marie-第17节

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Now；　the　arrangement　was　that　my　father　and　I　were　to　sleep　that　night

at　Marais's　stead；　returning　home　on　the　following　morning。　　But　my

father；　who　had　been　a　silent　but　not　unobservant　witness　of　all　this

scene；　coming　to　the　conclusion　that　after　what　had　happened　we　should

scarcely　be　welcome　there；　and　that　the　company　of　Pereira　was　to　be

avoided　just　now；　went　up　to　Marais　and　bade　him　farewell；　saying　that

we　would　send　for　my　mare。



〃Not　so；　not　so；〃　he　answered；　〃you　are　my　guests　to…night。　　Also；　fear

not；　Hernan　will　be　away。　　He　has　gone　a　journey　upon　some　business。〃



As　my　father　hesitated；　Marais　added：　〃Friend；　I　pray　you　to　come；　for　I

have　some　important　words　to　say　to　you；　which　cannot　be　said　here。〃



Then　my　father　gave　way；　to　my　delight　and　relief。　　For　if　he　had　not；

what　chance　would　there　have　been　of　my　getting　some　still　more

important　words　with　Marie？　　So　having　collected　the　geese　and　the　two

falcons；　which　I　proposed　to　skin　for　Marie；　I　was　helped　into　the　cart；

and　we　drove　off；　reaching　Maraisfontein　just　as　night　set　in。



That　evening；　after　we　had　eaten；　Heer　Marais　asked　my　father　and　myself

to　speak　with　him　in　the　sitting…room。　　By　an　afterthought　also；　or　so

it　seemed　to　me；　he　told　his　daughter；　who　had　been　clearing　away　the

dishes　and　with　whom　as　yet　I　had　found　no　opportunity　to　talk；　to　come

in　with　us　and　close　the　door　behind　her。



When　all　were　seated　and　we　men　had　lit　our　pipes；　though　apprehension

of　what　was　to　follow　quite　took　away　my　taste　for　smoking；　Marais　spoke

in　English；　which　he　knew　to　a　certain　extent。　　This　was　for　the　benefit

of　my　father；　who　made　it　a　point　of　honour　not　to　understand　Dutch；

although　he　would　answer　Marais　in　that　language　when　_he_　pretended　not

to　understand　English。　　To　me　he　spoke　in　Dutch；　and　occasionally　in

French　to　Marie。　　It　was　a　most　curious　and　polyglot　conversation。



〃Young　Allan；〃　he　said；　〃and　you；　daughter　Marie；　I　have　heard　stories

concerning　you　that；　although　I　never　gave　you　leave　to　'opsit'〃　（that

is；　to　sit　up　alone　at　night　with　candles；　according　to　the　Boer　fashion

between　those　who　are　courting）；　〃you　have　been　making　love　to　each

other。〃



〃That　is　true；　mynheer；〃　I　said。　　〃I　only　waited　an　opportunity　to　tell

you　that　we　plighted　our　troth　during　the　attack　of　the　Quabies　on　this

house。〃



〃Allemachte！　　Allan；　a　strange　time　to　choose；〃　answered　Marais；　pulling

at　his　beard；〃　the　troth　that　is　plighted　in　blood　is　apt　to　end　in

blood。〃



〃A　vain　superstition　to　which　I　cannot　consent；〃　interrupted　my　father。



〃Perhaps　so；〃　I　answered。　　〃I　know　not；　God　alone　knows。　　I　only　know

that　we　plighted　our　troth　when　we　thought　ourselves　about　to　die；　and

that　we　shall　keep　that　troth　till　death　ends　it。〃



〃Yes；　my　father；〃　added　Marie；　leaning　forward　across　the　scored

yellow…wood　table；　her　chin　resting　on　her　hand　and　her　dark；　buck…like

eyes　looking　him　in　the　face。　　〃Yes；　my　father；　that　is　so；　as　I　have

told　you　already。〃



〃And　I　tell　you；　Marie；　what　I　have　told　you　already；　and　you　too；

Allan；　that　this　thing　may　not　be；〃　answered　Marais；　hitting　the　table

with　his　fist。　　〃I　have　nothing　to　say　against　you；　Allan；　indeed；　I

honour　you；　and　you　have　done　me　a　mighty　service；　but　it　may　not　be。〃



〃Why　not；　mynheer？〃　I　asked。



〃For　three　reasons；　Allan；　each　of　which　is　final。　　You　are　English；　and

I　do　not　wish　my　daughter　to　marry　an　Englishman；　that　is　the　first。　

You　are　poor；　which　is　no　discredit　to　you；　and　since　I　am　now　ruined　my

daughter　cannot　marry　a　poor　man；　that　is　the　second。　　You　live　here；

and　my　daughter　and　I　are　leaving　this　country；　therefore　you　cannot

marry　her；　that　is　the　third；〃　and　he　paused。



〃Is　there　not　a　fourth；〃　I　asked；　〃which　is　the　real　reason？　　Namely；

that　you　wish　your　daughter　to　marry　someone　else。〃



〃Yes；　Allan；　since　you　force　me　to　it；　there　is　a　fourth。　　I　have

affianced　my　daughter　to　her　cousin；　Hernando　Pereira；　a　man　of

substance　and　full　age；　no　lad；　but　one　who　knows　his　own　mind　and　can

support　a　wife。〃



〃I　understand；〃　I　answered　calmly；　although　within　my　heart　a　very　hell

was　raging。　　〃But　tell　me；　mynheer；　has　Marie　affianced　herselfor

perhaps　she　will　answer　with　her　own　lips？〃



〃Yes；　Allan；〃　replied　Marie　in　her　quiet　fashion；　〃I　have　affianced

myselfto　you　and　no　other　man。〃



〃You　hear；　mynheer；〃　I　said　to　Marais。



