benita-第12节

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nature。　At　any　rate；　his　connection　with　the　firm　terminated；　and　for

years　he　became　a　wandering　〃smouse；〃　or　trader；　until　at　length　he

drifted　into　partnership　with　her　father。



Whatever　might　have　been　his　past；　however；　soon　she　found　that　he　was

an　extremely　able　and　agreeable　man。　It　was　he　and　no　other　who　had

painted　the　water…colours　that　adorned　her　room；　and　he　could　play　and

sing　as　well　as　he　painted。　Also；　as　Robert　had　told　her；　Mr。　Meyer

was　very　well…read　in　subjects　that　are　not　usually　studied　on　the

veld　of　South　Africa；　indeed；　he　had　quite　a　library　of　books；　most　of

them　histories　or　philosophical　and　scientific　works；　of　which　he

would　lend　her　volumes。　Fiction；　however；　he　never　read；　for　the

reason；　he　told　her；　that　he　found　life　itself　and　the　mysteries　and

problems　which　surround　it　so　much　more　interesting。



One　evening；　when　they　were　walking　together　by　the　lake；　watching　the

long　lights　of　sunset　break　and　quiver　upon　its　surface；　Benita's

curiosity　overcame　her；　and　she　asked　him　boldly　how　it　happened　that

such　a　man　as　he　was　content　to　live　the　life　he　did。



〃In　order　that　I　may　reach　a　better；〃　he　answered。　〃Oh！　no；　not　in　the

skies；　Miss　Clifford；　for　of　them　I　know　nothing；　nor；　as　I　believe；

is　there　anything　to　know。　But　herehere。〃



〃What　do　you　mean　by　a　better　life；　Mr。　Meyer？〃



〃I　mean；〃　he　answered；　with　a　flash　of　his　dark　eyes；　〃great　wealth；

and　the　power　that　wealth　brings。　Ah！　I　see　you　think　me　very　sordid

and　materialistic；　but　money　is　God　in　this　world；　Miss　Clifford

money　is　God。〃



She　smiled　and　answered：　〃I　fear；　then；　that　he　is　likely　to　prove　an

invisible　god　on　the　high　veld；　Mr。　Meyer。　You　will　scarcely　make　a

great　fortune　out　of　horse…breeding；　and　here　there　is　no　one　to

rule。〃



〃Do　you　suppose；　then；　that　is　why　I　stop　at　Rooi　Krantz；　just　to

breed　horses？　Has　not　your　father　told　you　about　the　great　treasure

hidden　away　up　there　among　the　Makalanga？〃



〃I　have　heard　something　of　it；〃　she　answered　with　a　sigh。　〃Also　that

both　of　you　went　to　look　for　it　and　were　disappointed。〃



〃Ah！　The　Englishman　who　was　drownedMr。　Seymourhe　spoke　of　it；　did

he　not？　He　found　us　there。〃



〃Yes；　and　you　wished　to　shoot　himdo　you　remember？〃



〃God　in　Heaven！　Yes；　because　I　thought　he　had　come　to　rob　us。　Well；　I

did　not　shoot；　and　afterwards　we　were　hunted　out　of　the　place；　which

does　not　much　matter；　as　those　fools　of　natives　refused　to　let　us　dig

in　the　fortress。〃



〃Then　why　do　you　still　think　about　this　treasure　which　probably　does

not　exist？〃



〃Why；　Miss　Clifford；　do　you　think　about　various　things　that　probably

do　not　exist？　Perhaps　because　you　feel　that　here　or　elsewhere　they

/do/　exist。　Well；　that　is　what　I　feel　about　the　treasure；　and　what　I

have　always　felt。　It　exists；　and　I　shall　find　itnow。　I　shall　live　to

see　more　gold　than　you　can　even　imagine；　and　that　is　why　I　still

continue　to　breed　horses　on　the　Transvaal　veld。　Ah！　you　laugh；　you

think　it　is　a　nightmare　that　I　breed〃



Then　suddenly　he　became　aware　of　Sally；　who　had　appeared　over　the　fold

of　the　rise　behind　them；　and　asked　irritably：



〃What　is　it　now；　old　vrouw？〃



〃The　Baas　Clifford　wants　to　speak　with　you；　Baas　Jacob。　Messengers

have　come　to　you　from　far　away。〃



〃What　messengers？〃　he　asked。



〃I　know　not；〃　answered　Sally；　fanning　her　fat　face　with　a　yellow

pocket…handkerchief。　〃They　are　strange　people　to　me；　and　thin　with

travelling；　but　they　talk　a　kind　of　Zulu。　The　Baas　wishes　you　to

come。〃



〃Will　you　come　also；　Miss　Clifford？　No？　Then　forgive　me　if　I　leave

you；〃　and　lifting　his　hat　he　went。



〃A　strange　man；　Missee；〃　said　old　Sally；　when　he　had　vanished；　walking

very　fast。



〃Yes；〃　answered　Benita；　in　an　indifferent　voice。



〃A　very　strange　man；〃　went　on　the　old　woman。　〃Too　much　in　his　kop；〃

and　she　tapped　her　forehead。　〃I　tink　it　will　burst　one　day；　but　if　it

does　not　burst；　then　he　will　be　great。　I　tell　you　that　before；　now　I

tell　it　you　again；　for　I　tink　his　time　come。　Now　I　go　cook　dinner。〃



Benita　sat　by　the　lake　till　the　twilight　fell；　and　the　wild　geese

began　to　flight　over　her。　Then　she　walked　back　to　the　house　thinking

no　more　of　Heer　Meyer；　thinking　only　that　she　was　weary　of　this　place

in　which　there　was　nothing　to　occupy　her　mind　and　distract　it　from　its

ever　present　sorrow。



At　dinner；　or　rather　supper；　that　night　she　noticed　that　both　her

