benita-第36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！





〃Cease；〃　said　Meyer。　〃How　long　is　this　ago？〃



〃Thirty…three　thousand　two　hundred　and　one　years；〃　came　the　answer；

spoken　without　any　hesitation。



〃Pass　on；〃　he　said；　〃pass　on　thirty　thousand　years；　and　tell　me　what

you　see。〃



For　a　long　while　there　was　silence。



〃Why　do　you　not　speak？〃　he　asked。



〃Be　patient；　I　am　living　through　those　thirty　thousand　years；　many　a

life；　many　an　age；　but　none　may　be　missed。〃



Again　there　was　silence　for　a　long　while；　till　at　length　she　spoke：



〃They　are　done；　all　of　them；　and　now　three　thousand　years　ago　I　see

this　place　changed　and　smoothly　fashioned；　peopled　by　a　throng　of

worshippers　clad　in　strange　garments　with　clasps　upon　them。　Behind　me

stands　the　graven　statue　of　a　goddess　with　a　calm　and　cruel　face；　in

front　of　the　altar　burns　a　fire；　and　on　the　altar　white…robed　priests

are　sacrificing　an　infant　which　cries　aloud。〃



〃Pass　on；　pass　on；〃　Meyer　said　hurriedly；　as　though　the　horror　of　that

scene　had　leapt　to　his　eyes。　〃Pass　on　two　thousand　seven　hundred　years

and　tell　me　what　you　see。〃



Again　there　was　a　pause；　while　the　spirit　he　had　evoked　in　the　body　of

Benita　lived　through　those　ages。　Then　slowly　she　answered：



〃Nothing；　the　place　is　black　and　desolate；　only　the　dead　sleep　beneath

its　floor。〃



〃Wait　till　the　living　come　again；〃　he　commanded；　〃then　speak。〃



〃They　are　here；〃　she　replied　presently。　〃Tonsured　monks；　one　of　whom

fashions　this　crucifix；　and　their　followers　who　bow　before　the　Host

upon　the　altar。　They　come；　they　goof　whom　shall　I　tell　you？〃



〃Tell　me　of　the　Portuguese；　of　those　who　were　driven　here　to　die。〃



〃I　see　them　all；〃　she　answered；　after　a　pause。　〃Two　hundred　and　three

of　them。　They　are　ragged　and　wayworn　and　hungry。　Among　them　is　a

beautiful　woman；　a　girl。　She　draws　near　to　me；　she　enters　into　me。　You

must　ask　her〃this　was　spoken　in　a　very　faint　voice〃I　am　I　no

more。〃



Mr。　Clifford　attempted　to　interrupt；　but　fiercely　Meyer　bade　him　to　be

silent。



〃Speak；〃　he　commanded；　but　the　crouching　figure　shook　her　head。



〃Speak；〃　he　said　again；　whereon　another　voice；　not　that　of　Benita；

answered　in　another　tongue：



〃I　hear；　but　I　do　not　understand　your　language。〃



〃Great　Heaven！〃　said　Meyer；　〃it　is　Portuguese；〃　and　for　a　while　the

terror　of　the　thing　struck　him　dumb；　for　he　was　aware　that　Benita　knew

no　Portuguese。　He　knew　it；　however；　who　had　lived　at　Loren？o　Marquez。



〃Who　are　you？〃　he　asked　in　that　tongue。



〃I　am　Benita　da　Ferreira。　I　am　the　daughter　of　the　Captain　da　Ferreira

and　of　his　wife；　the　lady　Christinha；　who　stand　by　you　now。　Turn；　and

