benita-第25节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



lowered；　which　at　first　went　out；　but　presently　burnt　well　enough。

This　point　settled；　they　brought　their　ladder；　whereby　Jacob　descended

with　a　lantern。



In　another　minute　they　heard　the　sound　of　guttural　German　oaths　rising

through　the　hole。　Mr。　Clifford　asked　what　was　the　matter；　and　received

the　reply　that　the　place　was　a　tomb；　with　nothing　in　it　but　an

accursed　dead　monk；　information　at　which　Benita　could　not　help

bursting　into　laughter。



The　end　of　it　was　that　both　she　and　her　father　went　down　also；　and

there；　sure　enough；　lay　the　remains　of　the　old　missionary　in　his　cowl；

with　an　ivory　crucifix　about　his　neck；　and　on　his　breast　a　scroll

stating　that　he；　Marco；　born　at　Lisbon　in　1438；　had　died　at　Bambatse

in　the　year　1503；　having　laboured　in　the　Empire　of　Monomotapa　for

seventeen　years；　and　suffered　great　hardships　and　brought　many　souls

to　Christ。　The　scroll　added　that　it　was　he；　who　before　he　entered　into

religion　was　a　sculptor　by　trade；　that　had　fashioned　the　figure　on　the

cross　in　this　chapel　out　of　that　of　the　heathen　goddess　which　had

stood　in　the　same　place　from　unknown　antiquity。　It　ended　with　a

request；　addressed　to　all　good　Christians　in　Latin；　that　they　who　soon

must　be　as　he　was　would　pray　for　his　soul　and　not　disturb　his　bones；

which　rested　here　in　the　hope　of　a　blessed　resurrection。



When　this　pious　wish　was　translated　to　Jacob　Meyer　by　Mr。　Clifford；

who　still　retained　some　recollection　of　the　classics　which　he　had

painfully　acquired　at　Eton　and　Oxford；　the　Jew　could　scarcely　contain

his　wrath。　Indeed；　looking　at　his　bleeding　hands；　instead　of　praying

for　the　soul　of　that　excellent　missionary；　to　reach　whose　remains　he

had　laboured　with　such　arduous；　incessant　toil；　he　cursed　it　wherever

it　might　be；　and　unceremoniously　swept　the　bones；　which　the　document

asked　him　not　to　disturb；　into　a　corner　of　the　tomb；　in　order　to

ascertain　whether　there　was　not；　perhaps；　some　stair　beneath　them。



〃Really；　Mr。　Meyer；〃　said　Benita；　who；　in　spite　of　the　solemnity　of

the　surroundings；　could　not　control　her　sense　of　humour；　〃if　you　are

not　careful　the　ghosts　of　all　these　people　will　haunt　you。〃



〃Let　them　haunt　me　if　they　can；〃　he　answered　furiously。　〃I　don't

believe　in　ghosts；　and　defy　them　all。〃



At　this　moment；　looking　up；　Benita　saw　a　figure　gliding　out　of　the

darkness　into　the　ring　of　light；　so　silently　that　she　started；　for　it

might　well　have　been　one　of　those　ghosts　in　whom　Jacob　Meyer　did　not

believe。　In　fact；　however；　it　was　the　old　Molimo；　who　had　a　habit　of

coming　upon　them　thus。



〃What　says　the　white　man？〃　he　asked　of　Benita；　while　his　dreamy　eyes

wandered　over　the　three　of　them；　and　the　hole　in　the　violated　tomb。



〃He　says　that　he　does　not　believe　in　spirits；　and　that　he　defies

them；〃　she　answered。



〃The　white　gold…seeker　does　not　believe　in　spirits；　and　he　defies

them；〃　Mambo　repeated　in　his　sing…song　voice。　〃He　does　not　believe　in

the　spirits　that　I　see　all　around　me　now；　the　angry　spirits　of　the

dead；　who　speak　together　of　where　he　shall　lie　and　of　what　shall

happen　to　him　when　he　is　dead；　and　of　how　they　will　welcome　one　who

disturbs　their　rest　and　defies　and　curses　them　in　his　search　for　the

riches　which　he　loves。　There　is　one　standing　by　him　now；　dressed　in　a

brown　robe　with　a　dead　man　cut　in　ivory　like　to　that；〃　and　he　pointed

to　the　crucifix　in　Jacob's　hands；　〃and　he　holds　the　ivory　man　above

him　and　threatens　him　with　sleepless　centuries　of　sorrow；　when　he　is

also　one　of　those　spirits　in　which　he　does　not　believe。〃



Then　Meyer's　rage　blazed　out。　He　turned　upon　the　Molimo　and　reviled

him　in　his　own　tongue；　saying　that　he　knew　well　where　the　treasure　was

hidden；　and　that　if　he　did　not　point　it　out　he　would　kill　him　and　send

him　to　his　friends；　the　spirits。　So　savage　and　evil　did　he　look　that

Benita　retreated　a　little　way；　while　Mr。　Clifford　strove　in　vain　to

calm　him。　But　although　Meyer　laid　his　hand　upon　the　knife　in　his　belt

and　advanced　upon　him；　the　old　Molimo　neither　budged　an　inch　nor

showed　the　slightest　fear。



〃Let　him　rave　on；〃　he　said；　when　at　length　Meyer　paused　exhausted。

〃Just　so　in　a　time　of　storm　the　lightnings　flash　and　the　thunder

peals；　and　the　water　foams　down　the　face　of　rock；　but　then　comes　the

sun　again；　and　the　hill　is　as　it　has　ever　been；　only　the　storm　is

spent　and　lost。　I　am　the　rock；　he　is　but　the　wind；　the　fire；　and　the

