Since it was inconvenient to have no one
about the place from dark to dawn, and Dorcas did not approve of Tabitha
being left to sleep alone, the woman, whose character was guaranteed
by the Chief Kosa and the elders of the church, was taken on at an
indefinite wage. To the matter of pecuniary reward, indeed, she seemed
to be entirely indifferent.
For the rest she rolled herself in blankets, native fashion, and slept
across Tabitha's door, keeping so good a watch that once when her father
wished to enter the room to fetch something after the child was sleep,
she would not allow even him to do so. When he tried to force a way past
her, suddenly Ivana became so threatening that he thought she was about
to spring at him. After this he wanted to dismiss her, but Dorcas said
it only showed that she was faithful, and that she had better be left
where she was, especially as there was no one to take her place.
So things went on till the day of full moon. On that night Ivana
appeared to be much agitated, and insisted that Tabitha should go to bed
earlier than was usual. Also after she was asleep Dorcas noticed that
Ivana walked continually to and fro in front of the door of the child's
room and up and down the veranda on to which its windows opened, droning
some strange song and waving a wand.
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