marie-第10节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



I　may　mention　that　of　the　seven　or　eight　men　who　slept　in　the

outbuildings　and　had　fought　with　us；　two　were　killed　in　the　fight　and

two　wounded。　　The　remainder；　one　way　or　another；　managed　to　escape

unhurt；　so　that　in　all　this　fearful　struggle；　in　which　we　inflicted　so

terrible　a　punishment　upon　the　Kaffirs；　we　lost　only　three　slain；

including　the　Frenchman；　Leblanc。



As　to　the　events　of　the　next　three　days　I　know　only　what　I　have　been

told；　for　practically　during　all　that　time　I　was　off　my　head　from　loss

of　blood；　complicated　with　fever　brought　on　by　the　fearful　excitement

and　exertion　I　had　undergone。　　All　I　can　recall　is　a　vision　of　Marie

bending　over　me　and　making　me　take　food　of　some　sortmilk　or　soup；　I

supposefor　it　seems　I　would　touch　it　from　no　other　hand。　　Also　I　had

visions　of　the　tall　shape　of　my　white…haired　father；　who；　like　most

missionaries；　understood　something　of　surgery　and　medicine；　attending　to

the　bandages　on　my　thigh。　　Afterwards　he　told　me　that　the　spear　had

actually　cut　the　walls　of　the　big　artery；　but；　by　good　fortune；　without


going　through　them。　　Another　fortieth　of　an　inch　and　I　should　have　bled

to　death　in　ten　minutes！



On　this　third　day　my　mind　was　brought　back　from　its　wanderings　by　the

sound　of　a　great　noise　about　the　house；　above　which　I　heard　the　voice　of

Marais　storming　and　shouting；　and　that　of　my　father　trying　to　calm　him。　

Presently　Marie　entered　the　room；　drawing…to　behind　her　a　Kaffir　karoos；

which　served　as　a　curtain；　for　the　door；　it　will　be　remembered；　had　been

torn　out。　　Seeing　that　I　was　awake　and　reasonable；　she　flew　to　my　side

with　a　little　cry　of　joy；　and；　kneeling　down；　kissed　me　on　the　forehead。



〃You　have　been　very　ill；　Allan；　but　I　know　you　will　recover　now。　　While

we　are　alone；　which；〃　she　added　slowly　and　with　meaning；　〃I　dare　say　we

shall　not　be　much　in　future；　I　want　to　thank　you　from　my　heart　for　all

that　you　did　to　save　me。　　Had　it　not　been　for　you；　oh！　had　it　not　been

for　you〃and　she　glanced　at　the　blood　stains　on　the　earthen　floor；　put

her　hands　before　her　eyes　and　shuddered。



〃Nonsense；　Marie；〃　I　answered；　taking　her　hand　feebly　enough；　for　I　was

very　weak。　　〃Anyone　else　would　have　done　as　much；　even　if　they　did　not

love　you　as　I　do。　　Let　us　thank　God　that　it　was　not　in　vain。　　But　what

is　all　that　noise？　　Have　the　Quabies　come　back？〃



She　shook　her　head。



〃No；　the　Boers　have　come　back　from　hunting　them。〃



〃And　did　they　catch　them　and　recover　the　cattle？〃



〃Not　so。　　They　only　found　some　wounded　men；　whom　they　shot；　and　the　body

of　Monsieur　Leblanc　with　his　head　cut　off；　taken　away　with　other　bits　of

him　for　medicine；　they　say　to　make　the　warriors　brave。　　Quabie　has　burnt

his　kraal　and　fled　with　all　his　people　to　join　the　other　Kaffirs　in　the

Big　Mountains。　　Not　a　cow　or　a　sheep　did　they　find；　except　a　few　that

had　fallen　exhausted；　and　those　had　their　throats　cut。　　My　father　wanted

to　follow　them　and　attack　the　Red　Kaffirs　in　the　mountains；　but　the

others　would　not　go。　　They　said　there　are　thousands　of　them；　and　that　it

would　be　a　mad　war；　from　which　not　one　of　them　would　return　alive。　　He

is　wild　with　grief　and　rage；　for；　Allan　dear；　we　are　almost　ruined；

especially　as　the　British　Government　are　freeing　the　slaves　and　only

going　to　give　us　a　very　small　price；　not　a　third　of　their　value。　　But；

hark！　he　is　calling　me；　and　you　must　not　talk　much　or　excite　yourself；

lest　you　should　be　ill　again。　　Now　you　have　to　sleep　and　eat　and　get

strong。　　Afterwards；　dear；　you　may　talk〃；　and；　bending　down　once　more；

she　blessed　and　kissed　me；　then　rose　and　glided　away。







CHAPTER　IV









HERNANDO　PEREIRA











Several　more　days　passed　before　I　was　allowed　out　of　that　little

war…stained　room　of　which　I　grew　to　hate　the　very　sight。　　I　entreated　my

father　to　take　me　into　the　air；　but　he　would　not；　saying　that　he　feared

lest　any　movement　should　cause　the　bleeding　to　begin　again　or　even　the

cut　artery　to　burst。　　Moreover；　the　wound　was　not　hearing　very　well；　the

spear　that　caused　it　having　been　dirty　or　perhaps　used　to　skin　dead

animals；　which　caused　some　dread　of　gangrene；　that　in　those　days

generally　meant　death。　　As　it　chanced；　although　I　was　treated　only　with

cold　water；　for　antiseptics　were　then　unknown；　my　young　and　healthy

blood　triumphed　and　no　gangrene　appeared。



What　made　those　days　even　duller　was　that　during　them　I　saw　very　little

