y going to the house of that
fiend, Tyope, night after night, whereas in reality he had never called
there as yet. She fancied that she heard him in conversation with this
girl, confiding in her little by little, just as Zashue used, before he
and she became man and wife. But what could Okoya tell after all that
might prove of harm to her? He was a mere child as yet. At this stage of
her reasoning, a cloud rose within her bosom and spread like wildfire.
Was it not strange that the discovery of the owl's feathers, the
betrayal of that dread secret, almost coincided with Okoya's open
relations with the daughter of the man who, she felt sure, was at the
bottom of the accusation against her? A ghastly suspicion flashed up and
soon became so vivid that no doubt could arise,--her own son must
accidentally have discovered the fatal feathers; he himself without
intending any harm must have mentioned them to the girl, perhaps even in
the presence of her mother.

Say became satisfied that she held the key to her betrayal. The riddle
was solved. That solution dissipated all hopes of salvation, for if her
own son was to be witness against her in the dreaded hour when the
tribal council had to determine for or against her guilt, there could be
no doubting his testimony. And Tyope would have that testimony in any
case, for if Okoya should deny, Okoya's own betrothed might be brought
face to face with him as a witness. Thus she reasoned in much less time
than it can be written, and these conclusions overwhelmed her to such a
degree that she turned away from her favourite child in bitter passion,
with the conviction that her son in whom she had trusted was her
destroying angel. She hid her face from him in anger and grief.

Okoya noticed his mother's feelings. Her anger was inexplicable to him,
unless it meant disappointment in relation to some of her own supposed
dark designs. It made him angrier still, for Say's bitterness against
the Koshare was in his opinion only feigned. Persuaded that his mother
was false to him, and that she was even harbouring evil designs, he rose
abruptly and left the house in silence.

He could no longer refuse to believe that she was planning his
destruction. Otherwise, why did she oppose what to him appeared the
prelude to a happy future? And why that apparent duplicity on her
part,--condemning the Koshare to his face, and, as he thought, being in
secret understanding with them? Only one explanation was