think so, Night-prowler?” she
asked. “Do you think that what you did
to the father and his house, you will do to the daughter
also? Well, it is strange, but last night, just
before the cock crew, I sat by Seyapi’s grave,
and he spoke to me of you, White Man. Listen,
now, and I will tell you what he said,” and
stepping forward she whispered in his ear.
Rachel, watching, saw the man’s swarthy face
turn pale as he hearkened, then he lifted his hand
as though to strike her, let it fall again, and muttering
curses in English and in Zulu, turned and walked, or
rather staggered away.
“What did you tell him, Noie?” asked Rachel.
“Never mind, Zoola,” she answered.
“Perhaps the truth; perhaps what came into my
mind. At any rate I frightened him away.
He was making love to you, was he not, the low silwana
(wild beast)? Ah! I thought so, for
that he has wished to do for long. And he threatened,
did he not? Well, you are right; he cannot hurt
you at all, and me only a little, I think. But
he is very dangerous and very strong, and can hurt
others. If your father is wise he will leave
this place, Zoola.”
“I think so too,” answered Rachel.
“Let us go home and tell him so.”
MR. DOVE VISITS ISHMAEL
When Rachel and Noie reached the house, which they
did not do for some time, as they waited to make sure
that Ishmael had really gone, it was to see the man
himself riding away from its gate.
“Be prepared,” said Noie; “I think
that he has been here before us to pour poison into
your father’s ears.”
So it proved to be, indeed, for on the stoep or verandah
they found Mr. Dove walking up and down evidently
much disturbed in mind.
“What is all this trouble, Rachel?” he
asked. “What have you done to Mr. Smith”—for
Mr. Dove in pursuance of the suggestion made by the
man, had adopted that name for him which he considered
less peculiar than Ishmael. “He has been
here much upset, declaring that you have used him cruelly,
and that Nonha threatened him with terrible things
in the future, of which, of course, she can know nothing.”
“Well, father, if you wish to hear,” answered
Rachel, “Mr. Ishmael, or Mr. Smith as you call
him, has been asking me to marry him, and when I refused,
as of course I did, behaved very unpleasantly.”
“Indeed, Rachel. I gathered from him that
something of the sort had happened, only his story
is that it was you who behaved unpleasantly, speaking
to him as though he were dirt. Now, Rachel, of
course I do not want you to marry this person, in
fact, I should dislike it, although I have seen a
great change for the better in him lately—I
mean spiritually, of course—and an earnest
repentance for the errors of his past life. All
I mean is that the proffered affection of an honest
man should not be met with scorn and sharp words.”
