marie-第52节

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As　I　was　being　conducted　back　to　the　Boer　camp　by　Kambula；　who　was

waiting　for　me　outside　the　gate　of　the　labyrinth　which　is　called

isiklohlo；　I　met　Thomas　Halstead；　who　was　lounging　about；　I　think　in

order　to　speak　with　me。　　Halting；　I　asked　him　straight　out　what　the

king's　intentions　were　towards　the　Boers。



〃Don't　know；〃　he　answered；　shrugging　his　shoulders；　〃but　he　seems　so

sweet　on　them　that　I　think　he　must　be　up　to　mischief。　　He　is　wonderfully

fond　of　you；　too；　for　I　heard　him　give　orders　that　the　word　was　to　be

passed　through　all　the　regiments　that　if　anyone　so　much　as　hurt　you；　he

should　be　killed　at　once。　　Also；　you　were　pointed　out　to　the　soldiers

when　you　rode　in　with　the　rest；　that　they　might　all　of　them　know　you。〃



〃That's　good　for　me　as　far　as　it　goes；〃　I　replied。　　〃But　I　don't　know

why　I　should　need　special　protection　above　others；　unless　there　is

someone　who　wants　to　harm　me。〃



〃There　is　that；　Allan　Quatermain。　　The　indunas　tell　me　that　the

good…looking　Portugee；　whom　they　call　'Two…faces；'　asks　the　king　to　kill

you　every　time　he　sees　him。　　Indeed；　I've　heard　him　myself。〃



〃That's　kind　of　him；〃　I　answered；　〃but；　then；　Hernan　Pereira　and　I　never

got　on。　　Tell　me　what　is　he　talking　about　to　the　king　when　he　isn't

asking　him　to　kill　me。〃



〃Don't　know；〃　he　said　again。　　〃Something　dirty；　I'll　be　bound。　　One　may

be　sure　of　that　by　the　native　name　they　have　given　him。　　I　think；

however；〃　he　added　in　a　whisper；　〃that　he　has　had　a　lot　to　do　with　the

Boers　being　allowed　to　come　here　at　all　in　order　to　get　their　treaty

signed。　　At　least；　one　day　when　I　was　interpreting　and　Dingaan　swore

that　he　would　not　give　them　more　land　than　was　enough　to　bury　them　in；

Pereira　told　him　that　it　didn't　matter　what　he　signed；　as　'what　was

written　with　the　pen　could　be　scratched　out　with　the　spear。'〃



〃Indeed！　　And　what　did　the　king　say　to　that？〃



〃Oh！　he　laughed　and　said　it　was　true；　and　that　he　would　give　the　Boer

commission　all　their　people　wanted　and　something　over　for　themselves。　

But　don't　you　repeat　that；　Quatermain；　for　if　you　do；　and　it　gets　to　the

ear　of　Dingaan；　I　shall　certainly　be　killed。　　And；　I　say；　you're　a　good

fellow；　and　I　won　a　big　bet　on　you　over　that　vulture　shooting；　so　I　will

give　you　a　bit　of　advice；　which　you　will　be　wise　to　take。　　You　get　out

of　this　country　as　soon　as　you　can；　and　go　to　look　after　that　pretty

Miss　Marais；　whom　you　are　sweet　on。　　Dingaan　wants　her；　and　what　Dingaan

wants　he　gets　in　this　part　of　the　world。〃



Then；　without　waiting　to　be　thanked；　he　turned　and　disappeared　among　a

crowd　of　Zulus；　who　were　following　us　from　curiosity；　leaving　me

wondering　whether　or　no　Dingaan　was　right　when　he　called　this　young　man

a　liar。　　His　story　seemed　to　tally　so　well　with　that　told　by　the　king

himself；　that　on　the　whole　I　thought　he　was　not。



Just　after　I　had　passed　the　main　gateway　of　the　great　town；　where；　his

