benita-第38节

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

or　God's　will　can　rob　you　of。　But　the　thing　is　done；　and　soon　or　late

the　sin　must　be　paid　for。　Now　I　want　to　ask　you　a　question。　You

believe　in　nothing；　you　have　told　me　so　several　times。　You　say　that

there　is　no　such　thing　as　a　spirit；　that　when　we　die；　we　die；　and

there's　an　end。　Do　you　not？〃



〃Yes；　I　do。〃



〃Then　tell　me；　what　was　it　that　spoke　out　of　my　lips　last　night；　and

how　came　it　that　I；　who　know　no　Portuguese；　talked　to　you　in　that

tongue？〃



He　shrugged　his　shoulders。



〃You　have　put　a　difficult　question；　but　one　I　think　that　can　be

answered。　There　is　no　such　thing　as　a　spirit；　an　identity　that

survives　death。　But　there　is　such　a　thing　as　the　subconscious　self；

which　is　part　of　the　animating　principle　of　the　universe；　and；　if　only

its　knowledge　can　be　unsealed；　knows　all　that　has　passed　and　all　that

is　passing　in　that　universe。　One　day　perhaps　you　will　read　the　works

of　my　compatriot；　Hegel；　and　there　you　will　find　it　spoken　of。〃



〃You　explain　nothing。〃



〃I　am　about　to　explain；　Miss　Clifford。　Last　night　I　gave　to　your　sub…

conscious　selfthat　which　knows　allthe　strength　of　liberty；　so　that

it　saw　the　past　as　it　happened　in　this　place。　Already　you　knew　the

story　of　the　dead　girl；　Benita　da　Ferreira；　and　that　story　you

re…enacted；　talking　the　tongue　she　used　as　you　would　have　talked　Greek

or　any　other　tongue；　had　it　been　hers。　It　was　not　her　spirit　that

animated　you；　although　at　the　time　I　called　it　so　for　shortness；　but

your　own　buried　knowledge；　tricked　out　and　furnished　by　the　effort　of

your　human　imagination。　That　her　name；　Benita；　should　have　been　yours

also　is　no　doubt　a　strange　coincidence；　but　no　more。　Also　we　have　no

proof　that　it　was　so；　only　what　you　said　in　your　trance。〃



〃Perhaps；〃　said　Benita；　who　was　in　no　mood　for　philosophical　argument。

〃Perhaps　also　one　day　you　will　see　a　spirit；　Mr。　Meyer；　and　think

otherwise。〃



〃When　I　see　a　spirit　and　know　that　it　is　a　spirit；　then　doubtless　I

shall　believe　in　spirits。　But　what　is　the　good　of　talking　of　such

things？　I　do　not　seek　spirits；　I　seek　Portuguese　gold。　Now；　I　am　sure

you　can　tell　where　that　gold　lies。　You　would　have　told　us　last　night；

had　not　your　nervous　strength　failed　you；　who　are　unaccustomed　to　the

state　of　trance。　Speaking　as　Benita　da　Ferreira；　you　said　that　you　saw

it　and　described　its　condition。　Then　you　could；　or　would；　say　no　more；

and　it　became　necessary　to　waken　you。　Miss　Clifford；　you　must　let　me

mesmerize　you　once　again　for　a　few　minutes　only；　for　then　we　will

waste　no　time　on　past　histories；　and　we　shall　find　the　gold。　Unless；

indeed；〃　he　added　by　an　afterthought；　and　looking　at　her　sharply；　〃you

know　already　where　it　is；　in　which　case　I　need　not　trouble　you。〃



〃I　do　not　know；　Mr。　Meyer。　I　remember　nothing　about　the　gold。〃



〃Which　proves　my　theory。　What　purported　to　be　the　spirit　of　Benita　da

Ferreira　said　that　it　had　passed　the　secret　on　to　you；　but　in　your

waking　state　you　do　not　know　that　secret。　In　fact；　she　did　not　pass　it

on　because　she　had　no　existence。　But　in　your　sub…conscious　state　you

will　know。　Therefore　I　must　mesmerize　you　again。　Not　at　once；　but　in　a

few　days'　time；　when　you　have　quite　recovered。　Let　us　say　next

Wednesday；　three　days　hence。〃



〃You　shall　never　mesmerize　me　again；　Mr。　Meyer。〃



〃No；　not　while　I　live；〃　broke　in　her　father；　who　had　been　listening　to

this　discussion　in　silence。



Jacob　bowed　his　head　meekly。



〃You　think　so　now；　but　I　think　otherwise。　What　I　did　last　night　I　did

against　your　will；　and　that　I　can　do　again；　only　much　more　easily。　But

I　had　rather　do　it　with　your　will；　who　work　not　for　my　own　sake　only；

but　for　the　sake　of　all　of　us。　And　now　let　us　talk　no　more　of　the

matter；　lest　we　should　grow　angry。〃　Then　he　rose　and　went　away。



The　next　three　days　were　passed　by　Benita　in　a　state　of　constant

dread。　She　knew　in　herself　that　Jacob　Meyer　had　acquired　a　certain

command　over　her；　that　an　invincible　intimacy　had　sprung　up　between

them。　She　was　acquainted　with　his　thoughts；　thus；　before　he　asked　for

it；　she　would　find　herself　passing　him　some　article　at　table　or

elsewhere；　or　answering　a　question　that　he　was　only　about　to　ask。

Moreover；　he　could　bring　her　to　him　from　a　little　distance。　Thus；　on

two　or　three　occasions　when　she　was　wandering　about　their　prison

enclosure；　as　she　was　wont　to　do　for　the　sake　of　exercise；　she　found