father　and　his　partner　seemed　to　be　suffering　from　suppressed

excitement；　of　which　she　thought　she　could　guess　the　cause。



〃Did　you　find　your　messengers；　Mr。　Meyer？〃　she　asked；　when　the　men　had

lit　their　pipes；　and　the　square…faceas　Hollands　was　called　in　those

days；　from　the　shape　of　the　bottlewas　set　upon　the　rough　table　of

speckled　buchenhout　wood。



〃Yes；　I　found　them；〃　he　answered；　〃they　are　in　the　kitchen　now。〃　And

he　looked　at　Mr。　Clifford。



〃Benita；　my　dear；〃　said　her　father；　〃rather　a　curious　thing　has

happened。〃　Her　face　lit　up；　but　he　shook　his　head。　〃No；　nothing　to　do

with　the　shipwreckthat　is　all　finished。　Still；　something　that　may

interest　you；　if　you　care　to　hear　a　story。〃



Benita　nodded；　she　was　in　a　mood　to　hear　anything　that　would　occupy

her　thoughts。



〃You　know　something　about　this　treasure　business；〃　went　on　her　father。

〃Well；　this　is　the　tale　of　it。　Years　ago；　after　you　and　your　mother

had　gone　to　England；　I　went　on　a　big　game　shooting　expedition　into　the

interior。　My　companion　was　an　old　fellow　called　Tom　Jackson；　a　rolling

stone；　and　one　of　the　best　elephant　hunters　in　Africa。　We　did　pretty

well；　but　the　end　of　it　was　that　we　separated　north　of　the　Transvaal；

I　bringing　down　the　ivory　that　we　had　shot；　and　traded；　and　Tom

stopping　to　put　in　another　season；　the　arrangement　being　that　he　was

to　join　me　afterwards；　and　take　his　share　of　the　money。　I　came　here

and　bought　this　farm　from　a　Boer　who　was　tired　of　itcheap　enough；

too；　for　I　only　gave　him　￡100　for　the　6；000　acres。　The　kitchens　behind

were　his　old　house；　for　I　built　a　new　one。



〃A　year　had　gone　by　before　I　saw　any　more　of　Tom　Jackson；　and　then　he

turned　up　more　dead　than　alive。　He　had　been　injured　by　an　elephant；

and　lay　for　some　months　among　the　Makalanga　to　the　north　of

Matabeleland；　where　he　got　fever　badly　at　a　place　called　Bambatse；　on

the　Zambesi。　These　Makalanga　are　a　strange　folk。　I　believe　their　name

means　the　People　of　the　Sun；　at　any　rate；　they　are　the　last　of　some

ancient　race。　Well；　while　he　was　there　he　cured　the　old　Molimo；　or

hereditary　high…priest　of　this　tribe；　of　a　bad　fever　by　giving　him

quinine；　and　naturally　they　grew　friendly。　The　Molimo　lived　among

ruins　of　which　there　are　many　over　all　that　part　of　South　Africa。　No

one　knows　who　built　them　now；　probably　it　was　people　who　lived

thousands　of　years　ago。　However；　this　Molimo　told　Tom　Jackson　a　more

recent　legend　connected　with　the　place。



〃He　said　that　six　generations　before；　when　his　great…great…great

grandfather　was　chief　（Mambo；　he　called　it）；　the　natives　of　all　that

part　of　South　Africa　rose　against　the　white　menPortuguese；　I　suppose

who　still　worked　the　gold　there。　They　massacred　them　and　their

slaves　by　thousands；　driving　them　up　from　the　southward；　where

Lobengula　rules　now；　to　the　Zambesi　by　which　the　Portuguese　hoped　to

escape　to　the　coast。　At　length　a　remnant　of　them；　not　more　than　about

two　hundred　men　and　women；　arrived　at　the　stronghold　called　Bambatse；

where　the　Molimo　now　lives　in　a　great　ruin　built　by　the　ancients　upon

an　impregnable　mountain　which　overhangs　the　river。　With　them　they

brought　an　enormous　quantity　of　gold；　all　the　stored…up　treasure　of

the　land　which　they　were　trying　to　carry　off。　But　although　they

reached　the　river　they　could　not　escape　by　it；　since　the　natives；　who

pursued　them　in　thousands；　watched　day　and　night　in　canoes；　and　the

poor　fugitives　had　no　boats。　Therefore　it　came　about　that　they　were

shut　up　in　this　fortress　which　it　was　impossible　to　storm；　and　there

slowly　perished　of　starvation。



〃When　it　was　known　that　they　were　all　dead；　the　natives　who　had

followed　them　from　the　south；　and　who　wanted　blood　and　revenge；　not

gold；　which　was　of　no　use　to　them；　went　away；　but　the　old　priest's

forefather　who　knew　the　secret　entrance　to　the　place；　and　who　had　been

friendly　to　the　Portuguese；　forced　his　way　in　and　there；　amidst　the

dead；　found　one　woman　living；　but　mad　with　griefa　young　and

beautiful　girl；　the　daughter　of　the　Portuguese　lord　or　captain。　He

gave　her　food；　but　in　the　night；　when　some　strength　had　returned　to

her；　she　left　him；　and　at　daybreak　he　found　her　standing　on　the　peak

that　overhangs　the　river；　dressed　all　in　white。



〃He　called　some　of　his　councillors；　and　they　tried　to　persuade　her　to

come　down　from　the　rock；　but　she　answered；　'No；　her　betrothed　and　all

her　family　and　friends　were　dead；　and　it　was　her　will　to　follow　them。'

Then　they　asked　where　was　the　gold；