marie-第3节

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would　not；　speak　if　he　could　help　it；　and　Mr。　Marais　preferred　not　to

talk　English。　　To　meet　someone　who　could　converse　in　French　delighted

him；　and　although　his　version　of　the　language　was　that　of　two　centuries

before　and　my　father's　was　largely　derived　from　reading；　they　got　on

very　well　together；　if　not　too　fast。



At　length；　after　a　pause；　Mr。　Marais；　pointing　to　myself；　a　small　and

stubbly…haired　youth　with　a　sharp　nose；　asked　my　father　whether　he　would

like　me　to　be　instructed　in　the　French　tongue。　　The　answer　was　that

nothing　would　please　him　better。



〃Although；〃　he　added　severely；　〃to　judge　by　my　own　experience　where

Latin　and　Greek　are　concerned；　I　doubt　his　capacity　to　learn　anything。〃



So　an　arrangement　was　made　that　I　should　go　over　for　two　days　in　each

week　to　Maraisfontein；　sleeping　there　on　the　intervening　night；　and

acquire　a　knowledge　of　the　French　tongue　from　a　tutor　whom　Mr。　Marais

had　hired　to　instruct　his　daughter　in　that　language　and　other　subjects。　

I　remember　that　my　father　agreed　to　pay　a　certain　proportion　of　this

tutor's　salary；　a　plan　which　suited　the　thrifty　Boer　very　well　indeed。



Thither；　accordingly；　I　went　in　due　course；　nothing　loth；　for　on　the

veld　between　our　station　and　Maraisfontein　many　pauw　and　koranthat　is；

big　and　small　bustardswere　to　be　found；　to　say　nothing　of　occasional

buck；　and　I　was　allowed　to　carry　a　gun；　which　even　in　those　days　I　could

use　fairly　well。　　So　to　Maraisfontein　I　rode　on　the　appointed　day；

attended　by　a　Hottentot　after…rider；　a　certain　Hans；　of　whom　I　shall

have　a　good　deal　to　tell。　　I　enjoyed　very　goof　sport　on　the　road；

arriving　at　the　stead　laden　with　one　pauw；　two　koran；　and　a　little

klipspringer　buck　which　I　had　been　lucky　enough　to　shoot　as　it　bounded

out　of　some　rocks　in　front　of　me。



There　was　a　peach　orchard　planted　round　Maraisfontein；　which　just　then

was　a　mass　of　lovely　pink　blossom；　and　as　I　rode　through　it　slowly；　not

being　sure　of　my　way　to　the　house；　a　lanky　child　appeared　in　front　of

me；　clad　in　a　frock　which　exactly　matched　the　colour　of　the　peach　bloom。

　I　can　see　her　now；　her　dark　hair　hanging　down　her　back；　and　her　big；

shy　eyes　staring　at　me　from　the　shadow　of　the　Dutch　〃kappie〃　which　she

wore。　　Indeed；　she　seemed　to　be　all　eyes；　like　a　〃dikkop〃　or

thick…headed　plover；　at　any　rate；　I　noted　little　else　about　her。



I　pulled　up　my　pony　and　stared　at　her；　feeling　very　shy　and　not　knowing

what　to　say。　　For　a　while　she　stared　back　at　me；　being　afflicted；

presumably；　with　the　same　complaint；　then　spoke　with　an　effort；　in　a

voice　that　was　very　soft　and　pleasant。



〃Are　you　the　little　Allan　Quatermain　who　is　coming　to　learn　French　with

me？〃　she　asked　in　Dutch。



〃Of　course；〃　I　answered　in　the　same　tongue；　which　I　knew　well；　〃but　why

do　you　call　me　little；　missie？　I　am　taller　than　you；〃　I　added

indignantly；　for　when　I　was　young　my　lack　of　height　was　always　a　sore

point　with　me。



〃I　think　not；〃　she　replied。　　〃But　get　off　that　horse；　and　we　will

measure　here　against　this　wall。〃



So　I　dismounted；　and；　having　assured　herself　that　I　had　no　heels　to　my

boots　（I　was　wearing　the　kind　of　raw…hide　slippers　that　the　Boers　call

〃veld…shoon〃）；　she　took　the　writing　slate　which　she　was　carryingit　had

no　frame；　I　remember；　being；　in　fact；　but　a　piece　of　the　material　used

for　roofingand；　pressing　it　down　tight　on　my　stubbly　hair；　which　stuck

up　then　as　now；　made　a　deep　mark　in　the　soft　sandstone　of　the　wall　with

the　hard　pointed　pencil。



〃There；〃　she　said；　〃that　is　justly　done。　　Now；　little　Allan；　it　is　your

turn　to　measure　me。〃



So　I　measured　her；　and；　behold！　she　was　the　taller　by　a　whole　half…inch。



〃You　are　standing　on　tiptoe；〃　I　said　in　my　vexation。



〃Little　Allan；〃　she　replied；　〃to　stand　on　tiptoe　would　be　to　lie　before

the　good　Lord；　and　when　you　come　to　know　me　better　you　will　learn　that；

though　I　have　a　dreadful　temper　and　many　other　sins；　I　do　not　lie。〃



I　suppose　that　I　looked　snubbed　and　mortified；　for　she　went　on　in　her

grave；　grown…up　way：　〃Why　are　you　angry　because　God　made　me　taller　than

you？　especially　as　I　am　whole　months　older；　for　my　father　told　me　so。　

Come；　let　us　write　our　names　against　these　marks；　so　that　in　a　year　or

two　you　may　see　how　you　outgrow　me。〃　　Then　with　the　slate　pencil　she

scratched　〃Marie〃　against　her　mark　very　deeply；　so　that　it　might　last；

she　said；　after　which　I　wrote　〃Allan〃　against　mine。



