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 the