you　will　see　them。〃



Jacob　started　and　looked　about　him　uneasily。



〃What　did　she　say？　I　did　not　catch　it　all；〃　asked　Mr。　Clifford。



He　translated　her　words。



〃But　this　is　black　magic；〃　exclaimed　the　old　man。　〃Benita　knows　no

Portuguese；　so　how　comes　she　to　speak　it？〃



〃Because　she　is　no　longer　our　Benita；　she　is　another　Benita；　Benita　da

Ferreira。　The　Molimo　was　right　when　he　said　that　the　spirit　of　the

dead　woman　went　with　her；　as　it　seems　the　name　has　gone；〃　he　added。



〃Have　done；〃　said　Mr。　Clifford；　〃the　thing　is　unholy。　Wake　her　up；　or

I　will。〃



〃And　bring　about　her　death。　Touch　or　disturb　her；　and　I　tell　you　she

will　die；〃　and　he　pointed　to　Benita；　who　crouched　before　them　so　white

and　motionless　that　indeed　it　seemed　as　though　already　she　were　dead。

〃Be　quiet；〃　he　went　on。　〃I　swear　to　you　that　no　hurt　shall　come　to

her；　also　that　I　will　translate　everything　to　you。　Promise；　or　I　will

tell　you　nothing；　and　her　blood　be　on　your　head。〃



Then　Mr。　Clifford　groaned　and　said：



〃I　promise。〃



〃Tell　me　your　story；　Benita　da　Ferreira。　How　came　you　and　your　people

here？〃



〃The　tribes　of　Monomotapa　rose　against　our　rule。　They　killed　many　of

us　in　the　lower　land；　yes；　they　killed　my　brother　and　him　to　whom　I

was　affianced。　The　rest　of　us　fled　north　to　this　ancient　fortress；

hoping　thence　to　escape　by　the　river；　the　Zambesi。　The　Mambo；　our

vassal；　gave　us　shelter　here；　but　the　tribes　besieged　the　walls　in

thousands；　and　burnt　all　the　boats　so　that　we　could　not　fly　by　the

water。　Many　times　we　beat　them　back　from　the　wall；　the　ditch　was　full

of　their　dead；　and　at　last　they　dared　to　attack　no　more。



〃Then　we　began　to　starve　and　they　won　the　first　wall。　We　went　on

starving　and　they　won　the　second　wall；　but　the　third　wall　they　could

not　climb。　So　we　died；　one　by　one　we　laid　ourselves　down　in　this　cave

and　died；　till　I　alone　was　left；　for　while　our　people　had　food　they

gave　it　to　me　who　was　the　daughter　of　their　captain。　Yes；　alone　I

knelt　at　the　foot　of　this　crucifix　by　the　body　of　my　father；　praying

to　the　blessed　Son　of　Mary　for　the　death　that　would　not　come；　and

kneeling　there　I　swooned。　When　I　awoke　again　the　Mambo　and　his　men

stood　about　me；　for　now；　knowing　us　to　be　dead；　the　tribes　had　gone；

and　those　who　were　in　hiding　across　the　river　had　returned　and　knew

how　to　climb　the　wall。　They　bore　me　from　among　the　dead；　they　gave　me

food　so　that　my　strength　came　back；　but　in　the　night　I；　who　in　my

wickedness　would　not　live；　escaped　from　them　and　climbed　the　pillar　of

black　rock；　so　that　when　the　sun　rose　they　saw　me　standing　there。　They

begged　of　me　to　come　down；　promising　to　protect　me；　but　I　said　'No；'

