the story of an african farm-第14节

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〃I　am　bewildered；　I　am　bewildered；　said　the　German；　standing　before　her　and

raising　his　hand　to　his　forehead；　〃II　do　not　understand。〃



〃Ask　him；　ask　him？〃　cried　Tant　Sannie；　pointing　to　Bonaparte；　〃he　knows。　

You　thought　he　could　not　make　me　understand；　but　he　did；　he　did；　you　old

fool！　　I　know　enough　English　for　that。　　You　be　here；〃　shouted　the

Dutchwoman；　〃when　the　morning　star　rises；　and　I　will　let　my　Kaffers　take

you　out　and　drag　you；　till　there　is　not　one　bone　left　in　your　old　body　that

is　not　broken　as　fine　as　bobootie…meat；　you　old　beggar！　　All　your　rags　are

not　worth　thatthey　should　be　thrown　out　onto　the　ash…heap；〃　cried　the

Boer…woman；　〃but　I　will　have　them　for　my　sheep。　　Not　one　rotten　hoof　of

your　old　mare　do　you　take　with　you；　I　will　have　herall；　all　for　my　sheep

that　you　have　lost；　you　godless　thing！〃



The　Boer…woman　wiped　the　moisture　from　her　mouth　with　the　palm　of　her　hand。



The　German　turned　to　Bonaparte；　who　still　stood　on　the　step　absorbed　in　the

beauty　of　the　sunset。



〃Do　not　address　me；　do　not　approach　me；　lost　man；〃　said　Bonaparte；　not

moving　his　eye　nor　lowering　his　chin。　　〃There　is　a　crime　from　which　all

nature　revolts；　there　is　a　crime　whose　name　is　loathsome　to　the　human　ear

that　crime　is　yours；　that　crime　is　ingratitude。　　This　woman　has　been　your

benefactress；　on　her　farm　you　have　lived；　after　her　sheep　you　have　looked；

into　her　house　you　have　been　allowed　to　enter　and　hold　Divine　servicean

honour　of　which　you　were　never　worthy；　and　how　have　you　rewarded　her？

basely；　basely；　basely！〃



〃But　it　is　all　false；　lies　and　falsehoods。　　I　must；　I　will　speak；〃　said　the

German；　suddenly　looking　round　bewildered。　　〃Do　I　dream？　　Are　you　mad？　

What　may　it　be？〃



〃Go；　dog；〃　cried　the　Dutchwoman；　〃I　would　have　been　a　rich　woman　this　day

if　it　had　not　been　for　your　laziness。　　Praying　with　the　Kaffers　behind　the

kraal　walls。　　Go；　you　Kaffer's　dog！〃



〃But　what　then　is　the　matter？　　What　may　have　happened　since　I　left？〃　said

the　German；　turning　to　the　Hottentot　woman；　who　sat　upon　the　step。



She　was　his　friend；　she　would　tell　him　kindly　the　truth。　　The　woman

answered　by　a　loud；　ringing　laugh。



〃Give　it　him；　old　missis！　　Give　it　him！〃



It　was　so　nice　to　see　the　white　man　who　had　been　master　hunted　down。　　The

coloured　woman　laughed；　and　threw　a　dozen　mealie　grains　into　her　mouth　to

chew。



All　anger　and　excitement　faded　from　the　old　man's　face。　　He　turned　slowly

away　and　walked　down　the　little　path　to　his　cabin；　with　his　shoulders　bent；

it　was　all　dark　before　him。　　He　stumbled　over　the　threshold　of　his　own

well…known　door。



Em；　sobbing　bitterly；　would　have　followed　him；　but　the　Boer…woman　prevented

her　by　a　flood　of　speech　which　convulsed　the　Hottentot；　so　low　were　its

images。



〃Come；　Em；〃　said　Lyndall；　lifting　her　small　proud　head；　〃let　us　go　in。　　We

will　not　stay　to　hear　such　language。〃



