benita-第13节

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

Then　they　asked　where　was　the　gold；　for　having　watched　day　and　night

they　knew　it　had　not　been　thrown　into　the　river。　She　answered　that　it

was　where　it　was；　and　that；　seek　as　he　might；　no　black　man　would　ever

find　it。　She　added　that　she　gave　it　into　his　keeping；　and　that　of　his

descendants；　to　safeguard　until　she　came　again。　Also　she　said　that　if

they　were　faithless　to　that　trust；　then　it　had　been　revealed　to　her

from　heaven　above　that　those　same　savages　who　had　killed　her　father

and　her　people；　would　kill　his　people　also。　When　she　had　spoken　thus

she　stood　a　while　praying　on　the　peak；　then　suddenly　hurled　herself

into　the　river；　and　was　seen　no　more。



〃From　that　day　to　this　the　ruin　has　been　held　to　be　haunted；　and　save

the　Molimo　himself；　who　retires　there　to　meditate　and　receive

revelations　from　the　spirits；　no　one　is　allowed　to　set　a　foot　in　its

upper　part；　indeed；　the　natives　would　rather　die　than　do　so。

Consequently　the　gold　still　remains　where　it　was　hidden。　This　place

itself　Tom　Jackson　did　not　see；　since；　notwithstanding　his　friendship

for　him；　the　Molimo　refused　to　allow　him　to　enter　there。



〃Well；　Tom　never　recovered；　he　died　here；　and　is　buried　in　the　little

graveyard　behind　the　house　which　the　Boers　made　for　some　of　their

people。　It　was　shortly　before　his　death　that　Mr。　Meyer　became　my

partner；　for　I　forgot　to　say　that　I　had　told　him　the　story；　and　we

determined　to　have　a　try　for　that　great　wealth。　You　know　the　rest。　We

trekked　to　Bambatse；　pretending　to　be　traders；　and　found　the　old

Molimo　who　knew　of　me　as　having　been　Tom　Jackson's　friend。　We　asked

him　if　the　story　he　had　told　to　Jackson　were　true；　and　he　answered

that；　surely　as　the　sun　shone　in　the　heavens；　it　was　trueevery　word

of　itfor　it；　and　much　more　than　he　had　spoken　of；　had　been　handed

down　from　father　to　son；　and　that　they　even　knew　the　name　of　the　white

lady　who　had　killed　herself。　It　was　Ferreirayour　mother's　name；

Benita；　though　a　common　one　enough　in　South　Africa。



〃We　asked　him　to　allow　us　to　enter　the　topmost　stronghold；　which

stands　upon　the　hill；　but　he　refused；　saying　that　the　curse　still　lay

upon　him　and　his；　and　that　no　man　should　enter　until　the　lady　Ferreira

came　again。　For　the　rest　the　place　was　free　to　us；　we　might　dig　as　we

would。　So　we　did　dig；　and　found　some　gold　buried　with　the　ancients；

beads　and　bangles　and　wireabout　￡100　worth。　Alsothat　was　on　the

day　when　the　young　Seymours　came　upon　us；　and　accounts　for　Meyer's

excitement；　for　he　thought　that　we　were　on　the　track　of　the　treasure

we　found　a　single　gold　coin；　no　doubt　one　that　had　been　dropped　by　the

Portuguese。　Here　it　is。〃　And　he　threw　a　thin　piece　of　gold　on　the

table　before　her。　〃I　have　shown　it　to　a　man　learned　in　those　matters；

and　he　says　that　it　is　a　ducat　struck　by　one　of　the　doges　of　Venice。



〃Well；　we　never　found　any　more。　The　end　of　it　was　that　the　Makalanga

caught　us　trying　to　get　in　to　the　secret　stronghold　by　stealth；　and

gave　us　the　choice　of　clearing　out　or　being　killed。　So　we　cleared　out；

for　treasure　is　not　of　much　use　to　dead　men。〃



Mr。　Clifford　ceased　speaking；　and　filled　his　pipe；　while　Meyer　helped

himself　to　squareface　in　an　absent　manner。　As　for　Benita；　she　stared

at　the　quaint　old　coin；　which　had　a　hole　in　it；　wondering　with　what

scenes　of　terror　and　of　bloodshed　it　had　been　connected。



〃Keep　it；〃　said　her　father。　〃It　will　go　on　that　bracelet　of　yours。〃



〃Thank　you；　dear；〃　she　answered。　〃Though　I　don't　know　why　I　should

take　all　the　Portuguese　treasure　since　we　shall　never　see　any　more　of

it。〃



〃Why　not；　Miss　Clifford？〃　asked　Meyer　quickly。



〃The　story　tells　you　whybecause　the　natives　won't　even　let　you　look

for　it；　also；　looking　and　finding　are　different　things。〃



〃Natives　change　their　minds　sometimes；　Miss　Clifford。　That　story　is

not　done；　it　is　only　begun；　and　now　you　shall　hear　its　second　chapter。

Clifford；　may　I　call　in　the　messengers？〃　And　without　waiting　for　an

answer　he　rose　and　left　the　room。



Neither　Mr。　Clifford　nor　his　daughter　said　anything　after　he　had　gone。

Benita　appeared　to　occupy　herself　in　fixing　the　broad　gold　coin　to　a

little　swivel　on　her　bracelet；　but　while　she　did　so　once　more　that

sixth　sense　of　hers　awoke　within　her。　As　she　had　been　afraid　at　the

dinner　on　the　doomed　steamer；　so　again　she　was　afraid。　Again　death　and

great　fear　cast　their　advancing　shadows　on　to　her　soul。　That　piece　of

