I put my hand
before my eyes.

"Ah! I understand, Macumazahn; you were always fond of her, were you
not, although your white pride would not suffer you to admit that black
fingers were pulling at your heartstrings? She was a wonderful witch,
was Mameena; and there is this comfort for you--that she pulled at other
heartstrings as well. Masapo's, for instance; Saduko's, for instance;
Umbelazi's, for instance, none of whom got any luck from her
pulling--yes, and even at mine."

Now, as I did not think it worth while to contradict his nonsense so far
as I was concerned personally, I went off on this latter point.

"If you show affection as you did towards Mameena to-day, Zikali, I pray
my Spirit that you may cherish none for me," I said.

He shook his great head pityingly as he answered:

"Did you never love a lamb and kill it afterwards when you were hungry,
or when it grew into a ram and butted you, or when it drove away your
other sheep, so that they fell into the hands of thieves? Now, I am very
hungry for the fall of the House of Senzangakona, and the lamb, Mameena,
having grown big, nearly laid me on my back to-day within the reach of
the slayer's spear. Also, she was hunting my sheep, Saduko, into an evil
net whence he could never have escaped. So, somewhat against my will, I
was driven to tell the truth of that lamb and her tricks."

"I daresay," I exclaimed; "but, at any rate, she is done with, so what
is the use of talking about her?"

"Ah! Macumazahn, she is done with, or so you think, though that is a
strange saying for a white man who believes in much that we do not know;
but at least her work remains, and it has been a great work. Consider
now. Umbelazi and most of the princes, and thousands upon thousands
of the Zulus, whom I, the Dwande, hate, dead, dead! _Mameena's work_,
Macumazahn! Panda's hand grown strengthless with sorrow and his eyes
blind with tears. _Mameena's work_, Macumazahn! Cetewayo, king in all
but name; Cetewayo, who shall bring the House of Senzangakona to the
dust. _Mameena's work_, Macumazahn! Oh! a mighty work. Surely she has
lived a great and worthy life, and she died a great and worthy death!
And how well she did it! Had you eyes to see her take the poison which I
gave her--a good poison, was it not?--between her kisses, Macumazahn?"

"I believe it was your work, and not hers," I blurted out, ignoring
his mocking questions. "You pulled the strings; you were the wind that
cause