nada the lily-第68节

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because　of　whose　beauty　and　foolishness　all　this　death　has　come

about。〃



This　is　seemed　to　Nada；　in　her　madness；　that　the　shadow　of　him　who　had

sat　in　the　niche　spoke　to　her　from　hour　to　hour。



It　seemed　to　Nada；　in　her　madness；　that　twice　the　light　shone　through

the　hole　by　the　rock；　and　that　was　day；　and　twice　it　went　out；　and

that　was　night。　A　third　time　the　ray　shone　and　died　away；　and　lo！　her

madness　left　her；　and　she　awoke　to　know　that　she　was　dying；　and　that　a

voice　she　loved　spoke　without　the　hole；　saying　in　hollow　accents：



〃Nada？　Do　you　still　live；　Nada？〃



〃Yea；〃　she　answered　hoarsely。　〃Water！　give　me　water！〃



Next　she　heard　a　sound　as　of　a　great　snake　dragging　itself　along

painfully。　A　while　passed；　then　a　trembling　hand　thrust　a　little　gourd

of　water　through　the　hole。　She　drank；　and　now　she　could　speak；　though

the　water　seemed　to　flow　through　her　veins　like　fire。



〃Is　it　indeed　you；　Umslopogaas？〃　she　said；　〃or　are　you　dead；　and　do　I

dream　of　you？〃



〃It　is　I；　Nada；〃　said　the　voice。　〃Hearken！　have　you　drawn　the　rock

home？〃



〃Alas！　yes；〃　she　answered。　〃Perhaps；　if　the　two　of　us　strive　at　it；　it

will　move。〃



〃Ay；　if　our　strength　were　what　it　wasbut　now！　Still；　let　us　try。〃



So　they　strove　with　a　rock；　but　the　two　of　them　together　had　not　the

strength　of　a　girl；　and　it　would　not　stir。



〃Give　over；　Umslopogaas；〃　said　Nada；　〃we　do　but　waste　the　time　that　is

left　to　me。　Let　us　talk！〃



For　awhile　there　was　no　answer；　for　Umslopogaas　had　fainted；　and　Nada

beat　her　breast；　thinking　that　he　was　dead。



Presently　he　spoke；　however；　saying；　〃It　may　not　be；　we　must　perish

here；　one　on　each　side　of　the　stone；　not　seeing　the　other's　face；　for

my　might　is　as　water；　nor　can　I　stand　upon　my　feet　to　go　and　seek　for

food。〃



〃Are　you　wounded；　Umslopogaas？〃　asked　Nada。



〃Ay；　Nada；　I　am　pierced　to　the　brain　with　the　point　of　an　axe；　no　fair

stroke；　the　captain　of　Dingaan　hurled　it　at　me　when　I　thought　him

dead；　and　I　fell。　I　do　not　know　how　long　I　have　lain　yonder　under　the

shadow　of　the　rock；　but　it　must　be　long；　for　my　limbs　are　wasted；　and

those　who　fell　in　the　fray　are　picked　clean　by　the　vultures；　all

except　Galazi；　for　the　old　wolf　Deathgrip　lies　on　his　breast　dying；

but　not　dead；　licking　my　brother's　wounds；　and　scares　the　fowls　away。

It　was　the　beak　of　a　vulture；　who　had　smelt　me　out　at　last；　that　woke

me　from　my　sleep　beneath　the　stone；　Nada；　and　I　crept　hither。　Would

that　he　had　not　awakened　me；　would　that　I　had　died　as　I　lay；　rather

than　lived　a　little　while　till　you　perish　thus；　like　a　trapped　fox；

Nada；　and　presently　I　follow　you。〃



〃It　is　hard　to　die　so；　Umslopogaas；〃　she　answered；　〃I　who　am　yet　young

and　fair；　who　love　you；　and　hoped　to　give　you　children；　but　so　it　has

come　about；　and　it　may　not　be　put　away。　I　am　well…nigh　sped；　husband；

horror　and　fear　have　conquered　me；　my　strength　fails；　but　I　suffer