Then　he　broke　out　in　his　usual　excitable　manner。　　He　stormed；　he　argued；

he　rated　us　both。　　He　said　that　he　would　never　allow　it；　that　first　he

would　see　his　daughter　in　her　grave。　　That　I　had　abused　his　confidence

and　violated　his　hospitality；　that　he　would　shoot　me　if　I　came　near　his

girl。　　That　she　was　a　minor；　and　according　to　the　law　he　could　dispose

of　her　in　marriage。　　That　she　must　accompany　him　whither　he　was　going；

that　certainly　I　should　not　do　so；　and　much　more　of　the　same　sort。



When　at　last　he　had　tired　himself　out　and　smashed　his　favourite　pipe

upon　the　table；　Marie　spoke；　saying：



〃My　father；　you　know　that　I　love　you　dearly；　for　since　my　mother's　death

we　have　been　everything　to　each　other；　have　we　not？〃



〃Surely；　Marie；　you　are　my　life；　and　more　than　my　life。〃



〃Very　well；　my　father。　　That　being　so；　I　acknowledge　your　authority　over

me；　whatever　the　law　may　say。　　I　acknowledge　that　you　have　the　right　to

forbid　me　to　marry　Allan；　and　if　you　do　forbid　mewhile　I　am　under　age；

at　any　rateI　shall　not　marry　him　because　of　my　duty　to　you。　

But〃here　she　rose　and　looked　him　full　in　the　eyes；　and　oh！　how　stately

she　seemed　at　that　moment　in　her　simple　strength　and　youthful

grace！〃there　is　one　thing；　my　father；　that　I　do　not　acknowledgeyour

right　to　force　me　to　marry　any　other　man。　　As　a　woman　with　power　over

herself；　I　deny　that　right；　and　much　as　it　pains　me；　my　father；　to

refuse　you　anything；　I　say　that　first　I　will　die。　　To　Allan　here　I　have

given　myself　for　good　or　for　evil；　and　if　I　may　not　marry　Allan；　I　will

go　to　the　grave　unwed。　　If　my　words　hurt　you；　I　pray　you　to　pardon　me；

but　at　the　same　time　to　remember　that　they　are　my　words；　which　cannot　be

altered。〃



Marais　looked　at　his　daughter；　and　his　daughter　looked　at　Marais。　　At

first　I　thought　that　he　was　about　to　curse　her；　but　if　this　were　so；

something　in　her　eyes　seemed　to　change　his　mind；　for　all　he　said　was：



〃Intractable；　like　the　rest　of　your　race！　　Well；　Fate　may　lead　those　who

cannot　be　driven；　and　this　matter　I　leave　in　the　hands　of　Fate。　　While

you　are　under　agethat　is；　for　two　years　or　moreyou　may　not　marry

without　my　consent；　and　have　just　promised　not　to　do　so。　　Presently　we

trek　from　this　country　into　far…off　lands。　　Who　knows　what　may　happen

there？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　my　father　in　a　solemn　voice；　speaking　for　the　first　time；

〃who　knows　except　God；　Who　governs　all　things；　and　will　settle　these

matters　according　to　His　will；　Henri　Marais？　　Listen；〃　he　went　on　after

a　pause；　for　Marais　made　no　answer；　but　sat　himself　down　and　stared

gloomily　at　the　table。　　〃You　do　not　wish　my　son　to　marry　your　daughter

for　various　reasons；　of　which　one　is　that　you　think　him　poor　and　a

richer　suitor　has　offered　himself　after　a　reverse　of　fortune　has　made

_you_　poor。　　Another　and　a　greater；　the　true　reason；　is　his　English

blood；　which　you　hate　so　much　that；　although　by　God's　mercy　he　saved　her

life；　you　do　not　desire　that　he　should　share　her　life。　　Is　it　not　true？〃



〃Yes；　it　is　true；　Mynheer　Quatermain。　　You　English　are　bullies　and

cheats；〃　he　answered　excitedly。



〃And　so　you　would　give　your　daughter　to　one　who　has　shown　himself　humble

and　upright；　to　that　good　hater　of　the　English　and　plotter　against　his

King；　Hernando　Pereira；　whom　you　love　because　he　alone　is　left　of　your

ancient　race。〃



Remembering　the　incident　of　the　afternoon；　this　sarcasm　reduced　Marais

to　silence。



〃Well；〃　went　on　my　father；　〃although　I　am　fond　of　Marie；　and　know　her　to

be　a　sweet　and　noble…hearted　girl；　neither　do　I　wish　that　she　should

marry　my　son。　　I　would　see　him　wed　to　some　English　woman；　and　not

dragged　into　the　net　of　the　Boers　and　their　plottings。　　Still；　it　is

plain　that　these　two　love　each　other　with　heart　and　soul；　as　doubtless

it　has　been　decreed　that　they　should　love。　　This　being　so；　I　tell　you

that　to　separate　them　and　force　another　marriage　upon　one　of　them　is　a

crime　before　God；　of　which；　I　am　sure；　He　will　take　note　and　pay　it　back

to　you。　　Strange　things　may　happen　in　those　lands　whither　you　go；　Henri

Marais。　　Will　you　not；　then；　be　content　to　leave　your　child　in　safe

keeping？〃



〃Never！〃　shouted　Marais。　　〃She　shall　accompany　me　to　a　new　home；　which

is　not　under　the　shadow　of　your　accursed　British　flag。〃



〃Then　I　have　no　more　to　say。　　On　your　head　be　it　here　and　hereafter；〃

replied　my　father　solemnly。



Now　unable　to　control　myself　any　longer　I　broke　in：



〃But　I　have；　mynheer。　　To　separate　Mari