the days of my life-第34节

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dures；　not　in　one　religion　but　in　many。
I　make　no　excuse　for　the　telling　of　this　true　tale；　because　it　seems　to　me　to　constitute　a　human　document　of　great　interest。　It　is　not　often　that　we　have　the　opportunity　of　ing　face　to　face　with　this　kind　of　heart　as　it　reveals　itself　in　the　foregoing　letters。　Besides；　any　whom　it　does　not　interest　can　leave　it　unread。
May　my　dear　friend’s　prayer　be　fulfilled：　may　we　meet　again　in　some　other　phase　of　life　and　there　learn　the　true　reason　of　these　matters；　if　a　mon；　erring　man　may　hope　to　associate　with　a　spirit　so　purified　and　—　yes；　so　holy。　Peace　be　with　him；　but　since　I　for　one　cannot　believe　that　he　and　all　mankind　are　the　victims　of　a　ghastly　delusion；　or　are　led　forward　by　mocking　marsh…fires　of　self…evolved　aspirations　to　be　lost　in　some　bottomless　gulf　of　death；　I　will　not　add　—　farewell。
To　return　to　my　own　history。　When　I　reached　home　everyone　was　very　glad　to　see　me；　especially　my　mother；　but　my　father　did　not　wele　my　reappearance　with　whole…hearted　enthusiasm。　He　remarked　with　great　candour　that　I　should　probably　bee　“a　waif　and　a　stray；”　or　possibly　—　my　taste　for　writing　being　already　known　—　“a　miserable　penny…a…liner。”　I　am　sure　I　do　not　wonder　at　his　irritation；　which；　were　I　in　his　place　today；　I　should　certainly　share。　He　saw　that　I　had　thrown　up　my　billet　and　he　had　no　faith　in　the　possibilities　of　African　farming。
All　of　these　things；　and　others；　he　told　me　in　the　course　of　a　row　which　arose　over　the　loss　of　a　gigantic　turtle　which　I　had　brought　home　from　the　Island　of　Ascension；　where　I　had　visited　my　brother　John；　who　at　that　time　was　first…lieutenant　of　H。M。S。　Flora。　The　Island　of　Ascension；　by　the　way；　where　they　catch　these　turtles　on　the　beach　and　store　them　in　tanks；　is　a　very　interesting　spot；　for　there　one　sees　a　part　of　the　world　in　the　making。　On　the　top　of　a　peak　is　a　green　area　of　soil　that　I　presume　owes　its　origin　to　the　droppings　of　sea…birds。　Below　is　bare　rock。　This　area　must　have　been　formed　within　recent　times；　say　during　the　last　500；000　years；　and　in　another　million　or　so　of　years　doubtless　it　will　have　spread　all　over　the　island。　The　processes　of　nature　are　distinctly　slow。
In　some　mysterious　way　my　turtle　got　lost　in　the　London　Docks。　Personally　I　thought　the　occurrence　fortunate；　for　what　would　have　been　done　with　the　creature　if　I　had　succeeded　in　conveying　it　safely　to　Bradenham　Hall　still　alive　and　flapping；　I　cannot　conceive。　Imagine　the　local　butcher　confronted　with　a　turtle；　imagine　the　domestic　cook　and　the　quantities　of　soup　that　would　have　resulted；　if　it　ever　got　so　far　as　soup！　I　pointed　all　this　out　to　my　father；　but　he　took　another　view。　He　wanted　his　turtle　and　said　so；　often；　and　alas！　it　had　vanished　in　the　London　Docks。　Probably　a　steward　sold　it　to　a　City　pany　on　the　sly。　A　sportive　passenger　on　the　ship　made　a　rhyme　on　the　matter。　It　began：
’Tis　true；　O　my　Father；　from　distant　lands　I’ve　e；　a　bad　penny；　back　on　your　hands；　But　when　once　you　have　tasted　this　nice　green　fat；　You　won’t　care；　O　my　parent；　one　kipper　for　that。
