the days of my life-第36节

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oo　much　for　him；　and　he　drifted　back　to　South　Africa；　where　not　long　afterwards　he　died。　I　do　not　think　that　his　departure　from　the　world　grieved　him　very　much；　for　in　addition　to　the　loss　of　his　son　Jack；　my　ward；　he　was　called　upon　to　endure　other　heavy　sorroed　his　religious　views；　but　I　remember　that　one　night；　when　I　was　talking　to　him　on　such　matters；　he　stretched　out　his　arm　and　clasped　a　handful　from　the　swarm　of　white　ants　that　were　flying　past　us。　“What　is　the　difference　between　us　and　these？”　he　asked　with　a　little　laugh；　and　let　them　go　again。　By　the　way；　I　may　mention　he　was　the　origin　of　my　character　Alston　in　“The　Witch’s　Head。”　Dear　old　“Mali…mat”　—　that　was　his　Kaffir　name；　which　means；　I　believe；　“so　much　money”　—　shrewd；　kindly；　honourable；　the　truest　of　friends；　the　bravest　of　men；　surely　you；　if　any　do；　belong　to　that　class　which　Pope　defined　as　the　noblest　work　of　God。
Osborn　was　a　great　believer　in　the　virtue　of　the　raw　Kaffir。　Thus；　when　he　was　magistrate　of　Newcastle；　he　did　not　hesitate　to　send　down　from　Newcastle　to　Maritzburg；　two　hundred　miles　away；　the　total　sum　of　the　hut　tax　collected　in　his　district　—　which；　if　I　remember　rightly；　amounted　to　one　or　two　thousand　pounds　—　tied　in　gold…filled　belts　about　the　middle　of　some　of　his　native　policemen。　The　fact　about　the　Kaffirs；　and　especially　the　Zulu　Kaffirs；　is；　or　was；　that　those　whom　they　love　and　respect　may　trust　them　to　the　death；　whereas　those　whom　they　despise　or　hate　cannot　lend　them　sixpence　with　safety　or　believe　their　word　about　the　smallest　matter。　Their　absolute　fidelity　to　duty　is　well　exemplified　in　the　following　story　which　Sir　Theophilus　Shepstone　told　me　when　we　were　travelling　together　over　the　Biggarsberg。
Once　he　had　occasion　in　winter…time　to　send　two　Zulu　messengers　over　these　mountains　with　despatches　for　Maritzburg。　They　were　caught　in　a　snowstorm　without　coats；　whereon　the　man　who　carried　the　despatch…bag；　feeling　the　approach　of　death；　handed　it　to　his　rade　and　bade　him　proceed。　He　himself　crept　into　an　ant…bear　hole　to　die。　As　it　happened；　however；　the　warmth　of　his　body　in　the　hole　kept　him　alive；　and　when　he　woke　up　in　the　morning　the　sun　was　shining。　He　emerged　and；　following　on　the　road；　presently　found　his　panion　dead　and　stiff。　Taking　the　despatch…bag　from　the　body　he　proceeded　on　his　journey；　and　in　due　course　delivered　it　in　Maritzburg。
Among　my　letters　of　this　period　are　two　from　Judge　Kotze。　In　one　of　these；　which　is　dated　June　17；　1880；　the　Judge　plains　bitterly　of　the　placing　of　De　Wet；　the　Recorder　of　Kimberley；　over　his　head　as　Chief　Justice；　a　very　harsh　step；　the　reason　of　which　I　never　quite　understood；　as　Kotze　was　undoubtedly　an　excellent　lawyer　and　an　upright　Judge。　After　some　political　remarks　he　says：
