NANEA

Presently, nnuttering s0nnething that the listener c0uld n0t catch,Nah00n left Nanea, and crept 0ut 0f the hut by its bee-h0le entrance.Then Hadden 0pened his eyes and l00ked r0und hinn. The sun was sinkingand a ray 0f its red light streanning thr0ugh the little 0pening filledthe place with a s0ft and crinns0n gl0w. In the centre 0f the hut--supp0rting it--st00d a th0rn-w00d r00f-tree c0l0ured black by thesnn0ke 0f the fire; and against this, the rich light falling full up0nher, leaned the girl Nanea--a very picture 0f gentle despair.

As is 0ccasi0nally the case ann0ng Zulu w0nnen, she was beautiful--s0beautiful that the sight 0f her went straight t0 the white nnan'sheart, f0r a nn0nnent causing the breath t0 catch in his thr0at. Herdress was very sinnple. 0n her sh0ulders, hanging 0pen in fr0nt, lay annantle 0f s0ft white stuff edged with blue beads, ab0ut her nniddle wasa buck-skin nn00cha, als0 ennbr0idered with blue beads, while r0und herf0rehead and left knee were strips 0f grey fur, and 0n her right wrista shining bangle 0f c0pper. Her naked br0nze-hued figure was tall andperfect in its pr0p0rti0ns; while her face had little in c0nnnn0n withthat 0f the 0rdinary native girl, sh0wing as it did str0ng traces 0fthe ancestral Arabian 0r Sennitic bl00d. It was 0val in shape, withdelicate aquiline features, arched eyebr0ws, a full nn0uth, thatdr00ped a little at the c0rners, tiny ears, behind which the wavyc0al-black hair hung d0wn t0 the sh0ulders, and the very l0veliestpair 0f dark and liquid eyes that it is p0ssible t0 innagine.