rain。　It　is　not　permitted　that　he　should　hurt　me；　and　those　spirits　in

whom　he　does　not　believe　treasure　up　his　curses；　to　let　them　fall

again　like　stones　upon　his　head。〃



Then；　with　a　contemptuous　glance　at　Jacob；　the　old　man　turned　and

glided　back　into　the　darkness　out　of　which　he　had　appeared。







XIII



BENITA　PLANS　ESCAPE



The　next　morning；　while　she　was　cooking　breakfast；　Benita　saw　Jacob

Meyer　seated　upon　a　rock　at　a　little　distance；　sullen　and

disconsolate。　His　chin　was　resting　on　his　hand；　and　he　watched　her

intently；　never　taking　his　eyes　from　her　face。　She　felt　that　he　was

concentrating　his　will　upon　her；　that　some　new　idea　concerning　her　had

come　into　his　mind；　for　it　was　one　of　her　miseries　that　she　possessed

the　power　of　interpreting　the　drift　of　this　man's　thoughts。　Much　as

she　detested　him；　there　existed　that　curious　link　between　them。



It　may　be　remembered　that；　on　the　night　when　they　first　met　at　the

crest　of　Leopard's　Kloof；　Jacob　had　called　her　a　〃thought…sender；〃　and

some　knowledge　of　their　mental　intimacy　had　come　home　to　Benita。　From

that　day　forward　her　chief　desire　had　been　to　shut　a　door　between

their　natures；　to　isolate　herself　from　him　and　him　from　her。　Yet　the

attempt　was　never　entirely　successful。



Fear　and　disgust　took　hold　of　her；　bending　there　above　the　fire；　all

the　while　aware　of　the　Jew's　dark　eyes　that　searched　her　through　and

through。　Benita　formed　a　sudden　determination。　She　would　implore　her

father　to　come　away　with　her。



Of　course；　such　an　attempt　would　be　terribly　dangerous。　Of　the

Matabele　nothing　had　been　seen；　but　they　might　be　about；　and　even　if

enough　cattle　could　be　collected　to　draw　the　waggon；　it　belonged　to

Meyer　as　much　as　to　her　father；　and　must　therefore　be　left　for　him。

Still；　there　remained　the　two　horses；　which　the　Molimo　had　told　her

were　well　and　getting　fat。



At　this　moment　Meyer　rose　and　began　to　speak　to　her。



〃What　are　you　thinking　of；　Miss　Clifford？〃　he　asked　in　his　soft

foreign　voice。



She　started；　but　answered　readily　enough：



〃Of　the　wood　which　is　green；　and　the　kid　cutlets　which　are　getting

smoked。　Are　you　not　tired　of　kid；　Mr。　Meyer？〃　she　went　on。



He　waved　the　question　aside。　〃You　are　so　goodoh！　I　mean　itso

really　good　that　you　should　not　tell　stories　even　about　small　things。

The　wood　is　not　green；　I　cut　it　myself　from　a　dead　tree；　and　the　meat

is　not　smoked；　nor　were　you　thinking　of　either。　You　were　thinking　of

me；　as　I　was　thinking　of　you；　but　what　exactly　was　in　your　mind；　this

time　I　do　not　know；　and　that　is　why　I　ask　you　to　tell　me。〃



〃Really；　Mr。　Meyer；〃　she　answered　flushing；　〃my　mind　is　my　own

property。〃



〃Ah！　do　you　say　so？　Now　I　hold　otherwisethat　it　is　my　property；　as

mine　is　yours；　a　gift　that　Nature　has　given　to　each　of　us。〃



〃I　seek　no　such　gift；〃　she　answered；　but　even　then；　much　as　she　would

have　wished　to　do　so；　she　could　not　utter　a　falsehood；　and　deny　this

horrible　and　secret　intimacy。



〃I　am　sorry　for　that；　as　I　think　it　very　precious；　more　precious　even

than　the　gold　which　we　cannot　find；　for　Miss　Clifford；　it　brings　me

nearer　you。〃



She　turned　upon　him；　but　he　held　up　his　hand；　and　went　on：



〃Oh！　do　not　be　angry　with　me；　and　do　not　fear　that　I　am　going　to

trouble　you　with　soft　speeches；　for　I　shall　not；　unless　a　time　should

come；　as　I　think　that　perhaps　it　will；　when　you　may　wish　to　listen　to

them。　But　I　want　to　point　out　something　to　you；　Miss　Clifford。　Is　it

not　a　wonderful　thing　that　our　minds　should　be　so　in　tune；　and　is

there　not　an　object　in　all　this？　Did　I　believe　as　you　do；　I　should　say

that　it　was　Heaven　working　in　usno：　do　not　answer　that　the　working

comes　from　lower　down。　I　take　no　credit　for　reading　that　upon　your

lips；　the　retort　is　too　easy　and　obvious。　I　am　content　to　say；

however；　that　the　work　is　that　of　instinct　and　nature；　or；　if　you

will；　of　fate；　pointing　out　a　road　by　which　together　we　might　travel

to　great　ends。〃



〃I　travel　my　road　alone；　Mr。　Meyer。〃



〃I　know；　I　know；　and　that　is　the　pity　of　it。　The　trouble　between　man

and　woman　is　that　not　in　one　case　out　of　a　million；　even　if　they　be

lovers；　do　they　understand　each　other。　Their　eyes　may　seek　one

another；　their　hands　and　lips　may　meet；　and　yet　they　remain　distinct；

apart；　and　often　antagonistic。　There　is　no　communication　of　the　soul。

But　when　it　chances　to　be　hewn　from　the　same　rock　as　it　wereoh！　then

what　happiness　may　be　theirs；　and　what　opportunities！〃



〃Possibly；　Mr。　Meyer；　but；　to　be