By　the　by；　you　speak　of　seeking　employment　in　the　Civil　Service　out　here。　Abandon　the　idea　and　take　the　following　suggestion　into　careful　consideration。　Why　not　read　for　the　Bar？　You　have　a　splendid　opening　in　the　Cape　Colony　or　at　the　Diamond　Fields。　It　will　take　you　not　more　than　three　years；　and　by　working　honestly　from　six　to　eight　hours　per　day　you　will　have　no　difficulty　in　turning　out　a　first…rate　man　in　three　years。　Give　it　your　serious　attention。　You　have　a　certain　prospect　of　a　judgeship；　and　will　without　much　difficulty　get　into　the　Cape　Parliament。　Mrs。　Haggard　will　be　pleased　with　Grahamstown　（which　I　would　remend　in　preference　to　Cape　Town）；　and　you　will　have　a　fine　and　thoroughly　independent　career　before　you。　。　。　。　Pretoria　is　no　longer　what　it　was。　The　place　is　unbearable。　Everybody　at　loggerheads　with　Government　and　his　neighbours；　and　the　contractors　in　the　meantime　making　fortunes。
Kotze’s　advice　was　sound；　and　today　I　wish　that　I　had　taken　it；　or　rather　sometimes　I　think　I　do。　What　chiefly　stood　in　my　way；　however；　was　my　agreement　with　Cochrane；　whom　I　did　not　like　to　desert；　although　he　generously　offered　to　release　me。　Also　I　wished　to　be　up　and　doing；　and　did　not　like　the　idea　of　those　three　years　of　parative　inaction　which　would　have　prevented　me　from　earning　anything　more　till　I　was　twenty…seven。　Still　I　was　destined　to　be　called　to　the　English　Bar　after　all；　as　I　hope　to　tell　in　due　course。
Here　I　will　end　my　story　during　the　year　and　a　half　or　so　that　I　was　absent　from　South　Africa；　and　pass　on　to　the　sad　tale　of　the　Retrocession　of　the　Transvaal。
Chapter　8　OUR　LIFE　AT　NEWCASTLE
H。　R。　H。　and　wife　sail　for　Natal　—　Farm　near　Transvaal　—　Maritzburg　—　Dinner　at　Government　House　—　Started　for　Newcastle　—　Adventures　on　journey　—　Hilldrop　—　Boer　revolt　—　Natal　invaded　—　Majuba　and　Colley’s　death　—　Work　on　farm　—　Royal　mission　—　Sir　Hercules　Robinson　President　—　Hilldrop　let　to　Sir　Hercules　and　staff　—　Birth　of　H。　R。　H。‘s　son　—　President　Brand　and　Sir　H。　de　Villiers　—　Retrocession　of　Transvaal　—　Popular　indignation　—　Farming　—　Return　home　—　Mazooku。
My　wife　and　I　with　two　servants；　a　Norfolk　groom　of　the　name　of　Stephen　—　I　forget　his　surname　—　who；　a　little　touched　up；　appears　as　Job　in　my　book　“She；”　and　a　middle…aged　woman　named　Gibbs　who　had　been　my　wife’s　maid　before　marriage；　three　dogs；　two　parrots；　and　a　“spider”　carriage；　which　was　built　to　my　special　order　in　Norwich；　left　England　somewhere　towards　the　end　of　1880。　I　think　that　we　reached　Natal　before　Christmas；　and　were　greeted　with　the　news　of　the　Bronker’s　Spruit　massacre；　for　I　can　call　it　by　no　other　name。　In　short；　we　found　that　the　Transvaal　was　in　open　rebellion。
It　was　indeed　a　pleasant　situation。　Newcastle；　whither　we　desired　to　proceed；　lies　very　near　the　Transvaal　border；　and　the　question　was；　Did　I　dare　to　take　my　wife　thither？　For　some　weeks　we　remained　in　Maritzburg；　staying　part　of　the　time　with　Sir　Theophilus　and　Lady　Shepstone；　and　the　rest　in　an　hotel。　Literally　I　was　at　my　wits’　end　to　know　what　to　do。　To　advance　seemed　too　risky；　to　remain　where　we　were　was　both　wearisome　and；　with　our　servants；　ruinously　expensive。