She　looked　into　the　Boer…woman's　eyes。　　Tant　Sannie　understood　the　meaning

of　the　look　if　not　the　words。　　She　waddled　after　them；　and　caught　Em　by　the

arm。　　She　had　struck　Lyndall　once　years　before；　and　had　never　done　it

again；　so　she　took　Em。



〃So　you　will　defy　me；　too；　will　you；　you　Englishman's　ugliness！〃　she　cried；

and　with　one　hand　she　forced　the　child　down；　and　held　her　head　tightly

against　her　knee；　with　the　other　she　beat　her　first　upon　one　cheek；　and

then　upon　the　other。



For　one　instant　Lyndall　looked　on；　then　she　laid　her　small　fingers　on　the

Boer…woman's　arm。　　With　the　exertion　of　half　its　strength　Tant　Sannie　might

have　flung　the　girl　back　upon　the　stones。　　It　was　not　the　power　of　the

slight　fingers；　tightly　though　they　clinched　her　broad　wristso　tightly

that　at　bedtime　the　marks　were　still　there；　but　the　Boer…woman　looked　into

the　clear　eyes　and　at　the　quivering　white　lips；　and　with　a　half…surprised

curse　relaxed　her　hold。　　The　girl　drew　Em's　arm　through　her　own。



〃Move！〃　she　said　to　Bonaparte；　who　stood　in　the　door；　and　he；　Bonaparte　the

invincible；　in　the　hour　of　his　triumph；　moved　to　give　her　place。



The　Hottentot　ceased　to　laugh；　and　an　uncomfortable　silence　fell　on　all　the

three　in　the　doorway。



Once　in　their　room；　Em　sat　down　on　the　floor　and　wailed　bitterly。　　Lyndall

lay　on　the　bed　with　her　arm　drawn　across　her　eyes；　very　white　and　still。



〃Hoo；　hoo！〃　cried　Em；　〃and　they　won't　let　him　take　the　grey　mare；　and　Waldo

has　gone　to　the　mill。　　Hoo；　hoo；　and　perhaps　they　won't　let　us　go　and　say

good…bye　to　him。　　Hoo；　hoo；　hoo！〃



〃I　wish　you　would　be　quiet；〃　said　Lyndall　without　moving。　　〃Does　it　give

you　such　felicity　to　let　Bonaparte　know　he　is　hurting　you？　　We　will　ask　no

one。　　It　will　be　suppertime　soon。　　Listenand　when　you　hear　the　clink　of

the　knives　and　forks　we　will　go　out　and　see　him。



Em　suppressed　her　sobs　and　listened　intently；　kneeling　at　the　door。　

Suddenly　some　one　came　to　the　window　and　put　the　shutter　up。



〃Who　was　that？〃　said　Lyndall；　starting。



〃The　girl；　I　suppose；〃　said　Em。　　How　early　she　is　this　evening！〃



But　Lyndall　sprang　from　the　bed　and　seized　the　handle　of　the　door；　shaking

it　fiercely。　　The　door　was　locked　on　the　outside。　　She　ground　her　teeth。



〃What　is　the　matter？〃　asked　Em。



The　room　was　in　perfect　darkness　now。



〃Nothing；〃　said　Lyndall　quietly；　〃only　they　have　locked　us　in。〃



She　turned；　and　went　back　to　bed　again。　　But　ere　long　Em　heard　a　sound　of

movement。　　Lyndall　had　climbed　up　into　the　window；　and　with　her　fingers

felt　the　woodwork　that　surrounded　the　panes。　　Slipping　down；　the　girl

loosened　the　iron　knob　from　the　foot　of　the　bedstead；　and　climbing　up　again

she　broke　with　it　every　pane　of　glass　in　the　window；　beginning　at　the　top

and　ending　at　the　bottom。



〃What　are　you　doing？〃　asked　Em；　who　heard　the　falling　fragments。



Her　companion　made　her　no　reply；　but　leaned　on　every　little　cross…bar；

which　cracked　and　gave　way　beneath　her。　　Then　she　pressed　with　all　her

