Now the result of this method of self-protection was to cause Ishmael to
hate Noie as bitterly as she hated him. He guessed that the girl knew the
dreadful truth about him; that it was he, and no other, who had counselled
Dingaan to kill her father and all his family, and take her by force into
his house, and although she said nothing of it, he suspected that she had
told everything to Rachel. Moreover, it was she who always thwarted him,
who prevented him time upon time from having a single word alone with her
mistress. Therefore he determined to be revenged upon Noie whenever an
opportunity occurred.
But as yet he could find none, since if he were to tell the Zulus that
she still lived, and cause her to be killed or taken away, he was sure
that it would mean a final breach with the Dove family, all of whom had
learned to love this beautiful orphan maid. So he nursed his rage in
secret.
Meanwhile his passion increased daily, burning ever more fiercely for its
continued repression, until at length the chance for which he had waited
so long came to him.
Having become aware of Rachel's habit of slipping away whenever he
appeared, he showed himself on horseback at a little distance, then waited
a while and, instead of going up to the mission station, rode round it,
and hid in some bush whence he could command a view of the surrounding
country.
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