marie-第49节

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〃No；〃　said　Marais　softly。



〃Very　well；　that　is　just　like　you；　but　it　doesn't　matter；　for　she　is　of

age　and　can　give　herself。　　Is　she　not　of　age；　Henri　Marais？　　Don't　stand

there　like　a　horse　with　the　staggers；　but　tell　me；　is　she　not　of　age？〃



〃I　believe　so；〃　he　answered　in　the　same　soft　voice。



〃Then　take　notice；　people　all；　that　this　woman　is　of　age；　and　gives

herself　to　be　married　to　this　man；　don't　you；　my　dear？〃



〃Yes；〃　answered　Marie。



〃All　right；　now　for　it；〃　and；　opening　the　book；　he　held　it　up　to　the

light；　and　began　to　read；　or；　rather；　to　stumble；　through　the　marriage

service。



Presently　he　stuck　fast；　being；　like　most　Boers　of　his　time；　no　great

scholar；　and　exclaimed：



〃Here；　one　of　you　help　me　with　these　hard　words。〃



As　nobody　volunteered；　Retief　handed　the　book　to　me；　for　he　knew　that

Marais　would　not　assist　him；　saying：



〃You　are　a　scholar；　Allan；　being　a　clergyman's　son。　　Read　on　till　we

come　to　the　important　bits；　and　I　will　say　the　words　after　you；　which

will　do　just　as　well　and　be　quite　according　to　law。〃



So　I　read；　Heaven　knows　how；　for　the　situation　was　trying　enough；　until

I　came　to　the　crucial　questions；　when　I　gave　the　book　back。



〃Ah！〃　said　Retief；　〃this　is　quite　easy。　　Now　then；　Allan；　do　you　take

this　woman　to　be　your　wife？　　Answer；　putting　in　your　name；　which　is　left

blank　in　the　book。〃



I　replied　that　I　did；　and　the　question　was　repeated　to　Marie；　who　did

likewise。



〃Well　then；　there　you　are；〃　said　Retief；　〃for　I　won't　trouble　you　with

all　the　prayers；　which　I　don't　feel　myself　parson　enough　to　say。　　Oh！

no；　I　forgot。　　Have　you　a　ring？〃



I　drew　one　off　my　finger　that　had　been　my　mother'sI　believe　it　had

served　this　same　purpose　at　the　wedding　of　her　grandmotherand　set　the

thin　little　hoop　of　gold　upon　the　third　finger　of　Marie's　left　hand。　　I

still　wear　that　ring　to…day。



〃It　should　have　been　a　new　one；〃　muttered　Vrouw　Prinsloo。



〃Be　silent；　aunt；〃　said　Retief；　〃are　there　any　jewellers'　shops　here　in

the　veld？　　A　ring　is　a　ring；　even　if　it　came　off　a　horse's　bit。　　There；

I　think　that　is　all。　　No；　wait　a　minute；　I　am　going　to　say　a　prayer　of

my　own　over　you；　not　one　out　of　this　book；　which　is　so　badly　printed

that　I　cannot　read　it。　　Kneel　down；　both　of　you；　the　rest　may　stand；　as

the　grass　is　so　wet。〃



Now；　bethinking　herself　of　Marie's　new　dress；　the　vrouw　produced　her

vatdoek　from　a　capacious　pocket；　and　doubled　up　that　dingy　article　for

Marie　to　kneel　on；　which　she　did。　　Then　Pieter　Retief；　flinging　down　the

