marie-第4节

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

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

towns；　till　at　last　he　drifted　to　distant　Maraisfontein；　where　his

employer　tolerated　his　weakness　for　the　sake　of　the　intellectual

companionship　for　which　something　in　his　own　nature　seemed　to　crave。　

Also；　he　looked　upon　him　as　a　compatriot　in　distress；　and　a　great　bond

of　union　between　them　was　their　mutual　and　virulent　hatred　of　England

and　the　English；　which　in　the　case　of　Monsieur　Leblanc；　who　in　his　youth

had　fought　at　Waterloo　and　been　acquainted　with　the　great　Emperor；　was

not　altogether　unnatural。



Henri　Marais's　case　was　different；　but　of　that　I　shall　have　more　to　say

later。



〃Ah；　Marie；〃　said　her　father；　speaking　in　Dutch；　〃so　you　have　found　him

at　last；〃　and　he　nodded　towards　me；　adding：　〃You　should　be　flattered；

little　man。　　Look　you；　this　missie　has　been　sitting　for　two　hours　in　the

sun　waiting　for　you；　although　I　told　her　you　would　not　arrive　much

before　ten　o'clock；　as　your　father　the　predicant　said　you　would

breakfast　before　you　started。　　Well；　it　is　natural；　for　she　is　lonely

here；　and　you　are　of　an　age；　although　of　a　different　race〃；　and　his　face

darkened　as　he　spoke　the　words。



〃Father；〃　answered　Marie；　whose　blushes　I　could　see　even　in　the　shadow

of　her　cap；　〃I　was　not　sitting　in　the　sun；　but　under　the　shade　of　a

peach　tree。　　Also；　I　was　working　out　the　sums　that　Monsieur　Leblanc　set

me　on　my　slate。　　See；　here　they　are；〃　and　she　held　up　the　slate；　which

was　covered　with　figures；　somewhat　smudged；　it　is　true；　by　the　rubbing

of　my　stiff　hair　and　of　her　cap。



Then　Monsieur　Leblanc　broke　in；　speaking　in　French；　of　which；　as　it

chanced　I　understood　the　sense；　for　my　father　had　grounded　me　in　that

tongue；　and　I　am　naturally　quick　at　modern　languages。　　At　any　rate；　I

made　out　that　he　was　asking　if　I　was　the　little　〃cochon　d'anglais；〃　or

English　pig；　whom　for　his　sins　he　had　to　teach。　　He　added　that　he　judged

I　must　be；　as　my　hair　stuck　up　on　my　headI　had　taken　off　my　hat　out　of

politenessas　it　naturally　would　do　on　a　pig's　back。



This　was　too　much　for　me；　so；　before　either　of　the　others　could　speak；　I

answered　in　Dutch；　for　rage　made　me　eloquent　and　bold：



〃Yes；　I　am　he；　but；　mynheer；　if　you　are　to　be　my　master；　I　hope　you　will

not　call　the　English　pigs　any　more　to　me。〃



〃Indeed；　gamin〃　（that　is；　little　scamp）；　〃and　pray；　what　will　happen　if

I　am　so　bold　as　to　repeat　that　truth？〃



〃I　think；　mynheer；〃　I　replied；　growing　white　with　rage　at　this　new

insult；　〃the　same　that　has　happened　to　yonder　buck；〃　and　I　pointed　to

the　klipspringer　behind　Hans's　saddle。　　〃I　mean　that　I　shall　shoot　you。〃



〃Peste！　　Au　moins　il　a　du　courage；　cet　enfant〃　（At　least　the　child　is

plucky）；　exclaimed　Monsieur　Leblanc；　astonished。　　From　that　moment；　I

may　add；　he　respected　me；　and　never　again　insulted　my　country　to　my

face。



Then　Marais　broke　out；　speaking　in　Dutch　that　I　might　understand：



〃It　is　you　who　should　be　called　pig；　Leblanc；　not　this　boy；　for；　early

as　it　is；　you　have　been　drinking。　　Look！　the　brandy　bottle　is　half

empty。　　Is　that　the　example　you　set　to　the　young？　　Speak　so　again　and　I

turn　you　out　to　starve　on　the　veld。　　Allan　Quatermain；　although；　as　you

may　have　heard；　I　do　not　like　the　English；　I　beg　your　pardon。　　I　hope

you　will　forgive　the　words　this　sot　spoke；　thinking　that　you　did　not

understand；〃　and　he　took　off　his　hat　and　bowed　to　me　quite　in　a　grand

manner；　as　his　ancestors　might　have　done　to　a　king　of　France。



Leblanc's　face　fell。　　Then　he　rose　and　walked　away　rather　unsteadily；　as

I　learned　afterwards；　to　plunge　his　head　in　a　tub　of　cold　water　and

swallow　a　pint　of　new　milk；　which　were　his　favourite　antidotes　after　too

much　strong　drink。　　At　any　rate；　when　he　appeared　again；　half　an　hour

later；　to　begin　out　lesson；　he　was　quite　sober；　and　extremely　polite。



When　he　had　gone；　my　childish　anger　being　appeased；　I　presented　the　Heer

Marais　with　my　father's　compliments；　also　with　the　buck　and　the　birds；

whereof　the　latter　seemed　to　please　him　more　than　the　former。　　Then　my

saddle…bags　were　taken　to　my　room；　a　little　cupboard　of　a　place　next　to

that　occupied　by　Monsieur　Leblanc；　and　Hans　was　sent　to　turn　the　horses

out　with　the　others　belonging　to　the　farm；　having　first　knee…haltered

them　tightly；　so　that　they　should　not　run　away　home。



This　done；　the　Heer　Marais　showed　me　the　room　in　which　we　were　to　have

