Still, Naya grew, or pretended to grow, quite attached to me.

She even suggested naively that I might do worse than marry her, which she said Dingaan was quite ready to allow, as he was fond of me and thought I should be useful in his country.

When I told her that I was already married, she shrugged her shining shoulders and asked with a laugh that revealed her beautiful teeth: "What does that matter?
Cannot a man have more wives than one?
And, Macumazahn," she added, leaning forward and looking at me, "how do you know that you have even one?
You may be divorced or a widower by now." "What do you mean ?" I asked.
"I?
I mean nothing; do not look at me so fiercely, Macumazahn.

Surely such things happen in the world, do they not ?" "Naya," I said, "you are two bad things--a bait and a spy--and you know it." "Perhaps I do, Macumazahn," she answered.

"Am I to blame for that, if my life is on it, especially when I really like you for yourself ?" "I don't know," I said.