Hendrika Plots Evil

I made no answer at the time. I could not bear to talk of such a thing.
But often and often in the after years I have thought of Indaba-zimbi
and his beautiful simile and gathered comfort from it. He was a strange
man, this old rain-making savage, and there was more wisdom in him than
in many learned atheists--those spiritual destroyers who, in the name
of progress and humanity, would divorce hope from life, and leave us
wandering in a lonesome, self-consecrated hell.

"Indaba-zimbi," I said, changing the subject, "I have something to say,"
and I told him of the threats of Hendrika.

He listened with an unmoved face, nodding his white lock at intervals as
the narrative went on. But I saw that he was disturbed by it.

"Macumazahn," he said at length, "I have told you that this is an evil
woman. She was nourished on baboon milk, and the baboon nature is in
her veins. Such creatures should be killed, not kept. She will make you
mischief if she can. But I will watch her, Macumazahn. Look, the Star is
waiting for you; go, or she will hate me as Hendrika hates you."

So I went, nothing loth, for attractive as was the wisdom of
Indaba-zimbi, I found a deeper meaning in Stella's simplest word. All
the rest of that day I passed in her company, and the greater part of
the two following days. At last came Saturday night, the eve of our
marriage. It rained that night, so we did not go out, but spent the
evening in the hut. We sat hand in hand, saying little, but Mr. Carson
talked a good deal, telling us tales of his youth, and of countries
that he had visited. Then he read aloud from the Bible, and bade us
goodnight. I also kissed Stella and went to bed. I reached my hut by
the covered way, and before I undressed opened the door to see what the
night was like. It was very dark, and rain was still falling, but as
the light streamed out into the gloom I fancied that I caught sight of
a dusky form gliding away. The thought of Hendrika flashed into my mind;
could she be skulking about outside there? Now I had said nothing of
Hendrika and her threats either to Mr. Carson or Stella, because I did
not wish to alarm them. Also I knew that Stella was attached to this
strange person, and I did not wish to shake her confidence in her unless
it was absolutely necessary. For a minute or two I stood hesitating,
then, reflecting that if it was Hendrika, there she should stop, I went
in and put up the stout wooden bar that was used to secure the door. For
the last few nights old Indaba-zimbi had made a habit of sleeping in the
covered passage, which was the only other possible way of access. As I
came to bed I had stepped over him rolled up in his blanket, and to all
appearances fast asleep. So it being evident that I had nothing to fear,
I promptly dismissed the matter from my mind, which, as may be imagined,
was indeed fully occupied with other thoughts.