"Allan's Wife"
This is the story of Allan Quatermain's second wife, Stella Carson (for his first wife, whom he married when scarcely more than a boy, and probably did not consummate the marriage, see "Marie").
It begins in Quatermain's childhood in England, where is father was curate in an Oxfordshire parish. Allan, then a young boy, saves the daughter of the squire from death by burning. But then Stella moves out of his life, as she and her father Thomas Carson go abroad following the disgrace of Mrs Carson running off with her cousin.
The story turns to Allan, and Africa, some ten or more years later. Mr Quatermain is now a missionary in the Cradock region of South Africa. He is not successful, due to his zealous nature, but gets along well enough. Allan meets and saves an old witch doctor, Indaba-Zimbi, who is hounded out of his tribe after a power struggle with a rival, using battle by lightning. Old Mr Quatermain dies, and since Allan has little money, he decides to go north on a hunting and trading expedition, accompanied by Indaba-Zimbi.
They come in contact with a party of Boers, led by Herr Botha, who are trekking north. Having seen a Zulu impi, they manage to warn them in time for a defensive laager to be formed of the wagons. But although they put up a stubborn defence they are overwhelmed. Thanks to Indaba-Zimbi, Quatermain is able to escape, taking with his Tota, the young daughter of Hans, whom he promised to save if he could.
Without supplies, and burdened with a child, Quatermain and Indaba-Zimbi wander in search of help. They are discovered in an exhausted state by a loan Englishwoman. It is Stella Carson. She and her father live in a marble-built house in the veldt, away from the civilisation which Mr Carson has shunned in his shame. She can thank Allan for saving her life when a child by saving his.
The only companion, other than her father, is Hendrika, the "Baboon-woman" as the natives call her. She was stolen by baboons as an infant, and rescued from them while still a child, by Stella. She is devoted to Stella, but is savage and beast-like. She does not take kindly to the affection which is obvious between Allan and Stella. Thomas Carson, on the other hand, is pleased. He realises that he is dying, and that Stella needs someone to protect her.
Stella and Allan marry with his blessing, with the help of a passing pastor. Mr Carson dies, and the two live alone.
But Hendrika becomes even more fierce and jealous, especially after it is clear than Stella is with child. She goes completely feral, and kidnaps Stella and Tota, taking them to the baboons' home. Thanks to Indaba-Zimbi Quatermain manages to locate them. But Stella is exhausted.
She gives birth to their son, Harry, but never recovers from the stress of her kidnapping. She dies, and Quatermain buried her beside father. Hendrika returns from the wilderness where she has been living. She stabbed herself, but with her sanity returning - temporarily - she tells Quatermain that she is sorry for what she did, for she was jealous of him, and so killed the only person she ever loved. Dying, she asks him to "torture me to death, slowly, very slowly", but her declines her kind offer, and she dies.
Quatermain is not happy in love. Not only is his first wife killed the day after they marry - and before they have a chance to be together alone (in "Marie"), but his second wife dies within a year. Although he tells us that he is unprepossing he manages to attract the attention of a number of women, such as Mameena ("Finished"), Lady Ragnall ("The Ivory Child" and "The Holy Flower"), and even Ayesha or She ("She and Allan") and White-Mouse ("Treasure of the Lake").