benita-第26节

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what　happiness　may　be　theirs；　and　what　opportunities！〃



〃Possibly；　Mr。　Meyer；　but；　to　be　frank；　the　question　does　not　interest

me。〃



〃Not　yet；　but　I　am　sure　that　one　day　it　will。　Meanwhile；　I　owe　you　an

apology。　I　lost　my　temper　before　you　last　night。　Well；　do　not　judge　me

hardly；　for　I　was　utterly　worn　out；　and　that　old　idiot　vexed　me　with

his　talk　about　ghosts；　in　which　I　do　not　believe。〃



〃Then　why　did　it　make　you　so　angry？　Surely　you　could　have　afforded　to

treat　it　with　contempt；　instead　of　doingas　you　did。〃



〃Upon　my　word！　I　don't　know；　but　I　suppose　most　of　us　are　afraid　lest

we　should　be　forced　to　accept　that　which　we　refuse。　This　ancient　place

gets　upon　the　nerves；　Miss　Clifford；　yours　as　well　as　mine。　I　can

afford　to　be　open　about　it；　because　I　know　that　you　know。　Think　of　its

associations：　all　the　crime　that　has　been　committed　here　for　ages　and

ages；　all　the　suffering　that　has　been　endured　here。　Doubtless　human

sacrifices　were　offered　in　this　cave　or　outside　of　it；　that　great

burnt　ring　in　the　rock　there　may　have　been　where　they　built　the　fires。

And　then　those　Portuguese　starving　to　death；　slowly　starving　to　death

while　thousands　of　savages　watched　them　die。　Have　you　ever　thought

what　it　means？　But　of　course　you　have；　for　like　myself　you　are　cursed

with　imagination。　God　in　heaven！　is　it　wonderful　that　it　gets　upon　the

nerves？　especially　when　one　cannot　find　what　one　is　looking　for；　that

vast　treasure〃and　his　face　became　ecstatic〃that　shall　yet　be　yours

and　mine；　and　make　us　great　and　happy。〃



〃But　which　at　present　only　makes　me　a　scullery…maid　and　most　unhappy；〃

replied　Benita　cheerfully；　for　she　heard　her　father's　footstep。　〃Don't

talk　any　more　of　the　treasure；　Mr。　Meyer；　or　we　shall　quarrel。　We　have

enough　of　that　during　business　hours；　when　we　are　hunting　for　it；　you

know。　Give　me　the　dish；　will　you？　This　meat　is　cooked　at　last。〃



Still　Benita　could　not　be　rid　of　that　treasure；　since　after　breakfast

the　endless；　unprofitable　search　began　again。　Once　more　the　cave　was

sounded；　and　other　hollow　places　were　discovered　upon　which　the　two

men　got　to　work。　With　infinite　labour　three　of　them　were　broken　into

in　as　many　days；　and　like　the　first；　found　to　be　graves；　only　this

time　of　ancients　who；　perhaps；　had　died　before　Christ　was　born。　There

they　lay　upon　their　sides；　their　bones　burnt　by　the　hot　cement　that

had　been　poured　over　them；　their　gold…headed　and　gold…ferruled　rods　of

office　in　their　hands；　their　gold…covered　pillows　of　wood；　such　as　the

Egyptians　used；　beneath　their　skulls；　gold　bracelets　upon　their　arms

and　ankles；　cakes　of　gold　beneath　them　which　had　fallen　from　the

rotted　pouches　that　once　hung　about　their　waists；　vases　of　fine　glazed

pottery　that　had　been　filled　with　offerings；　or　in　some　cases　with

gold　dust　to　pay　the　expenses　of　their　journey　in　the　other　world；

standing　round　them；　and　so　forth。



In　their　way　these　discoveries　were　rich　enoughfrom　one　tomb　alone

they　took　over　a　hundred　and　thirty　ounces　of　goldto　say　nothing　of

their　surpassing　arch？ological　interest。　Still　they　were　not　what　they

sought：　all　that　gathered　wealth　of　Monomotapa　which　the　fleeing

Portuguese　had　brought　with　them　and　buried　in　this；　their　last

stronghold。



Benita　ceased　to　take　the　slightest　interest　in　the　matter；　she　would

not　even　be　at　the　pains　to　go　to　look　at　the　third　skeleton；　although

it　was　that　of　a　man　who　had　been　almost　a　giant；　and；　to　judge　from

the　amount　of　bullion　which　he　took　to　the　tomb　with　him；　a　person　of

great　importance　in　his　day。　She　felt　as　though　she　wished　never　to

see　another　human　bone　or　ancient　bead　or　bangle；　the　sight　of　a

street　in　Bayswater　in　a　London　fogyes；　or　a　toy…shop　window　in

Westbourne　Grovewould　have　pleased　her　a　hundred　times　better　than

these　unique　remains　that；　had　they　known　of　them　in　those　days；　would

have　sent　half　the　learned　societies　of　Europe　crazy　with　delight。　She

wished　to　escape　from　Bambatse；　its　wondrous　fortifications；　its

mysterious　cone；　its　cave；　its　dead；　andfrom　Jacob　Meyer。



Benita　stood　upon　the　top　of　her　prison　wall　and　looked　with　longing

at　the　wide；　open　lands　below。　She　even　dared　to　climb　the　stairs

which　ran　up　the　mighty　cone　of　granite；　and　seated　herself　in　the

cup…like　depression　on　its　crest；　whence　Jacob　Meyer　had　called　to　her

to　come　and　share　his　throne。　It　was　a　dizzy　place；　for　the　pillar