our　lessons；　one　of　the　〃sitkammer〃；　or　sitting　chambers；　whereof；

unlike　most　Boer　stead；　this　house　boasted　two。　　I　remember　that　the

floor　was　made　of　〃daga〃；　that　is；　ant…heap　earth　mixed　with　cow…dung；

into　which　thousands　of　peach…stones　had　been　thrown　while　it　was　still

soft；　in　order　to　resist　footweara　rude　but　fairly　efficient

expedient；　and　one　not　unpleasing　to　the　eye。　　For　the　rest；　there　was

one　window　opening　on　to　the　veranda；　which；　in　that　bright　climate；

admitted　a　shaded　but　sufficient　light；　especially　as　it　always　stood

open；　the　ceiling　was　of　unplastered　reeds；　a　large　bookcase　stood　in

the　corner　containing　many　French　works；　most　of　them　the　property　of

Monsieur　Leblanc；　and　in　the　centre　of　the　room　was　the　strong；　rough

table　made　of　native　yellow…wood；　that　once　had　served　as　a　butcher's

block。　　I　recollect　also　a　coloured　print　of　the　great　Napoleon

commanding　at　some　battle　in　which　he　was　victorious；　seated　upon　a

white　horse　and　waving　a　field…marshal's　baton　over　piles　of　dead　and

wounded；　and　near　the　window；　hanging　to　the　reeds　of　the　ceiling；　the

nest　of　a　pair　of　red…tailed　swallows；　pretty　creatures　that；

notwithstanding　the　mess　they　made；　afforded　to　Marie　and　me　endless

amusement　in　the　intervals　of　our　work。



When；　on　that　day；　I　shuffled　shyly　into　this　homely　place；　and；

thinking　myself　alone　there；　fell　to　examining　it；　suddenly　I　was

brought　to　a　standstill　by　a　curious　choking　sound　which　seemed　to

proceed　from　the　shadows　behind　the　bookcase。　　Wondering　as　to　its

cause；　I　advanced　cautiously　to　discover　a　pink…clad　shape　standing　in

the　corner　like　a　naughty　child；　with　her　head　resting　against　the　wall；

and　sobbing　slowly。



〃Marie　Marais；　why　do　you　cry？〃　I　asked。



She　turned；　tossing　back　the　locks　of　long；　black　hair　which　hung　about

her　face；　and　answered：



〃Allan　Quatermain；　I　cry　because　of　the　shame　which　has　been　put　upon

you　and　upon　our　house　by　that　drunken　Frenchman。〃



〃What　of　that？〃　I　asked。　　〃He　only　called　me　a　pig；　but　I　think　I　have

shown　him　that　even　a　pig　has　tusks。〃



〃Yes；〃　she　replied；　〃but　it　was　not　you　he　meant；　it　was　all　the

English；　whom　he　hates；　and　the　worst　of　it　is　that　my　father　is　of　his

mind。　　He；　too；　hates　the　English；　and；　oh！　I　am　sure　that　trouble　will

come　of　his　hatred；　trouble　and　death　to　many。〃



〃Well；　if　so；　we　have　nothing　to　do　with　it；　have　we？〃　I　replied　with

the　cheerfulness　of　extreme　youth。



〃What　makes　you　so　sure？〃　she　said　solemnly。　　〃Hush！　here　comes　Monsieur

Leblanc。〃







CHAPTER　II









THE　ATTACK　ON　MARAISFONTEIN











I　do　not　propose　to　set　out　the　history　of　the　years　which　I　spent　in

acquiring　a　knowledge　of　French　and　various　other　subjects；　under　the

tuition　of　the　learned　but　prejudiced　Monsieur　Leblanc。　　Indeed；　there

is　〃none　to　tell；　sir。〃　　When　Monsieur　Leblanc　was　sober；　he　was　a　most

excellent　and　well…informed　tutor；　although　one　apt　to　digress　into　many

side　issues；　which　in　themselves　were　not　uninstructive。　　When　tipsy；　he

grew　excited　and　harangued　us；　generally　upon　politics　and　religion；　or

rather　its　reverse；　for　he　was　an　advanced　freethinker；　although　this

was　a　side　to　his　character　which；　however　intoxicated　he　might　be；　he

always　managed　to　conceal　from　the　Heer　Marais。　　I　may　add　that　a

certain　childish　code　of　honour　prevented　us　from　betraying　his　views　on

this　and　sundry　other　matters。　　When　absolutely　drunk；　which；　on　an

average；　was　not　more　than　once　a　month；　he　simply　slept；　and　we　did

what　we　pleaseda　fact　which　our　childish　code　of　honour　also　prevented

us　from　betraying。



But；　on　the　whole；　we　got　on　very　well　together；　for；　after　the　incident

of　our　first　meeting；　Monsieur　Leblanc　was　always　polite　to　me。　　　Marie

he　adored；　as　did　every　one　about　the　place；　from　her　father　down　to　the

meanest　slave。　　　Need　I　add　that　I　adored　her　more　than　all　of　them　put

together；　first　with　the　love　that　some　children　have　for　each　other；

and　afterwards；　as　we　became　adult；　with　that　wider　love　by　which　it　is

at　once　transcended　and　made　complete。　　Strange　would　it　have　been　if

this　were　not　so；　seeing　that　we　spent　nearly　half　of　every　week

practically　alone　together；　and　that；　from　the　first；　Marie；　whose

nature　was　as　open　as　the　clear　noon；　never　concealed　her　affection　for

me。　　　True；　it　was　a　very　discreet　affection；　almost　sisterly；　or　even

mother