The　trouble　was　that　he　never　did　“taste　that　nice　green　fat。”
However；　things　righted　themselves　by　degrees；　as　somehow　they　generally　do　when　one　is　young　and　not　afraid　to　take　chances。　To　begin　with；　not　long　after　my　arrival　in　England　I　did　the　wisest　and　best　deed　of　my　life　and　engaged　myself　to　be　married。
The　young　lady　whom　I　met　thirty…two　years　ago；　and　who　is　today；　God　be　thanked；　living；　and　strong　enough　to　have　ent　last　week；　was　named　Louisa　Margitson；　the　only　surviving　child　of　Major　Margitson　of　the　19th　Regiment　and　of　Ditchingham　House　in　this　county；　where　we　now　live。　The　Margitsons　were　originally　yeomen　in　the　neighbourhood　of　North　Walsham；　crossed　with　Huguenot　blood　—　we　still　hold　their　property；　or　some　of　it。　They　intermarried　with　the　respected　Norwich　family　of　the　name　of　Beckwith；　and　also　with　a　descendant　of　Dr。　Robert　Hamilton　of　Lynn；　a　distinguished　man　in　his　day；　who　was　a　friend　of　Sir　Joshua　Reynolds。　There　still　hangs　in　this　house　a　portrait　of　Countess　Margaret　Georgiana　Spencer　and　child；　by　Reynolds；　which　is　said　to　have　been　given　by　him　to　Dr。　Robert　Hamilton；　my　wife’s　great…great…grandfather。　On　her　mother’s　side　she　is　also　directly　descended　from　the　great　Scottish　family　of　Hamilton；　thus　having　a　double　cross　of　that　blood　in　her　veins。　Her　parents　died　in　her　youth；　leaving　her　the　heiress　to　certain　landed　property　which　would　have　been　valuable　had　real　estate　in　Norfolk　retained　the　worth　which　it　had　at　the　time　of　their　death。　As　things　are　we　do　not　get　much　out　of　it；　indeed　I　believe　that　directly　and　indirectly　I　must　have　expended　nearly　as　much　upon　the　properties　as；　up　to　the　present；　we　have　received　during　our　tenure　of　them。　For　instance；　fifty　years　ago　the　estate　produced　sufficient　to　support　a　family　in　something　more　than　fort。　Now　its　　rentals；　although　it　is　totally　unencumbered；　about　pay　for　the　upkeep　of　the　house　and　gardens。　I　mention　these　facts　because　I　see　it　recorded　in　works　of　reference　that　I　married　an　“heiress；”　which　is　an　elastic　term。
My　dear　wife　was　a　schoolfellow　of　my　sister　Mary；　and　was　staying　with　her　at　Bradenham　when　we　met。　After　a　short　acquaintance　we　became　engaged；　and　at　first　all　went　well　enough；　subsequently；　however；　her　guardians　—　for　she　was　not　yet　of　age　—　after　consenting　to　her　engagement；　reconsidered　the　matter　and　wished　her　to　break　it　off。　I　do　not　altogether　blame　them；　since　at　the　moment　my　prospects　were　not　particularly　brilliant。　As　it　chanced；　however；　my　wife；　perhaps　the　most　upright　and　straightforward　woman　whom　I　ever　knew；　was　not　one　of　a　nature　to　play　fast　and　loose　in　such　matters。　She　declined；　whereupon　one　of　her　guardians；　who　was　a　lawyer；　made　her　a　ward　in　Chancery。　Well　do　I　remember　appearing　before　Vice…Chancellor　Malins；　a　kindly　old　gentleman　and　man　of　the　world；　upon　whose　gouty　toe　I　inadvertently　trod　when　shaking　hands　with　him。　He　soon　sifted　the　matter　out　and　approved　of　the　engagement；　making　certain　directions　as　to　settlements；　etc。　The　　result　of　the　whole　business　was　that；　including　the　cost　of　the　settlements；　a　very　moderate　estate　was　mulcted　in　law　expenses　of　a　sum　of　nearly　3000　pounds！