little。　Let　us　talk　no　more　of　death；　let　us　rather　speak　of　our

childhood；　when　we　wandered　hand　in　hand；　let　us　talk　also　of　our

love；　and　of　the　happy　hours　that　we　have　spent　since　your　great　axe

rang　upon　the　rock　in　the　Halakazi　caves；　and　my　fear　told　you　the

secret　of　my　womanhood。　See；　I　thrust　my　hand　through　the　hole；　can

you　not　kiss　it；　Umslopogaas？〃



Now　Umslopogaas　stooped　his　shattered　head；　and　kissed　the　Lily's

little　hand；　then　he　held　it　in　his　own；　and　so　they　sat　till　the　end

he　without；　resting　his　back　against　the　rock；　she　within；　lying　on

her　side；　her　arm　stretched　through　the　little　hole。　They　spoke　of

their　love；　and　tried　to　forget　their　sorrow　in　it；　he　told　her　also

of　the　fray　which　had　been　and　how　it　went。



〃Ah！〃　she　said；　〃that　was　Zinita's　work；　Zinita　who　hated　me；　and

justly。　Doubtless　she　set　Dingaan　on　this　path。〃



〃A　little　while　gone；〃　quoth　Umslopogaas；　〃and　I　hoped　that　your　last

breath　and　mine　might　pass　together；　Nada；　and　that　we　might　go

together　to　seek　great　Galazi；　my　brother；　where　he　is。　Now　I　hope

that　help　will　find　me；　and　that　I　may　live　a　little　while；　because　of

a　certain　vengeance　which　I　would　wreak。〃



〃Speak　not　of　vengeance；　husband；〃　she　answered；　〃I；　too；　am　near　to

that　land　where　the　Slayer　and　the　Slain；　the　Shedder　of　Blood　and　the

Avenger　of　Blood　are　lost　in　the　same　darkness。　I　would　die　with　love；

and　love　only；　in　my　heart；　and　your　name；　and　yours　only；　on　my　lips；

so　that　if　anywhere　we　live　again　it　shall　be　ready　to　spring　forth　to

greet　you。　Yet；　husband；　it　is　in　my　heart　that　you　will　not　go　with

me；　but　that　you　shall　live　on　to　die　the　greatest　of　deaths　far　away

from　here；　and　because　of　another　woman。　It　seems　that；　as　I　lay　in

the　dark　of　this　cave；　I　saw　you；　Umslopogaas；　a　great　man；　gaunt　and

grey；　stricken　to　the　death；　and　the　axe　Groan…maker　wavering　aloft；

and　many　a　man　dead　upon　a　white　and　shimmering　way；　and　about　you　the

fair　faces　of　white　women；　and　you　had　a　hole　in　your　forehead；

husband；　on　the　left　side。〃



〃That　is　like　to　be　true；　if　I　live；〃　he　answered；　〃for　the　bone　of　my

temple　is　shattered。〃



Now　Nada　ceased　speaking；　and　for　a　long　while　was　silent；　Umslopogaas

was　also　silent　and　torn　with　pain　and　sorrow　because　he　must　lose　the

Lily　thus；　and　she　must　die　so　wretchedly；　for　one　reason　only；　that

the　cast　of　Faku　had　robbed　him　of　his　strength。　Alas！　he　who　had　done

many　deeds　might　not　save　her　now；　he　could　scarcely　hold　himself

upright　against　the　rock。　He　thought　of　it；　and　the　tears　flowed　down

his　face　and　fell　on　to　the　hand　of　the　Lily。　She　felt　them　fall　and

spoke。



〃Weep　not；　my　husband；〃　she　said；　〃I　have　been　all　too　ill　a　wife　to

you。　Do　not　mourn　for　me；　yet　remember　that　I　loved　you　well。〃　And

again　she　was　silent　for　a　long　space。



Then　she　spoke　and　for　the　last　time　of　all；　and　her　voice　came　in　a

gasping　whisper　through　the　hole　in　the　rock：



〃Farewell；　Umslopogaas；　my　husband　and　my　brother；　I　thank　you　for