office　done；　Kambula　saluted　and　left　me；　I　saw　two　white　men　engaged　in

earnest　conversation　beneath　one　of　the　milk　trees　which；　as　I　think　I

have　already　mentioned；　grow；　or　grew；　there。　　They　were　Henri　Marais

and　his　nephew。　　Catching　sight　of　me；　Marais　walked　off；　but　Pereira

advanced　and　spoke　to　me；　although；　warned　perhaps　by　what　had　happened

to　him　in　the　case　of　Retief；　I　am　glad　to　say　he　did　not　offer　me　his

hand。



〃Good　day　to　you；　Allan；〃　he　said　effusively。　　〃I　have　just　heard　from

my　uncle　that　I　have　to　congratulate　you；　about　Marie　I　mean；　and；

believe　me；　I　do　so　with　all　my　heart。〃



Now；　as　he　spoke　these　words；　remembering　what　I　had　just　heard；　my

blood　boiled　in　me；　but　I　thought　it　wise　to　control　myself；　and

therefore　only　answered：



〃Thank　you。〃



〃Of　course；〃　he　went　on；　〃we　have　both　striven　for　this　prize；　but　as　it

has　pleased　God　that　you　should　win　it；　why；　I　am　not　one　to　bear

malice。〃



〃I　am　glad　to　hear　it；〃　I　replied。　　〃I　thought　that　perhaps　you　might

be。　　Now　tell　me；　to　change　the　subject；　how　long　will　Dingaan　keep　us

here？〃



〃Oh！　two　or　three　days　at　most。　　You　see；　Allan；　luckily　I　have　been

able　to　persuade　him　to　sign　the　treaty　about　the　land　without　further

trouble。　　So　as　soon　as　that　is　done；　you　can　all　go　home。〃



〃The　commandant　will　be　very　grateful　to　you；〃　I　said。　　〃But　what　are

you　going　to　do？〃



〃I　do　not　know；　Allan。　　You　see；　I　am　not　a　lucky　fellow　like　yourself


with　a　wife　waiting　for　me。　　I　think　that　perhaps　I　shall　stop　here　a

while。　　I　see　a　way　of　making　a　great　deal　of　money　out　of　these　Zulus；

and　having　lost　everything　upon　that　Delagoa　Bay　trek；　I　want　money。〃



〃We　all　do；〃　I　answered；　〃especially　if　we　are　starting　in　life。　　So

when　it　is　convenient　to　you　to　settle　your　debts　I　shall　be　glad。〃



〃Oh！　have　no　fear；〃　he　exclaimed　with　a　sudden　lighting　up　of　his　dark

face；　〃I　will　pay　you　what　I　owe　you；　every　farthing；　with　good　interest

thrown　in。〃



〃The　king　has　just　told　me　that　is　you　intention；〃　I　remarked　quietly；

looking　him　full　in　the　eyes。　　Then　I　walked　on；　leaving　him　staring

after　me；　apparently　without　a　word　to　say。



I　went　straight　to　the　hut　that　was　allotted　to　Retief　in　the　little

outlying　guard…kraal；　which　had　been　given　to　us　for　a　camp。　　Here　I

found　the　commandant　seated　on　a　Kaffir　stool　engaged　in　painfully

writing　a　letter；　using　a　bit　of　board　placed　on　his　knees　as　a　desk。



He　looked　up；　and　asked　me　how　I　had　got　on　with　Dingaan；　not　being

sorry；　as　I　think；　of　an　excuse　to　pause　in　his　clerical　labours。



〃Listen；　commandant；〃　I　said；　and；　speaking　in　a　low　voice；　so　as　not　to

be　overheard；　I　told　him　every　word　that　had　passed　in　the　interviews　I

had　just　had　with　Dingaan；　with　Thomas　Halstead；　and　with　Pereira。



He　heard　me　out　in　silence；　then　said：



〃This　is　a　strange　and　ugly　story；　Allan；　and　if　it　is　true；　Pereira

must　be　an　even　bigger　scoundrel　than　I　thought　him。　　But　I　can't

