marie-第26节

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me。　　Say；　therefore；　to　which　of　us　does　she　belong？〃



〃It　would　seem　that　it　should　be　to　you；〃　he　answered　slowly；　〃since　you

have　shown　yourself　so　faithful；　and　were　it　not　for　you　she　would　now

be　lying　yonder；〃　and　he　pointed　to　the　little　heaps　that　covered　the

bones　of　most　of　the　expedition。　　〃Yes；　yes；　it　would　seem　that　it

should　be　to　you；　who　twice　have　saved　her　life　and　once　have　saved　mine

also。〃



Now　I　suppose　that　he　saw　on　my　face　the　joy　which　I　could　not　conceal；

for　he　added　hastily：　〃Yet；　Allan；　years　ago　I　swore　on　the　Book　before

God　that　never　with　my　will　should　my　daughter　marry　an　Englishman；　even

if　be　were　a　good　Englishman。　　Also；　just　before　we　left　the　Colony；　I

swore　again；　in　her　presence　and　that　of　Hernan　Pereira；　that　I　would

not　give　her　to　you；　so　I　cannot　break　my　oath；　can　I？　　If　I　did；　the

good　God　would　be　avenged　upon　me。〃



〃Some　might　think　that　when　I　came　here　the　good　God　was　in　the　way　of

being　avenged　upon　you　for　the　keeping　of　that　evil　oath；〃　I　answered

bitterly；　glancing；　in　my　turn；　at　the　graves。



〃Yes；　they　might；　Allan；〃　he　replied　without　anger；　for　all　his　troubles

had　induced　a　reasonable　frame　of　mind　in　himfor　a　while。　　〃Yet；　His

ways　are　past　finding　out；　are　they　not？〃



Now　my　anger　broke　out；　and；　rising；　I　said：



〃Do　you　mean；　Mynheer　Marais；　that　notwithstanding　the　love　between　us；

which　you　know　is　true　and　deep；　and　notwithstanding　that　I　alone　have

been　able　to　drag　both　of　you　and　the　others　out　of　the　claws　of　death；

I　am　never　to　marry　Marie？　　Do　you　mean　that　she　is　to　be　given　to　a

braggart　who　deserted　her　in　her　need？〃



〃And　what　if　I　do　mean　that；　Allan？〃



〃This：　although　I　am　still　young；　as　you　know　well　I　am　a　man　who　can

think　and　act　for　himself。　　Also；　I　am　your　master　hereI　have　cattle

and　guns　and　servants。　　Well；　I　will　take　Marie；　and　if　any　should　try

to　stop　me；　I　know　how　to　protect　myself　and　her。〃



This　bold　speech　did　not　seem　to　surprise　him　in　the　least　or　to　make

him　think　the　worse　of　me。　　He　looked　at　me　for　a　while；　pulling　his

long　beard　in　a　meditative　fashion；　then　answered：



〃I　dare　say　that　at　your　age　I　should　have　played　the　same　game；　and　it

is　true　that　you　have　things　in　your　fist。　　But；　much　as　she　may　love

you；　Marie　would　not　go　away　with　you　and　leave　her　father　to　starve。〃



〃Then　you　can　come　with　us　as　my　father…in…law；　Mynheer　Marais。　　At　any

rate；　it　is　certain　that　I　will　not　go　away　and　leave　her　here　to

starve。〃



Now　I　think　that　something　which　he　saw　in　my　eye　showed　him　that　I　was

in　earnest。　　At　least；　he　changed　his　tone　and　began　to　argue；　almost　to

plead。



〃Be　reasonable；　Allan；〃　he　said。　　〃How　can　you　marry　Marie　when　there　is

no　predicant　to　marry　you？　　Surely；　if　you　love　her　so　much；　you　would

not　pour　mud　upon　her　name；　even　in　this　wilderness？〃



〃She　might　not　think　it　mud；〃　I　replied。　　〃Men　and　women　have　been

married　without　the　help　of　priests　before　now；　by　open　declaration　and

public　report；　for　instance；　and　their　children　held　to　be　born　in

wedlock。　　I　know　that；　for　I　have　read　of　the　law　of　marriage。〃



〃It　may　be；　Allan；　though　I　hold　no　marriage　good　unless　the　holy　words

are　said。　　But　why　do　you　not　let　me　come　to　the　end　of　my　story？〃



〃Because　I　thought　it　was　ended；　Mynheer　Marais。〃



〃Not　so；　Allan。　　I　told　you　that　I　had　sworn　that　she　should　never　marry

you　with　my　will。　　But　when　she　is　of　age；　which　will　be　in　some　six

months'　time；　my　will　counts　no　longer；　seeing　that　then　she　is　a　free

woman　who　can　dispose　of　herself。　　Also　I　shall　be　clear　of　my　oath；　for

no　harm　will　come　to　my　soul　if　that　happens　which　I　cannot　help。　　Now

are　you　satisfied？〃



〃I　don't　know；〃　I　answered　doubtfully；　for　somehow　all　Marais's

casuistry；　which　I　thought　contemptible；　did　not　convince　me　that　he　was

sincere。　　〃I　don't　know；〃　I　repeated。　　〃Much　may　chance　in　six　months。〃



〃Of　course；　Allan。　　For　instance；　Marie　might　change　her　mind　and　marry

someone　else。〃



〃Or　I　might　not　be　there　to　marry；　mynheer。　　Accidents　sometimes　happen

to　men　who　are　not　wanted；　especially　in　wild　countries　or；　for　the

matter　of　that；　to　those　who　are。〃



〃Allemachte！　　Allan；　you　do　not　mean　that　I〃



〃No；　mynheer；〃　I　interrupted；　〃but　there　are　other　people　in　the　world

besides　yourselfHernan　Pereira；　for　example；　if　he　lives。　　Still；　I　am

not　the　only　one　concerned　in　this　matter。　　There　is　Marie　yonder。　

