trees, keeping in its shadow, and peeped
through the branches into the grassy space beyond, to perceive Sihamba
crouched in the centre of the circle. She was seated upon a low stone
in such fashion that her head and face shone strangely in the moonlight,
while her body was hidden in the shadow. Before her, placed upon another
stone, stood a large wooden bowl, such as the Kaffirs cut out of the
trunk of a tree, spending a month of labour, or more, upon the task,
and into this bowl, which I could see was filled with water, for it
reflected the moonrays, she was gazing earnestly, and, as she gazed,
chanting that low, melancholy song whereof I could not understand the
meaning.

Presently Sihamba ceased her singing, and turning from the bowl as
though she had seen in it something that frightened her, she covered her
eyes with her hands and groaned aloud, muttering words in which the name
of Suzanne was mixed up, or of Swallow, as she called her. Now I guessed
that Sihamba was practising that magic of which she was said to be so
great a mistress, although she denied always that she knew anything of
the art. At first I made up my mind to call to her to cease from such
wickedness, which, as the Holy Book tells us, is a sin in the eyes of
the Lord, and a cause of damnation to those who practise it. But I was
curious and longed greatly in my heart to know what it was that Sihamba
saw in the bowl, and what it had to do with my daughter Suzanne. So I
changed my mind, thereby making myself a partaker of the sin, and coming
forward said instead:

"What is it that you do here by night, in this solitary place, Sihamba?"

Now although, as I suppose, she had neither seen nor heard me, for I
came up from behind her, Sihamba did not start or cry out as any other
woman would have done; she did not even turn to look at me as she
answered in a clear and steady voice:

"Now while she is still a girl I read the fate of Swallow and of those
who love her according to my lore, O mother of Swallow. Look, I read it
there."

I looked and saw that the large bowl was filled to the brim with pure
water. At the bottom of it lay some white sand, and on the sand were
placed five pieces of broken looking-glass, all of which had been filed
carefully to a round shape. The largest of these pieces was of the size
of a crown of English money. This lay in the exact centre of the bowl.
Above it and almost touching its edge, was another piece the size of a
h