Now Nandie gasped in astonishment (and so did I), but Mameena laughed and said: 

“Yes, O King, those were the two real reasons that I had forgotten.  I left Saduko because he bade me, as he wished to make a present to the Prince.  Also, he was tired of me; for many days at a time he would scarcely speak to me, because, however kind she might be, I could not help quarrelling with the Princess Nandie.  Moreover, there was another reason which I have forgotten:  I had no child, and not having any child I did not think it mattered whether I went or stayed.  If Saduko searches, he will remember that I told him so, and that he agreed with me.”

Again she looked at Saduko, who said hurriedly: 

“Yes, yes, I told her so; I told her that I wished for no barren cows in my kraal.”

Now some of the audience laughed outright, but Panda frowned.

“It seems,” he said, “that my ears are being stuffed with lies, though which of these two tells them I cannot say.  Well, if the woman left the man by his own wish, and that his ends might be furthered, as he says, he had put her away, and therefore the fault, if any, is his, not hers.  So that charge is ended.  Now, woman, what have you to tell us of the witchcraft which it is said you practised upon the Prince who is gone, thereby causing him to make war in the land?”

“Little that you would wish to hear, O King, or that it would be seemly for me to speak,” she answered, drooping her head modestly.  “The only witchcraft that ever I practised upon Umbelazi lies here”—­and she touched her beautiful eyes—­“and here”—­and she touched her curving lips—­“and in this poor shape of mine which some have thought so fair.  As for the war, what had I to do with war, who never spoke to Umbelazi, who was so dear to me”—­and she looked up with tears running down her face—­“save of love?  O King, is there a man among you all who would fear the witcheries of such a one as I; and because the Heavens made me beautiful with the beauty that men must follow, am I also to be killed as a sorceress?”

Now, to this argument neither Panda nor anyone else seemed to find an answer, especially as it was well known that Umbelazi had cherished his ambition to the succession long before he met Mameena.  So that charge was dropped, and the first and greatest of the three proceeded with; namely, that it was she, Mameena, and not her husband, Masapo, who had murdered Nandie’s child.

When this accusation was made against her, for the first time I saw a little shade of trouble flit across Mameena’s soft eyes.

“Surely, O King,” she said, “that matter was settled long ago, when the Ndwande, Zikali, the great Nyanga, smelt out Masapo the wizard, he who was my husband, and brought him to his death for this crime.  Must I then be tried for it again?”

“Not so, woman,” answered Panda.  “All that Zikali smelt out was the poison that wrought the crime, and as some of that poison was found upon Masapo, he was killed as a wizard.  Yet it may be that it was not he who used the poison.”