of him for this time.  The little yellow one there is afraid of me, as are all of you.  That is woman’s greatest power, although she is so weak and gentle, men are still afraid of her just because they are so foolish that they cannot understand her.  To them after a million years she still remains the Unknown and to us all the Unknown is also the awful.  Do you remember the proverb of the Romans that says it well and briefly?”

I nodded, for it was one of the Latin tags that my father had taught me.

“Good.  Well, he is a little wild man, is he not, nearer to the apes from whose race our bodies come?  But do you know that, Allan?”

I nodded again, and said,

“There are disputes upon the point, Ayesha.”

“Yes, they had begun in my day and we will discuss them later.  Still, I say—­nearer to the ape than you or I, and therefore of interest, as the germ of things is always.  Yet he has qualities, I think; cunning, and fidelity and love which in its round is all in all.  Do you understand, Allan, that love is all in all?”

I answered warily that it depended upon what she meant by love, to which she replied that she would explain afterwards when we had leisure to talk, adding,

“What this little yellow monkey understands by it at least has served you well, or so I believe.  You shall tell me the tale of it some day.  Now of the last, this Black One.  Here I think is a man indeed, a warrior of warriors such as there used to be in the early world, if a savage.  Well, believe me, Allan, savages are often the best.  Moreover, all are still savage at heart, even you and I. For what is termed culture is but coat upon coat of paint laid on to hide our native colour, and often there is poison in the paint.  That axe of his has drunk deep, I think, though always in fair fight, and I say that it shall drink deeper yet.  Have I read these men aright, Allan?”

“Not so ill,” I answered.

“I thought it,” she said with a musical laugh, “although at this place I rust and grow dull like an unused sword.  Now you would rest.  Go—­all of you.  To-morrow you and I will talk alone.  Fear nothing for your safety; you are watched by my slaves and I watch my slaves.  Until to-morrow, then, farewell.  Go now, eat and sleep, as alas we all must do who linger on this ball of earth and cling to a life we should do well to lose.  Billali, lead them hence,” and she waved her hand to signify that the audience was ended.

At this sign Hans, who apparently was still much afraid, rose from his knees and literally bolted through the curtains.  Robertson followed him.  Umslopogaas stood a moment, drew himself up and lifting the great axe, cried Bayete, after which he too turned and went.

“What does that word mean, Allan?” she asked.

I explained that it was the salutation which the Zulu people only give to kings.

“Did I not say that savages are often the best?” she exclaimed in a gratified voice.  “The white man, your companion, gave me no salute, but the Black One knows when he stands before a woman who is royal.”