benita-第37节

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

till　at　last　her　head　sank　forward　upon　her　knees；　and　in　a　faint

voice　she　murmured：



〃Loose　me；　or　I　die。〃







XIX



THE　AWAKING



Still　Jacob　Meyer　hesitated。　The　great　secret　was　unlearned；　and；　if

this　occasion　passed；　might　never　be　learned。　But　if　he　hesitated；　Mr。

Clifford　did　not。　The　knowledge　of　his　child's　danger；　the　sense　that

her　life　was　mysteriously　slipping　away　from　her　under　pressure　of　the

ghastly　spell　in　which　she　lay　enthralled；　stirred　him　to　madness。　His

strength　and　manhood　came　back　to　him。　He　sprang　straight　at　Meyer's

throat；　gripped　it　with　one　hand；　and　with　the　other　drew　the　knife　he

wore。



〃You　devil！〃　he　gasped。　〃Wake　her　or　you　shall　go　with　her！〃　and　he

lifted　the　knife。



Then　Jacob　gave　in。　Shaking　off　his　assailant　he　stepped　to　Benita；

and　while　her　father　stood　behind　him　with　the　lifted　blade；　began　to

make　strange　upward　passes　over　her；　and　to　mutter　words　of　command。

For　a　long　while　they　took　no　effect；　indeed；　both　of　them　were　almost

sure　that　she　was　gone。　Despair　gripped　her　father；　and　Meyer　worked

at　his　black　art　so　furiously　that　the　sweat　burst　out　upon　his

forehead　and　fell　in　great　drops　to　the　floor。



Oh；　at　last；　at　last　she　stirred！　Her　head　lifted　itself　a　little；　her

breast　heaved。



〃Lord　in　Heaven；　I　have　saved　her！〃　muttered　Jacob　in　German；　and

worked　on。



Now　the　eyes　of　Benita　opened；　and　now　she　stood　up　and　sighed。　But

she　said　nothing；　only　like　a　person　walking　in　her　sleep；　she　began

to　move　towards　the　entrance　of　the　cave；　her　father　going　before　her

with　the　lamp。　On　she　went；　and　out　of　it　straight　to　her　tent；　where

instantly　she　cast　herself　upon　her　bed　and　sank　into　deep　slumber。　It

was　as　though　the　power　of　the　drug…induced　oblivion；　which　for　a

while　was　over…mastered　by　that　other　stronger　power　invoked　by　Jacob；

had　reasserted　itself。



Meyer　watched　her　for　awhile；　then　said　to　Mr。　Clifford：



〃Don't　be　afraid　and　don't　attempt　to　disturb　her。　She　will　wake

naturally　in　the　morning。〃



〃I　hope　so　for　both　our　sakes；〃　he　answered；　glaring　at　him；　〃for　if

not；　you　or　I；　or　the　two　of　us；　will　never　see　another。〃



Meyer　took　no　notice　of　his　threats；　indeed　the　man　seemed　so

exhausted　that　he　could　scarcely　stand。



〃I　am　done；〃　he　said。　〃Now；　as　she　is　safe；　I　don't　care　what　happens

to　me。　I　must　rest；〃　and　he　staggered　from　the　tent；　like　a　drunken

man。



Outside；　at　the　place　where　they　ate；　Mr。　Clifford　heard　him　gulping

down　raw　gin　from　the　bottle。　Then　he　heard　no　more。



All　the　rest　of　the　night；　and　for　some　hours　of　the　early　morning；

did　her　father　watch　by　the　bed　of　Benita；　although；　lightly　clad　as

he　was；　the　cold　of　dawn　struck　to　his　bones。　At　length；　when　the　sun

was　well　up；　she　rose　in　her　bed；　and　her　eyes　opened。



〃What　are　you　doing　here；　father？〃　she　said。