your　love；　Umslopogaas。　Ah！　I　die！〃



Umslopogaas　could　make　no　answer；　only　he　watched　the　little　hand　he

held。　Twice　it　opened；　twice　it　closed　upon　his　own；　then　it　opened

for　the　third　time；　turned　grey；　quivered；　and　was　still　forever！



Now　it　was　at　the　hour　of　dawn　that　Nada　died。







CHAPTER　XXXV



THE　VENGEANCE　OF　MOPO　AND　HIS　FOSTERLING



It　chanced　that　on　this　day　of　Nada's　death　and　at　that　same　hour　of

dawn　I；　Mopo；　came　from　my　mission　back　to　the　kraal　of　the　People　of

the　Axe；　having　succeeded　in　my　end；　for　that　great　chief　whom　I　had

gone　out　to　visit　had　hearkened　to　my　words。　As　the　light　broke　I

reached　the　town；　and　lo！　it　was　a　blackness　and　a　desolation。



〃Here　is　the　footmark　of　Dingaan；〃　I　said　to　myself；　and　walked　to　and

fro；　groaning　heavily。　Presently　I　found　a　knot　of　men　who　were　of　the

people　that　had　escaped　the　slaughter；　hiding　in　the　mealie…fields

lest　the　Slayers　should　return；　and　from　them　I　drew　the　story。　I

listened　in　silence；　for；　my　father；　I　was　grown　old　in　misfortune；

then　I　asked　where　were　the　Slayers　of　the　king？　They　replied　that

they　did　not　know；　the　soldiers　had　gone　up　the　Ghost　Mountain　after

the　Wolf…Brethren　and　Nada　the　Lily；　and　from　the　forest　had　come　a

howling　of　beasts　and　sounds　of　war；　then　there　was　silence；　and　none

had　been　seen　to　return　from　the　mountain；　only　all　day　long　the

vultures　hung　over　it。



〃Let　us　go　up　the　mountain；〃　I　said。



At　first　they　feared；　because　of　the　evil　name　of　the　place；　but　in

the　end　they　came　with　me；　and　we　followed　on　the　path　of　the　impi　of

the　Slayers　and　guessed　all　that　had　befallen　it。　At　length　we　reached

the　knees　of　stone；　and　saw　the　place　of　the　great　fight　of　the　Wolf…

Brethren。　All　those　who　had　taken　part　in　that　fight　were　now　but

bones；　because　the　vultures　had　picked　them　every　one；　except　Galazi；

for　on　the　breast　of　Galazi　lay　the　old　wolf　Deathgrip；　that　was　yet

alive。　I　drew　near　the　body；　and　the　great　wolf　struggled　to　his　feet

and　ran　at　me　with　bristling　hair　and　open　jaws；　from　which　no　sound

came。　Then；　being　spent；　he　rolled　over　dead。



Now　I　looked　round　seeking　the　axe　Groan…Maker　among　the　bones　of　the

slain；　and　did　not　find　it　and　the　hope　came　into　my　heart　that

Umslopogaas　had　escaped　the　slaughter。　Then　we　went　on　in　silence　to

where　I　knew　the　cave　must　be；　and　there　by　its　mouth　lay　the　body　of

a　man。　I　ran　to　itit　was　Umslopogaas；　wasted　with　hunger；　and　in　his

temple　was　a　great　wound　and　on　his　breast　and　limbs　were　many　other

wounds。　Moreover；　in　his　hand　he　held　another　handa　dead　hand；　that

was　thrust　through　a　hole　in　the　rock。　I　knew　its　shape　wellit　was

the　little　hand　of　my　child；　Nada　the　Lily。



Now　I　understood；　and；　bending　down；　I　felt　the　heart　of　Umslopogaas；

and　laid　the　down　of　an　eagle　upon　his　lips。　His　heart　still　stirred

and　the　down　was　lifted　gently。



I　bade　those　with　me　drag　the　stone；　and　they　did　so　with　t