believe　that　it　is　true。　　I　think　that　Dingaan　has　been　lying　to　you　for

his　own　purposes；　I　mean　about　the　plot　to　kill　you。〃



〃Perhaps；　commandant。　　I　don't　know；　and　I　don't　much　care。　　But　I　am

sure　that　he　was　not　lying　when　he　said　he　meant　to　steal　away　my　wife

either　for　himself　or　for　Pereira。〃



〃What；　then；　do　you　intend　to　do；　Allan？〃



〃I　intend；　commandant；　with　your　permission　to　send　Hans；　my

after…rider；　back　to　the　camp　with　a　letter　for　Marie；　telling　her　to

remove　herself　quietly　to　the　farm　I　have　chosen　down　on　the　river；　of

which　I　told　you；　and　there　to　lie　hid　till　I　come　back。〃



〃I　think　it　needless；　Allan。　　Still；　if　it　will　ease　your　mind；　do　so；

since　I　cannot　spare　you　to　go　yourself。　　Only　you　must　not　send　this

Hottentot；　who　would　talk　and　frighten　the　people。　　I　am　despatching　a

messenger　to　the　camp　to　tell　them　of　our　safe　arrival　and　good

reception　by　Dingaan。　　He　can　take　your　letter；　in　which　I　order　you　to

say　to　your　wife　that　if　she　and　the　Prinsloos　and　the　Meyers　go　to　this

farm　of　yours；　they　are　to　go　without　talking；　just　as　though　they

wanted　a　change；　that　is　all。　　Have　the　letter　ready　by　dawn　to…morrow

morning；　as　I　trust　mine　may　be；〃　he　added　with　a　groan。



〃It　shall　be　ready；　commandant；　but　what　about　Hernan　Pereira　and　his

tricks？〃



〃This　about　the　accursed　Hernan　Pereira；〃　exclaimed　Retief；　striking　the

writing…board　with　his　fist。　　〃On　the　first　opportunity　I　will　myself

take　the　evidence　of　Dingaan　and　of　the　English　lad；　Halstead。　　If　I

find　they　tell　me　the　same　story　they　have　told　you；　I　will　put　Pereira

on　his　trial；　as　I　threatened　to　do　before；　and　should　he　be　found

guilty；　by　God！　I　will　have　him　shot。　　But　for　the　present　it　is　best　to

do　nothing；　except　keep　an　eye　on　him；　lest　we　should　cause　fear　and

scandal　in　the　camp；　and；　after　all；　not　prove　the　case。　　Now　go　and

write　your　letter；　and　leave　me　to　write　mine。〃



So　I　went　and　wrote；　telling　Marie　something；　but　by　no　means　all　of

that　I　have　set　down。　　I　bade　her；　and　the　Prinsloos　and　the　Meyers；　if

they　would　accompany　her；　as　I　was　sure　they　would；　move　themselves　off

at　once　to　the　farm　I　had　beaconed　out　thirty　miles　away　from　the

Bushman's　River；　under　pretence　of　seeing　how　the　houses　that　were　being

built　there　were　getting　on。　　Or　if　they　would　not　go；　I　bade　her　go

alone　with　a　few　Hottentot　servants；　or　any　other　companions　she　could

find。



This　letter　I　took　to　Retief；　and　read　it　to　him。　　At　my　request；　also；

he　scrawled　at　the　foot　of　it：





〃I　have　seen　the　above　and　approve　it；　knowing　all　the　story；　which　may

be　true　or　false。　　Do　as　your　husband　bids　you；　but　do　not　talk　of　it　in

the　camp　except　to　those　whom　he　mentions。PIETER　RETIEF。〃





So　the　messenger　departed　at　dawn；　and　in　due　course　delivered　my　letter

to　Marie。



The　next　day　was　Sunday。　　In　the　morning　I　went　to　call　upon　the

Reverend　Mr。　Owen；　the　missionary；　who　was　very　glad　to　see　me。　　He

informed　me