of　Marie；　who　now　only　entered　the　place　in　the　company　of　her　father。　

Once　I　managed　to　ask　her　why　she　did　not　come　oftener　and　alone。　　Her

face　grew　troubled　as　she　whispered　back；　〃Because　it　is　not　allowed；

Allan；〃　and　then　without　another　word　left　the　place。



Why；　I　wondered　to　myself；　was　it　not　allowed；　and　an　answer　sprang　up

in　my　mind。　　Doubtless　it　was　because　of　that　tall　young　man　who　had

argued　with　my　father　in　the　wagon…house。　　Marie　had　never　spoken　to　me

of　him；　but　from　the　Hottentot　Hans　and　my　father　I　managed　to　collect　a

good　deal　of　information　concerning　him　and　his　business。



It　appeared　that　he　was　the　only　child　of　Henri　Marais's　sister；　who

married　a　Portuguese　from　Delagoa　Bay　of　the　name　of　Pereira；　who　had

come　to　the　Cape　Colony　to　trade　many　years　before　and　settled　there。　

Both　he　and　his　wife　were　dead；　and　their　son；　Hernando；　Marie's　cousin；

had　inherited　all　their　very　considerable　wealth。



Indeed；　now　I　remembered　having　heard　this　Hernando；　or　Hernan；　as　the

Boers　called　him　for　short；　spoken　of　in　past　years　by　the　Heer　Marais

as　the　heir　to　great　riches；　since　his　father　had　made　a　large　fortune

by　trading　in　wine　and　spirits　under　some　Government　monopoly　which　he

held。　　Often　he　had　been　invited　to　visit　Maraisfontein；　but　his

parents；　who　doted　on　him　and　lived　in　one　of　the　settled　districts　not

far　from　Cape　Town；　would　never　allow　him　to　travel　so　far　from　them

into　these　wild　regions。



Since　their　death；　however；　things　had　changed。　　It　appeared　that　on　the

decease　of　old　Pereira　the　Governor　of　the　Colony　had　withdrawn　the　wine

and　spirit　monopoly；　which　he　said　was　a　job　and　a　scandal；　an　act　that

made　Hernando　Pereira　very　angry；　although　he　needed　no　more　money；　and

had　caused　him　to　throw　himself　heart　and　soul　into　the　schemes　of　the

disaffected　Boers。　　Indeed；　he　was　now　engaged　as　one　of　the　organisers

of　the　Great　Trek　which　was　in　contemplation。　　In　fact；　it　had　already

begun；　into　the　partially　explored　land　beyond　the　borders　of　the

Colony；　where　the　Dutch　farmers　proposed　to　set　up　dominions　of　their

own。



That　was　the　story　of　Hernando　Pereira；　who　was　to　benay；　who　had

already　becomemy　rival　for　the　hand　of　the　sweet　and　beautiful　Marie

Marais。



One　night　when　my　father　and　I　were　alone　in　the　little　room　where　he

slept　with　me；　and　he　had　finished　reading　his　evening　portion　of

Scripture　aloud；　I　plucked　up　my　courage　to　tell　him　that　I　loved　Marie

and　wished　to　marry　her；　and　that　we　had　plighted　our　troth　during　the

attack　of　the　Kaffirs　on　the　stead。



〃Love　and　war　indeed！〃　he　said；　looking　at　me　gravely；　but　showing　no

sign　of　surprise；　for　it　appeared　that　he　was　already　acquainted　with

our　secret。　　This　was　not　wonderful；　for　he　informed　me　afterwards　that

during　my　delirium　I　had　done　nothing　except　rave　of　Marie　in　the　most

endearing　terms。　　Also　Marie　herself；　when　I　was　at　my　worst；　had　burst

into　tears　before　him　and　told　him　straight　out　that　she　loved　me。



〃Love　and　war　indeed！〃　he　repeated；　adding　kindly；　〃My　poor　boy；　I　fear

that　you　have　fallen　into　great　trouble。〃



〃Why；　father？〃　I　asked。　　〃Is　it　wrong　that　we　should　love　each　other？〃



〃Not　wrong；　but；　in　the　circumstances；　quite　naturalI　should　have

foreseen　that　it　was　sure　to　happen。　　No；　not　wrong；　but　most

unfortunate。　　To　begin　with；　I　do　not　wish　to　see　you　marry　a　foreigner

and　become　mixed　up　with　these　disloyal　Boers。　　I　hoped　that　one　day；　a

good　many　years　hence；　for　you　are　only　a　boy；　Allan；　you　would　find　an

English　wife；　and　I　still　hope　it。〃



〃Never！〃　I　ejaculated。



〃Never　is　a　long　word；　Allan；　and　I　dare　say　that　what　you　are　so　sure

is　impossible　will　happen　after　all；〃　words　that　made　me　angry　enough　at

the　time；　though　in　after　years　I　often　thought　of　them。



〃But；〃　he　went　on；　〃putting　my　own　wishes；　perhaps　prejudices；　aside；　I

think　your　suit　hopeless。　　Although　Henri　Marais　likes　you　well　enough

and　is　grateful　to　you　just　now　because　you　have　saved　the　daughter　whom

he　loves；　you　must　remember　that　he　hates　us　English　bitterly。　　I

believe　that　he　would　almost　as　soon　see　his　girl　marry　a　half…caste　as

an　Englishman；　and　especially　a　poor　Englishman；　as　you　are；　and　unless

you　can　make　money；　must　remain。　　I　have　little　to　leave　you；　Allan。〃



〃I　might　make　money；　father；　out　of　ivory；　for　instance。　　You　know　I　am

a　good　shot。〃



〃Allan；　I　do　not　think　you　will　ever　make　much　money；　it　is　not　in　your