In　after　days　I　and　my　wife’s　relations；　with　most　of　whom；　by　the　way；　I　never　had　any　difference　at　all；　as　they　were　no　parties　to　these　proceedings；　became　and　remained　the　best　of　friends。　So　I　wish　to　say　no　more　of　the　matter　except　that　I　regret　those　moneys　which　went　in　quite　useless　law　costs。　The　end　of　the　business　was　that　after　about　a　year　of　these　excursions　and　alarums　we　were　duly　married　on　August　11；　1880；　I　being　twenty…four　and　my　wife　within　a　few　months　of　twenty…one；　and　departed　from　this　house　to　Norwich　in　a　carriage　drawn　by　four　grey　horses　with　postilions。　This　is　interesting；　as　I　believe　it　must　have　been　one　of　the　last　occasions　upon　which　postilions　were　used　for　such　a　purpose　in　England；　except　of　course　in　the　case　of　royal　personages。　At　any　rate　I　have　never　seen　or　heard　of　them　since　in　this　connection；　and　how　we　came　to　have　them　I　do　not　quite　know。　I　can　see　them　now　in　their　gay　dress　and　velvet　caps　touching　up　the　grey　steeds　with　their　short　whips。　We　made　quite　a　sensation　on　our　thirteen…mile　journey　to　and　through　Norwich；　but　oh！　were　we　not　glad　when　it　was　all　over。
In　a　letter　recently　found　at　Bradenham；　headed　Ditchingham　House；　Bungay；　December　21；　1879；　and　addressed　to　my　brother　William；　who　was　then　attached　to　the　British　Embassy　at　Teheran；　I　find　the　following　estimate　of　my　future　wife’s　character；　and　expression　of　my　feelings　towards　her。
Next；　my　dear　Will　—　je　vais　me　marier　—　to　such　a　brick　of　a　girl；　Louie　Margitson。　They　are　certain　to　have　told　you　all　about　her　in　their　letters　from　home；　so　I　will　only　say　that　I　love　her　sincerely；　as　I　think　she　does　me；　and　that；　unless　something　untoward　occurs　to　dash　the　cup　from　my　lips；　I　think　we　have　as　good　a　prospect　of　happiness　as　most　people。　She　is　good　and　sensible　and　true…hearted；　and　every　day　I　see　her　I　love　and　respect　her　more。　She　is　a　woman　who　can　be　a　man’s　friend　as　well　as　his　lover；　and　whom　I　would　trust　as　I　would　very　few。　She　is　willing　to　e　to　Africa；　so　we　propose　returning　there　shortly；　i。e。　as　soon　as　we　can　get　satisfactorily　married。　There　is　property　concerned；　and　trustees；　who；　as　I　dare　say　you　know；　are　gentry　difficult　to　deal　with。　They　want　us　to　postpone　the　marriage　till　she　es　of　age　next　October；　but　we　don’t　see　the　force　of　it　in　any　way。　I　want　to　get　married　next　April　—　whether　I　shall　manage　or　not　is　another　matter　。　。　。　。
Good…bye；　old　fellow。　God　bless　you。
Your　loving　brother；
H。　Rider　Haggard。
In　fact；　as　I　have　said；　we　did　not　succeed　in　marrying　until　August　11；　1880。
The　circumstance　of　my　marriage　gave　me　pause　as　to　my　plan　of　leading　a　farmer’s　life　in　South　Africa；　and　as　my　father　and　family　were　very　anxious　that　I　should　re…enter　the　Colonial　Service；　I　made　some　attempt　to　do　so。　It　is；　however；　one　thing　to　give　up　a　billet　and　quite　another　to　get　it　back　again。　Had　Sir　Theophilus　Shepstone　or　even　Sir　Owen　Lanyon　still