ps he
would make an exception in your favour."

"I think I will, Macumazahn," she murmured, whereon I collapsed into
silence, feeling that things were getting beyond me.

When I recovered myself a little it was to hear Mameena greeting Saduko
with much effusion, and complimenting him on his rise in life, which
she said she had always foreseen. This remark seemed to bowl out Saduko
also, for he made no answer to it, although I noticed that he could
not take his eyes off Mameena's beautiful face. Presently, however,
he seemed to become aware of Masapo, and instantly his whole demeanour
changed, for it grew proud and even terrible. Masapo tendered him some
greeting; whereon Saduko turned upon him and said:

"What, chief of the Amasomi, do you give the good-day to an umfokazana
and a mangy hyena? Why do you do this? Is it because the low umfokazana
has become a noble and the mangy hyena has put on a tiger's coat?" And
he glared at him like a veritable tiger.

Masapo made no answer that I could catch. Muttering some inaudible
words, he turned to depart, and in doing so--quite innocently, I
think--struck Nandie, knocking her over on to her back and causing
the child to fall out of her arms in such fashion that its tender head
struck against a pebble with sufficient force to cause it to bleed.

Saduko leapt at him, smiting him across the shoulders with the little
stick that he carried. For a moment Masapo paused, and I thought that
he was going to show fight. If he had any such intention, however, he
changed his mind, for without a word, or showing any resentment at the
insult which he had received, he broke into a heavy run and vanished
among the evening shadows. Mameena, who had observed all, broke into
something else, namely, a laugh.

"Piff! My husband is big yet not brave," she said, "but I do not think
he meant to hurt you, woman."

"Do you speak to me, wife of Masapo?" asked Nandie with gentle dignity,
as she gained her feet and picked up the stunned child. "If so, my name
and titles are the Inkosazana Nandie, daughter of the Black One and wife
of the lord Saduko."

"Your pardon," replied Mameena humbly, for she was cowed at once. "I did
not know who you were, Inkosazana."

"It is granted, wife of Masapo. Macumazahn, give me water, I pray you,
that I may bathe the head of my child."

The water was brought, and presently, when the little one seemed all
right again, for it had only received a scratch, Nandie t