leaning　outwards；　its　point　stood　almost　clear　of　the　water…scarped

rock；　so　that　beneath　her　was　a　sheer　drop　of　about　four　hundred　feet

to　the　Zambesi　bed。　At　first　the　great　height　made　her　feel　faint。　Her

eyes　swam；　and　unpleasant　tremors　crept　along　her　spine；　so　that　she

was　glad　to　sink　to　the　floor；　whence　she　knew　she　could　not　fall。　By

degrees；　however；　she　recovered　her　nerve；　and　was　able　to　study　the

glorious　view　of　stream　and　marshes　and　hills　beyond。



For　she　had　come　here　with　a　purpose；　to　see　whether　it　would　not　be

possible　to　escape　down　the　river　in　a　canoe；　or　in　native　boats　such

as　the　Makalanga　owned　and　used　for　fishing；　or　to　cross　from　bank　to

bank。　Apparently　it　was　impossible；　for　although　the　river　beneath　and

above　them　was　still　enough；　about　a　mile　below　began　a　cataract　that

stretched　as　far　as　she　could　see；　and　was　bordered　on　either　side　by

rocky　hills　covered　with　forest；　over　which；　even　if　they　could　obtain

porters；　a　canoe　could　not　be　carried。　This；　indeed；　she　had　already

heard　from　the　Molimo；　but　knowing　his　timid　nature；　she　wished　to

judge　of　the　matter　for　herself。　It　came　to　this　then：　if　they　were　to

go；　it　must　be　on　the　horses。



Descending　the　cone　Benita　went　to　find　her　father；　to　whom　as　yet　she

had　said　nothing　of　her　plans。　The　opportunity　was　good；　for　she　knew

that　he　would　be　alone。　As　it　chanced；　on　that　afternoon　Meyer　had

gone　down　the　hill　in　order　to　try　to　persuade　the　Makalanga　to　give

them　ten　or　twenty　men　to　help　them　in　their　excavations。　In　this；　it

will　be　remembered；　he　had　already　failed　so　far　as　the　Molimo　was

concerned；　but　he　was　not　a　man　easily　turned　from　his　purpose；　and　he

thought　that　if　he　could　see　Tamas　and　some　of　the　other　captains　he

might　be　able　by　bribery；　threats；　or　otherwise；　to　induce　them　to

forget　their　superstitious　fears；　and　help　in　the　search。　As　a　matter

of　fact；　he　was　utterly　unsuccessful；　since　one　and　all　they　declared

that　for　them　to　enter　that　sacred　place　would　mean　their　deaths；　and

that　the　vengeance　of　Heaven　would　fall　upon　their　tribe　and　destroy

it　root　and　branch。



Mr。　Clifford；　on　whom　all　this　heavy　labour　had　begun　to　tell；　was

taking　advantage　of　the　absence　of　his　taskmaster；　Jacob；　to　sleep

awhile　in　the　hut　which　they　had　now　built　for　themselves　beneath　the

shadow　of　the　baobab…tree。　As　she　reached　it　he　came　out　yawning；　and

asked　her　where　she　had　been。　Benita　told　him。



〃A　giddy　place；〃　he　said。　〃I　have　never　ventured　to　try　it　myself。

What　did　you　go　up　there　for；　dear？〃



〃To　look　at　the　river　while　Mr。　Meyer　was　away；　father；　for　if　he　had

seen　me　do　so　he　would　have　guessed　my　reason；　indeed；　I　dare　say　that

he　will　guess　it　now。〃



〃What　reason；　Benita？〃



〃To　see　whether　it　would　not　be　possible　to　escape　down　it　in　a　boat。

But　there　is　no　chance。　It　is　all　rapids　below；　with　hills　and　rocks

and　trees　on　either　bank。〃



〃What　need　have　you　to　escape　at　present？〃　he　asked　eyeing　her

curiously。



〃Every　need；〃　she　answered　with　passion。　〃I　hate　this　place；　it　is　a

prison；　and　I　loathe　the　very　name　of　treasure。　Also；〃　and　she　paused。



〃Also　what；　dear？〃



〃Also；〃　and　her　voice　sank　to　a　whisper；　as　though　she　feared　that　he

should　overhear　her　even　at　the　bottom　of　the　hill；　〃also；　I　am　afraid

of　Mr。　Meyer。〃



This　confession　did　not　seem　to　surprise　her　father；　who　merely　nodded

his　head　and　said：



〃Go　on。〃



〃Father；　I　think　that　he　is　going　mad；　and　it　is　not　pleasant　for　us

to　be　cooped　up　here　alone　with　a　madman；　especially　when　he　has　begun

to　speak　to　me　as　he　does　now。〃



〃You　don't　mean　that　he　has　been　impertinent　to　you；〃　said　the　old

man；　flushing　up；　〃for　if　so〃



〃No；　not　impertinentas　yet；〃　and　she　told　him　what　had　passed

between　Meyer　and　herself；　adding；　〃You　see；　father；　I　detest　this

man；　indeed；　I　want　to　have　nothing　to　do　with　any　man；　for　me　all

that　is　over　and　done　with；〃　and　she　gave　a　dry　little　sob　which

appeared　to　come　from　her　very　heart。　〃And　yet；　he　seems　to　be　getting

some　kind　of　power　over　me。　He　follows　me　about　with　his　eyes；　prying

into　my　mind；　and　I　feel　that　he　is　beginning　to　be　able　to　read　it。　I

can　bear　no　more。　Father；　father；　for　God's　sake；　take　me　away　from

this　hateful　hill　and　its　gold　and　its　dead；　and　let　us　get　out　into

the　veld　again　together。〃



〃I　should　be　glad　enough；　dearest；〃　he　answered。　〃I　have　had　plenty　of

this　wildgoose　chase；　which　I　was　so　mad　as　to　be　led　into　by　the