book；　clasped　his　hands　and　uttered　this　simple；　earnest　prayer；

whereof；　strangely　enough；　every　word　remains　fast　in　my　mind。　　Coming

as　it　did；　not　from　a　printed　page；　but　from　his　honest　and　believing

heart；　it　was　very　impressive　and　solemn。



〃O　God　above　us；　Who　sees　all　and　is　with　us　when　we　are　born；　when　we

are　married；　when　we　die；　and　if　we　do　our　duty　for　all　time　afterwards

in　Heaven；　hear　our　prayer。　　I　pray　Thee　bless　this　man　and　this　woman

who　appear　here　before　Thee　to　be　wed。　　Make　them　love　each　other　truly

all　their　lives；　be　these　long　or　short；　be　they　sick　or　well；　be　they

happy　or　in　sorrow；　be　they　rich　or　poor。　　Give　them　children　to　be

reared　up　in　Thy　Word；　give　them　an　honest　name　and　the　respect　of　all

who　know　them；　and　at　last　give　them　Thy　Salvation　through　the　Blood　of

Jesus　the　Saviour。　　If　they　are　together；　let　them　rejoice　in　each

other。　　If　they　are　apart；　let　them　not　forget　each　other。　　If　one　of

them　dies　and　the　other　lives；　let　that　one　who　lives　look　forward　to

the　day　of　reunion　and　bow　the　head　to　Thy　Will；　and　keep　that　one　who

dies　in　Thy　holy　Hand。　　O　Thou　Who　knowest　all　things；　guide　the　lives

of　these　two　according　to　Thy　eternal　purpose；　and　teach　them　to　be　sure

that　whatever　Thou　doest；　is　done　for　the　best。　　For　Thou　art　a　faithful

Creator；　Who　wishes　good　to　His　children　and　not　evil；　and　at　the　last

Thou　wilt　give　them　that　good　if　they　do　but　trust　in　Thee　through

daylight　and　through　darkness。　　Now　let　no　man　dare　to　put　asunder　those

whom　Thou　hast　joined　together；　O　Lord　God　Almighty；　Father　of　us　all。　

Amen。〃



So　he　prayed；　and　all　the　company　echoed　that　Amen　from　their　hearts。　

That　is　all　except　one；　for　Henri　Marais　turned　his　back　on　us　and

walked　away。



〃So；〃　said　Retief；　wiping　his　brow　with　the　sleeve　of　his　coat；　〃you　are

the　last　couple　that　ever　I　mean　to　marry。　　The　work　is　too　hard　for　a

layman　who　has　bad　sight　for　print。　　Now　kiss　each　other；　it　is　the

right　thing　to　do。〃



So　we　kissed；　and　the　congregation　cheered。



〃Allan；〃　went　on　the　commandant；　pulling　out　a　silver　watch　like　a

turnip；　〃you　have　just　half　an　hour　before　we　ride；　and　the　Vrouw

Prinsloo　says　that　she　has　made　you　a　wedding　meal　in　that　tent　there；

so　you　had　best　go　eat　it。〃



To　the　tent　we　went　accordingly；　to　find　a　simple　but　bounteous　feast

prepared；　of　which　we　partook；　helping　each　other　to　food；　as　is；　or

was；　the　custom　with　new…wedded　folk。　　Also；　many　Boers　came　in　and

drank　our　healths；　although　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　told　them　that　it　would