〃I　have　come　to　see　where　you　were；　dear。　You　are　generally　out　by

now。〃



〃I　suppose　that　I　must　have　overslept　myself　then；〃　she　replied

wearily。　〃But　it　does　not　seem　to　have　refreshed　me　much；　and　my　head

aches。　Oh！　I　remember；〃　she　added　with　a　start。　〃I　have　had　such　a

horrid　dream。〃



〃What　about？〃　he　asked　as　carelessly　as　he　could。



〃I　can't　recall　it　quite；　but　it　had　to　do　with　Mr。　Meyer；〃　and　she

shivered。　〃It　seemed　as　though　I　had　passed　into　his　power；　as　though

he　had　taken　possession　of　me；　body　and　soul；　and　forced　me　to　tell

him　all　the　secret　things。〃



〃What　secret　things；　Benita？〃



She　shook　her　head。



〃I　don't　know　now；　but　we　went　away　among　dead　people；　and　I　told　him

there。　Oh！　father；　I　am　afraid　of　that　manterribly　afraid！　Protect

me　from　him；〃　and　she　began　to　cry　a　little。



〃Of　course　I　will　protect　you；　dear。　Something　has　upset　your　nerves。

Come；　dress　yourself　and　you'll　soon　forget　it　all。　I'll　light　the

fire。〃



A　quarter　of　an　hour　later　Benita　joined　him；　looking　pale　and　shaken；

but　otherwise　much　as　usual。　She　was　ravenously　hungry；　and　ate　of　the

biscuits　and　dried　meat　with　eagerness。



〃The　coffee　tastes　quite　different　from　that　which　I　drank　last

night；〃　she　said。　〃I　think　there　must　have　been　something　in　it　which

gave　me　those　bad　dreams。　Where　is　Mr。　Meyer？　Oh；　I　know！〃　and　again

she　put　her　hand　to　her　head。　〃He　is　still　asleep　by　the　wall。〃



〃Who　told　you　that？〃



〃I　can't　say；　but　it　is　so。　He　will　not　come　here　till　one　o'clock。

There；　I　feel　much　better　now。　What　shall　we　do；　father？〃



〃Sit　in　the　sun　and　rest；　I　think；　dear。〃



〃Yes；　let　us　do　that；　on　the　top　of　the　wall。　We　can　see　the　Makalanga

from　there；　and　it　will　be　a　comfort　to　be　sure　that　there　are　other

human　beings　left　in　the　world　besides　ourselves　and　Jacob　Meyer。〃



So　presently　they　went；　and　from　the　spot　whence　Meyer　used　to　shoot

at　the　Matabele　camp；　looked　down　upon　the　Makalanga　moving　about　the

first　enclosure　far　below。　By　the　aid　of　the　glasses　Benita　even

thought　that　she　recognised　Tamas；　although　of　this　it　was　difficult

to　be　sure；　for　they　were　all　very　much　alike。　Still；　the　discovery

quite　excited　her。



〃I　am　sure　it　is　Tamas；〃　she　said。　〃And　oh！　how　I　wish　that　we　were

down　there　with　him；　although　it　is　true　that　then　we　should　be　nearer

to　the　Matabele。　But　they　are　better　than　Mr。　Meyer；　much　better。〃



Now　for　a　while　they　were　silent；　till　at　length　she　said　suddenly：



〃Father；　you　are　keeping　something　back　from　me；　and　things　begin　to

come　back。　Tell　me；　did　I　go　anywhere　last　night　with　Mr。　Meyeryou

and　he　and　I　together？〃



He　hesitated　and　looked　guilty；　Mr。　Clifford　was　not　a　good　actor。



〃I　see　that　we　did；　I　am　sure　that　we　did。　Father；　tell　me。　I　must

know；　I　will　know。〃



Then　he　gave　way。



〃I　didn't　want　to　speak；　dear；　but　perhaps　it　is　best。　It　is　a　very

strange　story。　Will　you　promise　not　to　be　upset？〃



