and, shall visit
you or me. Can you not remember it now when I would speak with the white
chief, Watcher-by-Night, who has been so good as to take the trouble to
come to see me?"

On hearing these words Mameena leapt up in a rage, and I must say I
never saw her look more lovely.

"You insult me, daughter of Panda, as you always try to do, because you
are jealous of me."

"Your pardon, sister," replied Nandie. "Why should I, who am Saduko's
Inkosikazi, and, as you say, daughter of Panda, the King, be jealous
of the widow of the wizard, Masapo, and the daughter of the headman,
Umbezi, whom it has pleased our husband to take into his house to be the
companion of his leisure?"

"Why? Because you know that Saduko loves my little finger more than
he does your whole body, although you are of the King's blood and have
borne him brats," she answered, looking at the infant with no kindly
eye.

"It may be so, daughter of Umbezi, for men have their fancies, and
without doubt you are fair. Yet I would ask you one thing--if Saduko
loves you so much, how comes it he trusts you so little that you must
learn any matter of weight by listening at my door, as I found you doing
the other day?"

"Because you teach him not to do so, O Nandie. Because you are ever
telling him not to consult with me, since she who has betrayed one
husband may betray another. Because you make him believe my place is
that of his toy, not that of his companion, and this although I am
cleverer than you and all your House tied into one bundle, as you may
find out some day."

"Yes," answered Nandie, quite undisturbed, "I do teach him these things,
and I am glad that in this matter Saduko has a thinking head and listens
to me. Also I agree that it is likely I shall learn many more ill things
through and of you one day, daughter of Umbezi. And now, as it is not
good that we should wrangle before this white lord, again I say to you
that this is my hut, in which I wish to speak alone with my guest."

"I go, I go!" gasped Mameena; "but I tell you that Saduko shall hear of
this."

"Certainly he will hear of it, for I shall tell him when he comes
to-night."

Another instant and Mameena was gone, having shot out of the hut like a
rabbit from its burrow.

"I ask your pardon, Macumazahn, for what has happened," said Nandie,
"but it had become necessary that I should teach my sister, Mameena,
upon which stool she ought to sit. I do not trust her, Macumazahn. I