have　been　more　decent　to　leave　us　alone。　　But　Henri　Marais　did　not　come

or　drink　our　healths。



Thus　the　half…hour　went　all　too　swiftly；　and　not　a　word　did　we　get

alone。　　At　last　in　despair；　seeing　that　Hans　was　already　waiting　with

the　horses；　I　drew　Marie　aside；　motioning　to　everyone　to　stand　back。



〃Dearest　wife；〃　I　said　in　broken　words；　〃this　is　a　strange　beginning　to

our　married　life；　but　you　see　it　can't　be　helped。〃



〃No；　Allan；〃　she　answered；　〃it　can't　be　helped；　but　oh！　I　wish　my　heart

were　happier　about　your　journey。　　I　fear　Dingaan；　and　if　anything　should

chance　to　you　I　shall　die　of　grief。〃



〃Why　should　anything　chance；　Marie？　　We　are　a　strong　and　well…armed

party；　and　Dingaan　looks　on　us　peacefully。〃



〃I　don't　know；　husband；　but　they　say　Hernan　Pereira　is　with　the　Zulus；

and　he　hates　you。〃



〃Then　he　had　better　mind　his　manners；　or　he　will　not　be　here　long　to

hate　anybody；〃　I　answered　grimly；　for　my　gorge　rose　at　the　thought　of

this　man　and　his　treacheries。



〃Vrouw　Prinsloo；〃　I　called　to　the　old　lady；　who　was　near；　〃be　pleased　to

come　hither　and　listen。　　And；　Marie；　do　you　listen　also。　　If　by　chance　I

should　hear　anything　affecting　your　safety；　and　send　you　a　message　by

someone　you　can　trust；　such　as　that　you　should　remove　yourselves

elsewhere　or　hide；　promise　me　that　you　will　obey　it　without　question。〃



〃Of　course　I　will　obey　you；　husband。　　Have　I　not　just　sworn　to　do　so？〃

Marie　said　with　a　sad　smile。



〃And　so　will　I；　Allan；〃　said　the　vrouw；　〃not　because　I　have　sworn

anything；　but　because　I　know　you　have　a　good　head　on　your　shoulders；　and

so　will　my　man　and　the　others　of　our　party。　　Though　why　you　should　think

you　will　have　any　message　to　send；　I　can't　guess；　unless　you　know

something　that　is　hidden　from　us；〃　she　added　shrewdly。　　〃You　say　you

don't；　well；　it　is　not　likely　you　would　tell　us　if　you　did。　　Look！　　They

are　calling；　you　must　go。　　Come　on；　Marie；　let　us　see　them　off。〃



So　we　went　to　where　the　commission　was　gathered　on　horseback；　just　in

time　to　hear　Retief　addressing　the　people；　or；　rather；　the　last　of　his

words。



〃Friends；〃　he　said；　〃we　go　upon　an　important　business；　from　which　I　hope

we　shall　return　happily　within　a　very　little　time。　　Still；　this　is　a

rough　country；　and　we　have　to　deal　with　rough　people。　　Therefore　my

advice　to　all　you　who　stay　behind　is　that　you　should　not　scatter；　but

keep　together；　so　that　in　case　of　any　trouble　the　men　who　are　left　may

be　at　hand　to　defend　this　camp。　　For　if　they　are　here　you　have　nothing

to　fear　from　all　the　savages　in　Africa。　　And　now　God　be　with　you；　and

good…bye。　　Come；　trek；　brothers；　trek！〃



Then　followed　a　few　moments　of　confusion　while　men　kissed　their　wives；

children　and　sisters　in　farewell；　or　shook　each　other　by　the　hand。　　I；

too；　kissed　Marie；　and；　tumbling　on　to　my　horse　somehow；　rode　away；　my

eyes　blind　with　tears；　for　this　parting　was　bitter。　　When　I　could　see

clearly　again　I　pulled　up　and　looked　back　at　the　camp；　which　was　now　at

some　distance。　　It　seemed　a　peaceful　place　indeed；　for　although　the

storm　of　the　morning　was　returning　and　a　pall　of　dark　cloud　hung　over

it；　the　sun　still　shone　upon　the　white　wagon　caps　and　the　people　who

went　to　and　fro　among　them。



Who　could　have　thought　that　within　a　little　time　it　would　be　but　a　field

of　blood；　that　those　wagons　would　be　riddled　with　assegais；　and　that　the

women　and　children　who　were　moving　there　must　most　of　them　lie　upon　the

veld　mutilated　corpses　dreadful　to　behold？　　Alas！　the　Boers；　always

impatient　of　authority　and　confident　that　their　own　individual　judgment

was　the　best；　did　not　obey　their　commandant's　order　to　keep　together。　

They　went　off　this　way　and　that；　to　shoot　the　game　which　was　then　so

plentiful；　leaving　their　families　almost　without　protec