〃I　will　promise　not　to　be　more　upset　than　I　am　at　present；〃　she

answered；　with　a　sad　little　laugh。　〃Go　on。〃



〃You　remember　that　Jacob　Meyer　wanted　to　mesmerize　you？〃



〃I　am　not　likely　to　forget　it；〃　she　answered。



〃Well；　last　night　he　did　mesmerize　you。〃



〃What？〃　she　said。　〃/What？/　Oh！　how　dreadful！　Now　I　understand　it　all。

But　when？〃



〃When　you　were　sound　asleep；　I　suppose。　At　least；　the　first　I　knew　of

it　was　that　some　noise　woke　me；　and　I　came　out　of　the　hut　to　see　you

following　him　like　a　dead　woman；　with　a　lamp　in　your　hand。〃



Then　he　told　her　all　the　story；　while　she　listened　aghast。



〃How　dared　he！〃　she　gasped；　when　her　father　had　finished　the　long

tale。　〃I　hate　him；　I　almost　wish　that　you　had　killed　him；〃　and　she

clenched　her　little　hands　and　shook　them　in　the　air。



〃That　is　not　very　Christian　of　you；　Miss　Clifford；〃　said　a　voice

behind　her。　〃But　it　is　past　one　o'clock；　and　as　I　am　still　alive　I

have　come　to　tell　you　that　it　is　time　for　luncheon。〃



Benita　wheeled　round　upon　the　stone　on　which　she　sat；　and　there；

standing　amidst　the　bushes　a　little　way　from　the　foot　of　the　wall；　was

Jacob　Meyer。　Their　eyes　met；　hers　were　full　of　defiance；　and　his　of

conscious　power。



〃I　do　not　want　any　luncheon；　Mr。　Meyer；〃　she　said。



〃But　I　am　sure　that　you　do。　Please　come　down　and　have　some。　Please

come　down。〃



The　words　were　spoken　humbly；　almost　pleadingly；　yet　to　Benita　they

seemed　as　a　command。　At　any　rate；　with　slow　reluctance　she　climbed

down　the　shattered　wall；　followed　by　her　father；　and　without　speaking

they　went　back　to　their　camping　place；　all　three　of　them；　Jacob

leading　the　way。



When　they　had　eaten；　or　made　pretence　to　eat；　he　spoke。



〃I　see　that　your　father　has　told　you　everything；　Miss　Clifford；　and　of

that　I　am　glad。　As　for　me；　it　would　have　been　awkward；　who　must　ask

your　forgiveness　for　so　much。　But　what　could　I　do？　I　knew；　as　I　have

always　known；　that　it　was　only　possible　to　find　this　treasure　by　your

help。　So　I　gave　you　something　to　make　you　sleep；　and　then　in　your

sleep　I　hypnotized　you；　andyou　know　the　rest。　I　have　great

experience　in　this　art；　but　I　have　never　seen　or　heard　of　anything

like　what　happened；　and　I　hope　I　never　shall　again。〃



Hitherto　Benita　had　sat　silent；　but　now　her　burning　indignation　and

curiosity　overcame　her　shame　and　hatred。



〃Mr。　Meyer；〃　she　said；　〃you　have　done　a　shameful　and　a　wicked　thing；

and　I　tell　you　at　once　that　I　can　never　forgive　you。〃



〃Don't　say　that。　Please　don't　say　that；〃　he　interrupted　in　tones　of

real　grief。　〃Make　allowances　for　me。　I　had　to　learn；　and　there　was　no

other　way。　You　are　a　born　clairvoyante；　one　among　ten　thousand；　my　art

told　me　so；　and　you　know　all　that　is　at　stake。〃



〃By　which　you　mean　so　many　ounces　of　gold；　Mr。　Meyer。〃



〃By　which　I　mean　the　greatness　that　gold　can　give；　Miss　Clifford。〃



〃Such　greatness；　Mr。　Meyer；　as　a　week　of　fever；　or　a　Matabele　spear；

or　God's　w