Shall　I　call　her？〃



He　nodded；　preferring　probably　that　I　should　speak　to　her　in　his

presence　rather　than　alone。



So　I　called　Marie；　who　was　watching　our　talk　somewhat　anxiously　while

she　went　about　her　tasks。　　She　came　at　once；　a　very　different　Marie　to

the　starving　girl　of　a　while　before；　for　although　she　was　still　thin　and

drawn；　her　youth　and　beauty　were　returning　to　her　fast　under　the

influences　of　good　food　and　happiness。



〃What　is　it；　Allan？〃　she　asked　gently。　　I　told　her　all；　repeating　our

conversation　and　the　arguments　which　had　been　used　on　either　side　word

for　word；　as　nearly　as　I　could　remember　them。



〃Is　that　right？〃　I　asked　of　Marais　when　I　had　finished。



〃It　is　right；　you　have　a　good　memory；〃　he　answered。



〃Very　well。　　And　now　what　have　you　to　say；　Marie？〃



〃I；　dear　Allan？　　Why；　this：　My　life　belongs　to　you；　who　have　twice　saved

this　body　of　mine　from　death；　as　my　love　and　spirit　belong　to　you。　

Therefore；　I　should　have　thought　it　no　shame　if　I　had　been　given　to　you

here　and　now　before　the　people；　and　afterwards　married　by　a　clergyman

when　we　found　one。　　But　my　father　has　sworn　an　oath　which　weighs　upon

his　mind；　and　he　has　shown　you　that　within　six　monthsa　short　six

monthsthat　oath　dies　of　itself；　since；　by　the　law；　he　can　no　longer

control　me。　　So；　Allan；　as　I　would　not　grieve　him；　or　perhaps　lead　him

to　say　and　do　what　is　foolish；　I　think　it　would　be　well　that　we　should

wait　for　those　six　months；　if；　on　his　part；　he　promises　that　he　will

then　do　nothing　to　prevent　our　marriage。〃



〃Ja；　ja；　I　promise　that　then　I　will　do　nothing　to　prevent　your

marriage；〃　answered　Marais　eagerly；　like　one　who　has　suddenly　seen　some

loophole　of　escape　from　an　impossible　position；　adding；　as　though　to

himself；　〃But　God　may　do　something　to　prevent　it；　for　all　that。〃



〃We　are　every　one　of　us　in　the　hand　of　God；〃　she　replied　in　her　sweet

voice。　　〃Allan；　you　hear；　my　father　has　promised？〃



〃Yes；　Marie；　he　has　promisedafter　a　fashion；〃　I　replied　gloomily；　for

somehow　his　words　struck　a　chill　through　me。



〃I　have　promised；　Allan；　and　I　will　keep　my　promise　to　you；　as　I　have

kept　my　oath　to　God；　attempting　to　work　you　no　harm；　and　leaving　all　in

His　hands。　　But　you；　on　your　part；　must　promise　also　that；　till　she　is

of　age；　you　will　not　take　Marie　as　a　wifeno；　not　if　you　were　left

alone　together　in　the　veld。　　You　must　be　as　people　who　are　affianced　to

each　other；　no　more。〃



So；　having　no　choice；　I　promised；　though　with　a　heavy　heart。　　Then；　I

suppose　in　order　to　make　this　solemn　contract　public；　Marais　called　the

surviving　Boers；　who　were　loitering　near；　and　repeated　to　them　the　terms

of　the　contract　that　we　had　made。



The　men　laughed　and　shrugged　their　shoulders。　　But　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　I

remember；　said　outright　that　she　thought　the　business　foolish；　since　if

anyone　had　a　right　to　Marie；　I　had；　wherever　I　chose　to　take　her。　　She

added　that；　as　for　Hernan　Pereira；　he　was　a　〃sneak　and　a　stinkcat；〃　who

had　gone　off　to　save　his　own　life；　and　left　them　all　to　die。　　If　_she_

were　Marie；　should　they　meet　again；　she　would　greet　him　with　a　pailful

of　dirty　water　in　the　face；　as　she　herself　meant　to　do　if　she　got　the

chance。



Vrouw　Prinsloo；　it　will　be　observed；　was　a　very　outspoken　woman　and；　I

may　add；　an　honest　one。



So　this　contract　was　settled。　　I　have　set　it　out　at　length　because　of

its　importance　in　our　story。　　But　now　I　wishah！　how　I　wish　that　I　had

insisted　upon　being　married　to　Marie　then　and　there。　　If　I　had　done　so；

I　think　I　should　have　carried　my　point；　for　I　was　the　〃master　of　many

legions〃　in　the　shape　of　cattle；　food　and　ammunition；　and　rather　than

risk　a　quarrel　with　me；　the　other　Boers　would　have　forced　Marais　to　give

way。　　But　we　were　young　and　inexperienced；　also　it　was　fated　otherwise。　

Who　can　question　the　decrees　of　Fate　written　immutably；　perhaps　long

before　we　were　born；　in　the　everlasting　book　of　human　destinies？



Yet；　when　I　had　shaken　off　my　first　fears　and　doubts；　my　lot　and　Marie's

were　very　happy；　a　perfect　paradise；　indeed；　compared　with　what　we　had

gone　through　during　that　bitter　time　of　silence　and　separation。　　At　any

rate；　we　were　acknowledged　to　be　affianced　by　the　little　society　in

which　we　lived；　including　her　father；　and　allowed　to　be　as　much　alone

together　as　we　liked。　　This　meant　that　we　met　at　dawn　only　to　separate

at　nightfall；　for；　having　little　or　no　artificial　light；　we　went　to