Afterwards, when we were alone, I asked him who was this Marie of whom
he had spoken to the young lady. He paused a little, then answered:

"She was my first wife, but I beg you not to speak of her to me or to
anyone else, for I cannot bear to hear her name. Perhaps you will learn
all about her one day." Then, to my grief and astonishment, he broke
into something like a sob and abruptly left the room.

After reading the record of this Marie I can well understand why he was
so moved. I print it practically as it left his hands.

There are other MSS. also, one of which, headed "Child of Storm,"
relates the moving history of a beautiful and, I fear I must add, wicked
Zulu girl named Mameena who did much evil in her day and went
unrepentant from the world.

Another, amongst other things, tells the secret story of the causes of
the defeat of Cetewayo and his armies by the English in 1879, which
happened not long before Quatermain met Sir Henry Curtis and Captain
Good.

These three narratives are, indeed, more or less connected with each
other. At least, a certain aged dwarf, called Zikali, a witch-doctor
and an terrible man, has to do with all of them, although in the first,
"Marie," he is only vaguely mentioned in connection with the massacre of
Retief, whereof he was doubtless the primary instigator. As "Marie"
comes first in chronological order, and was placed on the top of the
pile by its author, I publish it first. With the others I hope to deal
later on, as I may find time and opportunity.