Alas！　　Within　the　last　dozen　years　chance　took　me　past　Maraisfontein

once　more。　　The　house　had　long　been　rebuilt；　but　this　particular　wall

yet　stood。　　I　rode　to　it　and　looked；　and　there　faintly　could　still　be

seen　the　name　Marie；　against　the　little　line；　and　by　it　the　mark　that　I

had　made。　　My　own　name　and　with　it　subsequent　measurements　were　gone；

for　in　the　intervening　forty　years　or　so　the　sandstone　had　flaked　away

in　places。　　Only　her　autograph　remained；　and　when　I　saw　it　I　think　that

I　felt　even　worse　than　I　did　on　finding　whose　was　the　old　Bible　that　I

had　bought　upon　the　market　square　at　Maritzburg。



I　know　that　I　rode　away　hurriedly　without　even　stopping　to　inquire　into

whose　hands　the　farm　had　passed。　　Through　the　peach　orchard　I　rode；

where　the　treesperhaps　the　same；　perhaps　otherswere　once　more　in

bloom；　for　the　season　of　the　year　was　that　when　Marie　and　I　first　met；

nor　did　I　draw　rein　for　half　a　score　of　miles。



But　here　I　may　state　that　Marie　always　stayed　just　half　an　inch　the

taller　in　body；　and　how　much　taller　in　mind　and　spirit　I　cannot　tell。





When　we　had　finished　our　measuring　match　Marie　turned　to　lead　me　to　the

house；　and；　pretending　to　observe　for　the　first　time　the　beautiful

bustard　and　the　two　koran　hanging　from　my　saddle；　also　the　klipspringer

buck　that　Hans　the　Hottentot　carried　behind　him　on　his　horse；　asked：



〃Did　you　shoot　all　these；　Allan　Quatermain？〃



〃Yes；〃　I　answered　proudly；　〃I　killed　them　in　four　shots；　and　the　pauw

and　koran　were　flying；　not　sitting；　which　is　more　than　you　could　have

done；　although　you　are　taller；　Miss　Marie。〃



〃I　do　not　know；〃　she　answered　reflectively。　　〃I　can　shoot　very　well　with

a　rifle；　for　my　father　has　taught　me；　but　I　never　would　shoot　at　living

things　unless　I　must　because　I　was　hungry；　for　I　think　that　to　kill　is

cruel。　　But；　of　course；　it　is　different　with　men；〃　she　added　hastily；

〃and　no　doubt　you　will　be　a　great　hunter　one　day；　Allan　Quatermain；

since　you　can　already　aim　so　well。〃



〃I　hope　so；〃　I　answered；　blushing　at　the　compliment；　〃for　I　love

hunting；　and　when　there　are　so　many　wild　things　it　does　not　matter　if　we

kill　a　few。　　I　shot　these　for　you　and　your　father　to　eat。〃



〃Come；　then；　and　give　them　to　him。　　He　will　thank　you；〃　and　she　led　the

way　through　the　gate　in　the　sandstone　wall　into　the　yard；　where　the

outbuildings　stood　in　which　the　riding　horses　and　the　best　of　the

breeding　cattle　were　kept　at　night；　and　so　past　the　end　of　the　long；

one…storied　house；　that　was　stone…built　and　whitewashed；　to　the　stoep　or

veranda　in　front　of　it。



On　the　broad　stoep；　which　commanded　a　pleasant　view　over　rolling；

park…like　country；　where　mimosa　and　other　trees　grew　in　clumps；　two　men

were　seated；　drinking　strong　coffee；　although　it　was　not　yet　ten　o'clock

in　the　morning。



Hearing　the　sound　of　the　horses；　one　of　these；　Mynheer　Marais；　whom　I

already　knew；　rose　from　his　hide…strung　chair。　　He　was；　as　I　think　I

have　said；　not　in　the　least　like　one　of　the　phlegmatic　Boers；　either　in

person　or　in　temperament；　but；　rather；　a　typical　Frenchman；　although　no

member　of　his　race　had　set　foot　in　France　for　a　hundred　and　fifty　years。

　At　least　so　I　discovered　afterwards；　for；　of　course；　in　those　days　I

knew　nothing　of　Frenchmen。



His　companion　was　also　French；　Leblanc　by　name；　but　of　a　very　different

stamp。　　In　person　he　was　short　and　stout。　　His　large　head　was　bald

except　for　a　fringe　of　curling；　iron…grey　hair　which　grew　round　it　just

above　the　ears　and　fell　upon　his　shoulders；　giving　him　the　appearance　of

a　tonsured　but　dishevelled　priest。　　His　eyes　were　blue　and　watery；　his

mouth　was　rather　weak；　and　his　cheeks　were　pale；　full　and　flabby。　　When

the　Heer　Marais　rose；　I；　being　an　observant　youth；　noted　that　Monsieur

Leblanc　took　the　opportunity　to　stretch　out　a　rather　shaky　hand　and　fill

up　his　coffee　cup　out　of　a　black　bottle；　which　from　the　smell　I　judged

to　contain　peach　brandy。



In　fact；　it　may　as　well　be　said　at　once　that　the　poor　man　was　a

drunkard；　which　explains　how　he；　with　all　his　high　education　and　great

ability；　came　to　hold　the　humble　post　of　tutor　on　a　remote　Boer　farm。　

Years　before；　when　under　the　influence　of　drink；　he　had　committed　some

crime　in　FranceI　don't　know　what　it　was；　and　never　inquiredand　fled

to　the　Cape　to　avoid　prosecution。　　Here　he　obtained　a　professorship　at

one　of　the　colleges；　but　after　a　while　appeared　in　the　lecture…room

quite　drunk　and　lost　his　employment。　　The　same　thing　happened　in　ot