her　feet　draw　to　some　spotnow　one　place　and　now　anotherand　when

she　reached　it　there　before　her　was　Jacob　Meyer。



〃Forgive　me　for　bringing　you　here；〃　he　would　say；　smiling　after　his

crooked　fashion；　and　lifting　his　hat　politely；　〃but　I　wish　to　ask　you

if　you　have　not　changed　your　mind　as　to　being　mesmerized？〃



Then　for　a　while　he　would　hold　her　with　his　eyes；　so　that　her　feet

seemed　rooted　to　the　ground；　till　at　length　it　was　as　though　he　cut　a

rope　by　some　action　of　his　will　and　set　her　free；　and；　choked　with

wrath　and　blind　with　tears；　Benita　would　turn　and　run　from　him　as　from

a　wild　beast。



But　if　her　days　were　evil；　oh！　what　were　her　nights？　She　lived　in

constant　terror　lest　he　should　again　drug　her　food　or　drink；　and；

while　she　slept；　throw　his　magic　spell　upon　her。　To　protect　herself

from　the　first　danger　she　would　swallow　nothing　that　had　been　near

him。　Now　also　she　slept　in　the　hut　with　her　father；　who　lay　near　its

door；　a　loaded　rifle　at　his　side；　for　he　had　told　Jacob　outright　that

if　he　caught　him　at　his　practices　he　would　shoot　him；　a　threat　at

which　the　younger　man　laughed　aloud；　for　he　had　no　fear　of　Mr。

Clifford。



Throughout　the　long　hours　of　darkness　they　kept　watch　alternately；　one

of　them　lying　down　to　rest　while　the　other　peered　and　listened。　Nor

did　Benita　always　listen　in　vain；　for　twice　at　least　she　heard

stealthy　footsteps　creeping　about　the　hut；　and　felt　that　soft　and

dreadful　influence　flowing　in　upon　her。　Then　she　would　wake　her

father；　whispering；　〃He　is　there；　I　can　feel　that　he　is　there。〃　But　by

the　time　that　the　old　man　had　painfully　dragged　himself　to　his　feet

for　now　he　was　becoming　very　feeble　and　acute　rheumatism　or　some　such

illness　had　got　hold　of　himand　crept　from　the　hut；　there　was　no　one

to　be　seen。　Only　through　the　darkness　he　would　hear　the　sound　of　a

retreating　step；　and　of　low；　mocking　laughter。



Thus　those　miserable　days　went　by；　and　the　third　morning　came；　that

dreaded　Wednesday。　Before　it　was　dawn　Benita　and　her　father；　neither

of　whom　had　closed　their　eyes　that　night；　talked　over　their　strait

long　and　earnestly；　and　they　knew　that　its　crisis　was　approaching。



〃I　think　that　I　had　better　try　to　kill　him；　Benita；〃　he　said。　〃I　am

growing　dreadfully　weak；　and　if　I　put　it　off　I　may　find　no　strength；

and　you　will　be　at　his　mercy。　I　can　easily　shoot　him　when　his　back　is

turned；　and　though　I　hate　the　thought　of　such　a　deed；　surely　I　shall

be　forgiven。　Or　if　not；　I　cannot　help　it。　I　must　think　of　my　duty　to

you；　not　of　myself。〃



〃No；　no；〃　she　answered。　〃I　will　not　have　it。　It　would　be　murder；

although　he　has　threatened　you。　After　all；　father；　I　believe　that　the

man　is　half　mad；　and　not　responsible。　We　must　take　our　chance　and

trust　to　God　to　save　us。　If　He　does　not；〃　she　added；　〃at　the　worst　I

can　always　save　myself；〃　and　she　touched　the　pistol　which　now　she　wore

day　and　night。



〃So　be　it；〃　said　Mr。　Clifford；　with　a　groan。　〃Let　us　pray　for

deliverance　from　this　hell　and　keep　our　hands　clean　of　blood。〃







XX



JACOB　MEYER　SEES　A　SPIRIT



For　a　while　they　were　silent；　then　Benita　said：



〃Father；　is　it　not　possible　that　we　might　escape；　after　all？　Perhaps

that　stair　on　the　rampart　is　not　so　completely　blocked　that　we　could

not　climb　over　it。〃



Mr。　Clifford；　thinking　of　his　stiff　limbs　and　aching　back；　shook　his

head　and　answered：



〃I　don't　know；　Meyer　has　never　let　me　near　enough　to　see。〃



〃Well；　why　do　you　not　go　to　look？　You　know　he　sleeps　till　late　now；

because　he　is　up　all　night。　Take　the　glasses　and　examine　the　top　of

the　wall　from　inside　that　old　house　near　by。　He　will　not　see　or　hear

you；　but　if　I　came　near；　he　would　know　and　wake　up。〃



〃If　you　like；　love；　I　can　try；　but　what　are　you　going　to　do　while　I　am

away？〃



〃I　shall　climb　the　pillar。〃



〃You　don't　mean〃　and　he　stopped。



〃No；　no；　nothing　of　that　sort。　I　shall　not　follow　the　example　of

Benita　da　Ferreira　unless　I　am　driven　to　it；　I　want　to　look；　that　is

all。　One　can　see　far　from　that　place；　if　there　is　anything　to　see。

Perhaps　the　Matabele　are　gone　now；　we　have　heard　nothing　of　them

lately。〃



So　they　dressed　themselves；　and　as　soon　as　the　light　was　sufficiently

strong；　came　out　of　the　hut　and　parted；　Mr。　Clifford；　rifle　in　hand；

limping　off　towards　the　wall；　and　Benita　going　towards　the　great　cone。

She　climbed　it　easily　enough；　and　stood　in　the　little　cup…like

depression　on　its　dizzy　peak；　wai