strength　against　the　shutter。　　She　had　thought　the　wooden　buttons　would

give　way；　but　by　the　clinking　sound　she　knew　that　the　iron　bar　had　been　put

across。　　She　was　quite　quiet　for　a　time。　　Clambering　down；　she　took　from

the　table　a　small　one…bladed　penknife；　with　which　she　began　to　peck　at　the

hard　wood　of　the　shutter。



〃What　are　you　doing　now？〃　asked　Em；　who　had　ceased　crying　in　her　wonder；

and　had　drawn　near。



〃Trying　to　make　a　hole；〃　was　the　short　reply。



〃Do　you　think　you　will　be　able　to？〃



〃No；　but　I　am　trying。〃



In　an　agony　of　suspense　Em　waited。　　For　ten　minutes　Lyndall　pecked。　　The

hole　was　three…eighths　of　an　inch　deepthen　the　blade　sprung　into　ten

pieces。



〃What　has　happened　now？〃　Em　asked；　blubbering　afresh。



〃Nothing；〃　said　Lyndall。　　〃Bring　me　my　nightgown；　a　piece　of　paper；　and　the

matches。〃



Wondering；　Em　fumbled　about　till　she　found　them。



〃What　are　you　going　to　do　with　them？〃　she　whispered。



〃Burn　down　the　window。〃



〃But　won't　the　whole　house　take　fire　and　burn　down　too？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃But　will　it　not　be　very　wicked？〃



〃Yes；　very。　　And　I　do　not　care。〃



She　arranged　the　nightgown　carefully　in　the　corner　of　the　window；　with　the

chips　of　the　frame　about　it。　　There　was　only　one　match　in　the　box。　　She

drew　it　carefully　along　the　wall。　　For　a　moment　it　burnt　up　blue；　and

showed　the　tiny　face　with　its　glistening　eyes。　　She　held　it　carefully　to

the　paper。　　For　an　instant　it　burnt　up　brightly；　then　flickered　and　went

out。　　She　blew　the　spark；　but　it　died　also。　　Then　she　threw　the　paper　on　to

the　ground；　trod　on　it；　and　went　to　her　bed；　and　began　to　undress。



Em　rushed　to　the　door；　knocking　against　it　wildly。



〃Oh；　Tant　Sannie！　　Tant　Sannie！　　Oh；　let　us　out！〃　she　cried。　　〃Oh；　Lyndall；

what　are　we　to　do？〃



Lyndall　wiped　a　drop　of　blood　off　the　lip　she　had　bitten。



〃I　am　going　to　sleep；〃　she　said。　　〃If　you　like　to　sit　there　and　howl　till

the　morning；　do。　　Perhaps　you　will　find　that　it　helps；　I　never　heard　that

howling　helped　any　one。〃



Long　after；　when　Em　herself　had　gone　to　bed　and　was　almost　asleep；　Lyndall

came　and　stood　at　her　bedside。



〃Here；〃　she　said；　slipping　a　little　pot　of　powder　into　her　hand；　〃rub　some

on　to　your　face。　　Does　it　not　burn　where　she　struck　you？〃



Then　she　crept　back　to　her　own　bed。　　Long；　long　after；　when　Em　was　really

asleep；　she　lay　still　awake；　and　folded　her　hands　on　her　little　breast；　and

muttered



〃When　that　day　comes；　and　I　am　strong；　I　will　hate　everything　that　has

power；　and　help　everything　that　is　weak。〃　　And　she　bit　her　lip　again。



The　German　looked　out　at　the　cabin　door　for　the　last　time　that　night。　　Then

he　paced　the　room　slowly　and　sighed。　　Then　he　drew　out　pen　and　paper；　and

sat　down　to　write；　rubbing　his　old　grey　eyes　with　his　knuckles　before　he

began。



〃My　Chickens：　　You　did　not　come　to　say　good…bye　to　the　old　man。　　Might　you？

Ah；　well；　there　is　a　land　where　they　part　no　more；　where　saints　immortal

reign。