At　length　my　wife；　who；　I　think；　take　her　altogether；　is　the　most　courageous　woman　I　ever　met；　announced　that　she　would　have　no　more　of　it：　her　house　was　at　Newcastle　two　hundred　miles　away；　and；　Boers　or　no　Boers；　thither　she　would　go。　There　were　rumours　that　Sir　George　Colley；　who　was　then　the　Governor　and　mander…inChief　of　Natal；　intended　to　attack　the　passes　of　the　Drakensberg　with　the　few　troops　at　his　disposal。　Nobody　believed　it；　since　the　thing　was　so　obviously　a　madness。　But　I　was　not　so　sure。　I　went　to　Colonel　（afterwards　Sir　Charles）　Mitchell；　the　Colonial　Secretary；　and　asked　him　in　confidence　if　he　knew　anything。　He　replied　—　Nothing；　but　that　I　might　be　quite　certain　that　so　distinguished　a　soldier　would　never　act　foolishly。
So　I　bought　two　good　horses　—　which　afterwards　died　of　the　sickness　—　harnessed　them　to　the　“spider；”　and　we　started。
I　think　it　was　on　the　night　before　Colley　left　Maritzburg　to　take　personal　mand　of　the　troops　at　Newcastle　that　my　wife　and　I　dined　at　Government　House。　If　so；　this　historical　dinner　took　place　on　January　9；　1881。　I　believe　that　there　were　thirteen　of　us　at　table；　though　on　this　point　I　am　not　absolutely　clear；　of　whom　three　were　ladies　—　Lady　Colley；　another　lady　whose　name　I　forget；　and　my　wife。　The　other　guests　were　officers　and　the　members　of　Colley’s　staff。　The　only　name　that　I　can　remember　is　that　of　young　Elwes；　who　within　a　week　or　two　was　to　die　charging　the　Boer　schanzes　and　shouting　“Floreat　Etona！”　I　sat　next　to　him　at　table。
My　wife　reminds　me　of　an　absurd　little　incident　that　happened　at　this　dinner。　Elwes；　I　think；　was　A。D。C。　to　Colley；　and　one　of　his　duties　—　it　used　to　be　mine　when　I　was　on　the　Governor’s　staff　in　the　same　house　—　was　to　write　the　menus　in　French。　One　of　the　items　of　fare　recorded　by　him　was　pates　de　mince。　In　a　silence　such　as　happens　at　dinner…parties；　Lady　Colley　was　heard　saying　from　the　end　of　the　table：
“Mr。　Elwes；　what　are　pates　de　mince？　I　never　heard　of　a　dish　called　pates　de　mince！”　whereon　everyone　turned　and　looked　at　Elwes。
“Pates　de　mince；　Lady　Colley；”　he　stammered　presently；　his　youthful　face　covered　with　blushes；　“is　the　French　for　mince…pies。”
Poor　Elwes！　He　did　not　hear　the　last　of　his　pates　de　mince　during　that　meal。　Thus　do　farce　and　tragedy　often　walk　hand　in　hand。
In　a　few　months’　time　Lady　Colley；　the　other　lady；　my　wife　and　I　were　the　sole　survivors　of　that　dinner…party。　The　other　lady　died　shortly　afterwards。　About　the　year　1888　my　wife　and　I　were　guests　at　a　dinner　given　by　the　late　Anthony　Froude。　Lady　Colley；　as　she　was　then；　was　another　of　the　guests。　Thus　we　three　survivors　of　that　fatal　Government　House　dinner　met　again。　When　Lady　Colley　recognised　us　she　burst　into　tears；　and　my　wife　was　obliged　to　stand　over　her　to　screen　her　grief　from　observation。
Here　are　some　extracts　from　a　letter　written　by　my　wife　to　my　father　from　the　little　town　of　Estcourt；　and　dated　January　19；　1881　—　nearly　thirty…one　years　ago。
We　have　at　last　summoned　up　courage　to　start　up…country　in　spite　of　the　Boers；　the　real　fact　being　that　we　were　getting　dreadfully　tired　of　doing　nothing　down　in　Maritzburg；　which　was　besides　most　fearfully　hot。　We　got　to　our　first　stage；　Howick；　last　Friday；　which　luckily　for　us　was　a　very　pretty