who　in　the　evil　of　my　heart　only　desired　to　die；　that　I　might　join　my

father　and　my　brother；　and　one　who　was　dearer　to　me　than　all。　They

asked　of　me　where　the　great　treasure　was　hidden。〃



At　these　words　Jacob　gasped；　then　rapidly　translated　them；　while　the

figure　before　them　became　silent；　as　though　it　felt　that　for　the

moment　the　power　of　his　will　was　withdrawn。



〃Speak　on；　I　bid　you；〃　he　said；　and　she　continued；　the　rich；　slow

voice　dropping　word　after　word　from　the　lips　of　Benita　in　the　alien

speech　that　this　Benita　never　knew。



〃I　answered　that　it　was　where　it　was；　and　that　if　they　gave　it　up　to

any　save　the　one　appointed；　then　that　fate　which　had　befallen　my

people　would　befall　theirs　also。　Yes；　I　gave　it　into　their　keeping

until　I　came　again；　since　with　his　dying　breath　my　father　had

commanded　me　to　reveal　it　to　none；　and　I　believed　that　I　who　was　about

to　die　should　never　come　again。



〃Then　I　made　my　last　prayer；　I　kissed　the　golden　crucifix　that　now

hangs　upon　this　breast　wherein　I　dwell；〃　and　the　hand　of　the　living

Benita　was　lifted；　and　moving　like　the　hand　of　a　dead　thing；　slowly

drew　out　the　symbol　from　beneath　the　cloak；　held　it　for　a　moment　in

the　lamplight；　and　let　it　fall　to　its　place　again。　〃I　put　my　hands

before　my　eyes　that　I　might　not　see；　and　I　hurled　myself　from　the

pinnacle。〃



Now　the　voice　ceased；　but　from　the　lips　came　a　dreadful　sound；　such　as

might　be　uttered　by　one　whose　bones　are　shattered　upon　rocks；　followed

by　other　sounds　like　those　of　one　who　chokes　in　water。　They　were　so

horrible　to　hear　that　Mr。　Clifford　nearly　fainted；　and　even　Jacob

Meyer　staggered　and　turned　white　as　the　white　face　of　Benita。



〃Wake　her！　For　God's　sake；　wake　her！〃　said　her　father。　〃She　is　dying；

as　that　woman　died　hundreds　of　years　ago。〃



〃Not　till　she　has　told　us　where　the　gold　is。　Be　quiet；　you　fool。　She

does　not　feel　or　suffer。　It　is　the　spirit　within　her　that　lives

through　the　past　again。〃



Once　more　there　was　silence。　It　seemed　as　though　the　story　were　all

told　and　the　teller　had　departed。



〃Benita　da　Ferreira；〃　said　Meyer　at　length；　〃I　command　you；　tell　me；

are　you　dead？〃



〃Oh！　would　that　I　were　dead；　as　my　body　is　dead！〃　wailed　the　lips　of

Benita。　〃Alas！　I　cannot　die　who　suffer　this　purgatory；　and　must　dwell

on　here　alone　until　the　destined　day。　Yes；　yes；　the　spirit　of　her　who

was　Benita　da　Ferreira　must　haunt　this　place　in　solitude。　This　is　her

doom；　to　be　the　guardian　of　that　accursed　gold　which　was　wrung　from

the　earth　by　cruelty　and　paid　for　with　the　lives　of　men。〃



〃Is　it　still　safe？〃　whispered　Jacob。



〃I　will　look；〃　then　after　a　pause；　〃I　have　looked。　It　is　there；　every

grain　of　it；　in　ox…hide　bags；　only　one　of　them　has　fallen　and　burst；

that　which　is　black　and　red。〃



〃Where　is　it？〃　he　said　again。



〃I　may　not　tell　you；　never；　never。〃



〃Is　there　anyone　whom　you　may　tell？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Whom？〃



〃Her　in　whose　breast　I　lie。〃



〃Tell　her　then。〃



〃I　have　told　her；　she　knows。〃



〃And　may　she　tell　me？〃



〃Let　her　guard　the　secret　as　she　will。　O　my　Guardian；　I　thank　thee。　My

burden　is　departed；　my　sin　of　self…murder　is　atoned。〃



〃Benita　da　Ferreira；　are　you　gone？〃



No　answer。



〃Benita　Clifford；　do　you　hear　me？〃



〃I　hear　you；〃　said　the　voice　of　Benita；　speaking　in　English；　although

Jacob；　forgetting；　had　addressed　her　in　Portuguese。



〃Where　is　the　gold？〃



〃In　my　keeping。〃



〃Tell　me；　I　command　you。〃



But　no　words　came；　though　he　questioned　her　many　times　no　words　came；

till　at　last　her　head　sank　forward　upon