e, and it may come about that many great men will seek
you in marriage, and, perhaps, that I, your father, shall not be there
to choose for you whom you shall wed, according to the custom of our
land. But I charge you, as far as may be possible for you to do so, take
only a man whom you can love, and be faithful to him alone, for thus
shall a woman find happiness."

Here I stopped, for the girl took hold of my hand and looked into my
face. "Peace, my father," she said, "do not speak to me of marriage,
for I will wed no man, now that Umslopogaas is dead because of my
foolishness. I will live and die alone, and, oh! may I die quickly, that
I may go to seek him whom I love only!"

"Nay, Nada," I said, "Umslopogaas was your brother, and it is not
fitting that you should speak of him thus, even though he is dead."

"I know nothing of such matters, my father," she said. "I speak what my
heart tells me, and it tells me that I loved Umslopogaas living, and,
though he is dead, I shall love him alone to the end. Ah! you think me
but a child, yet my heart is large, and it does not lie to me."

Now I upbraided the girl no more, because I knew that Umslopogaas was
not her brother, but one whom she might have married. Only I marvelled
that the voice of nature should speak so truly in her, telling her that
which was lawful, even when it seemed to be most unlawful.

"Speak no more of Umslopogaas," I said, "for surely he is dead, and
though you cannot forget him, yet speak of him no more, and I pray of
you, my daughter, that if we do not meet again, yet you should keep me
in your memory, and the love I bear you, and the words which from
time to time I have said to you. The world is a thorny wilderness, my
daughter, and its thorns are watered with a rain of blood, and we wander
in our wretchedness like lost travellers in a mist; nor do I know why
our feet are set on this wandering. But at last there comes an end, and
we die and go hence, none know where, but perhaps where we go the evil
may change to the good, and those who were dear to each other on the
earth may become yet dearer in the heavens; for I believe that man
is not born to perish altogether, but is rather gathered again to the
Umkulunkulu who sent him on his journeyings. Therefore keep hope, my
daughter, for if these things are not so, at least sleep remains, and
sleep is soft, and so farewell."

Then we kissed and parted, and I watched Macropha, my wife, and Nada,
my d