gold　seemed　to　speak　to　her；　yet；　alas！　she　could　not　understand　its

story。　Only　she　knew　that　her　father　and　Jacob　Meyer　andyes；　yes；

yesRobert　Seymour；　had　all　a　part　in　that　tragedy。　Oh！　how　could

that　be　when　he　was　dead？　How　could　this　gold　link　him　to　her？　She

knew　notshe　cared　not。　All　she　knew　was　that　she　would　follow　this

treasure　to　the　edge　of　the　world；　and　if　need　be；　over　it；　if　only　it

brought　her　back　to　him　again。







VII



THE　MESSENGERS



The　door　opened；　and　through　it　came　Jacob　Meyer；　followed　by　three

natives。　Benita　did　not　see　or　hear　them；　her　soul　was　far　away。　There

at　the　head　of　the　room；　clad　all　in　white；　for　she　wore　no　mourning

save　in　her　heart；　illuminated　by　the　rays　of　the　lamp　that　hung　above

her；　she　stood　still　and　upright；　for　she　had　risen；　on　the　face　and

in　her　wide；　dark　eyes　a　look　that　was　very　strange　to　see。　Jacob

Meyer　perceived　it　and　stopped；　the　three　natives　perceived　it　also

and　stopped。　There　they　stood；　all　four　of　them；　at　the　end　of　the

long　sitting…room；　staring　at　the　white　Benita　and　at　her　haunted

eyes。



One　of　the　natives　pointed　with　his　thin　finger　to　her　face；　and

whispered　to　the　others。　Meyer；　who　understood　their　tongue；　caught

the　whisper。　It　was：



〃Behold　the　Spirit　of　the　Rock！〃



〃What　spirit；　and　what　rock？〃　he　asked　in　a　low　voice。



〃She　who　haunts　Bambatse；　she　whom　our　eyes　have　seen；〃　answered　the

man；　still　staring　at　Benita。



Benita　heard　the　whispering；　and　knew　it　was　about　herself；　though　not

one　word　of　it　did　she　catch。　With　a　sigh　she　shook　herself　free　from

her　visions　and　sat　down　in　a　chair　close　by。　Then　one　by　one　the

messengers　drew　near　to　her；　and　each；　as　he　came；　made　a　profound

obeisance；　touching　the　floor　with　his　finger…tips；　and　staring　at　her

face。　But　her　father　they　only　saluted　with　an　uplifted　hand。　She

looked　at　them　with　interest；　and　indeed　they　were　interesting　in

their　way；　tall；　spare　men；　light　coloured；　with　refined；　mobile

faces。　Here　was　no　negro…blood；　but　rather　that　of　some　ancient　people

such　as　Egyptians　or　Ph？nicians：　men　whose　forefathers　had　been　wise

and　civilized　thousands　of　years　ago；　and　perchance　had　stood　in　the

courts　of　Pharaoh　or　of　Solomon。



Their　salutations　finished；　the　three　men　squatted　in　a　line　upon　the

floor；　drawing　their　fur　karosses；　or　robes；　about　them；　and　waited　in

silence。　Jacob　Meyer　thought　a　while；　then　said：



〃Clifford；　will　you　translate　to　your　daughter；　so　that　she　may　be

sure　she　is　told　exactly　what　passes？〃



Next　he　turned　and　addressed　the　natives。



〃Your　names　are　Tamas；　Tamala；　and　Hoba；　and　you；　Tamas；　are　the　son

of　the　Molimo　of　Bambatse；　who　is　called　Mambo；　and　you；　Tamala　and

Hoba；　are　his　initiated　councillors。　Is　it　so？〃



They　bowed　their　heads。



〃Good。　You；　Tamas；　tell　the　story　and　give　again　your　message　that

this　lady；　the　lady　Benita；　may　hear　it；　for　she　has　a　part　in　the

matter。〃



〃We　understand　that　she　has　a　part；〃　answered　Tamas。　〃We　read　in　her

face　that　she　has　the　greatest　part。　Doubtless　it　is　of　her　that　the

Spirit　told　my　father。　These；　spoken　by　my　mouth；　are　the　words　of　the

Molimo；　my　father；　which　we　have　travelled　so　far　to　deliver。



〃'When　you　two　white　men　visited　Bambatse　four　years　ago；　you　asked　of

me；　Mambo；　to　be　admitted　to　the　holy　place；　that　you　might　look　for

the　treasure　there　which　the　Portuguese　hid　in　the　time　of　my　ancestor

in　the　sixth　generation。　I　refused　to　allow　you　to　look；　or　even　to

enter　the　holy　place；　because　I　am　by　birth　the　guardian　of　that

treasure；　although　I　know　not　where　it　lies。　But　now　I　am　in　a　great

strait。　I　have　news　that　Lobengula　the　usurper；　who　is　king　of　the

Matabele；　has　taken　offence　against　me　for　certain　reasons；　among　them

that　I　did　not　send　him　a　sufficient　tribute。　It　is　reported　to　me

that　he　purposes　next　summer　to　despatch　an　impi　to　wipe　me　and　my

people　out；　and　to　make　my　kraal　black　as　the　burnt　veld。　I　have

little　strength　to　resist　him　who　is　mighty；　and　my　people　are　not

warlike。　From　generation　to　generation　they　have　been　traders；

cultivators　of　the　land；　workers　in　metal；　and　men　of　peace；　who

desire　not　to　kill　or　be　killed。　Also　they　are　few。　Therefore　I　have

no　power　to　stand　against　Lobengula。



〃'I　remember　the　guns　that　you　and　your　companion　brought　with　you；

which　can　kill　things　from　far　away。　If　I　had　a　supply　of　those　guns