the story of an african farm-第20节

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hand；　threw　it　into　the　back　of　the　oven。　　It　lay　upon　the　heap　of　coals；

smoked；　flared；　and　blazed；　and　the　〃Political　Economy〃　was　no　moregone

out　of　existence；　like　many　another　poor　heretic　of　flesh　and　blood。



Bonaparte　grinned；　and　to　watch　the　process　brought　his　face　so　near　the

oven　door　that　the　white　hair　on　his　eyebrows　got　singed。　　He　then　inquired

if　there　were　any　more　in　the　loft。



Learning　that　there　were；　he　made　signs　indicative　of　taking　up　armfuls　and

flinging　them　into　the　fire。　　But　Tant　Sannie　was　dubious。　　The　deceased

Englishman　had　left　all　his　personal　effects　specially　to　his　child。　　It

was　all　very　well　for　Bonaparte　to　talk　of　burning　the　books。　　He　had　had

his　hair　spiritually　pulled；　and　she　had　no　wish　to　repeat　his　experience。



She　shook　her　head。　　Bonaparte　was　displeased。　　But　then　a　happy　thought

occurred　to　him。　　He　suggested　that　the　key　of　the　loft　should　henceforth

be　put　into　his　own　safe　care　and　keepingno　one　gaining　possession　of　it

without　his　permission。　　To　this　Tant　Sannie　readily　assented；　and　the　two

walked　lovingly　to　the　house　to　look　for　it。





Chapter　1。XII。　　He　Bites。



Bonaparte　Blenkins　was　riding　home　on　the　grey　mare。　　He　had　ridden　out

that　afternoon；　partly　for　the　benefit　of　his　health；　partly　to　maintain

his　character　as　overseer　of　the　farm。　　As　he　rode　on　slowly；　he

thoughtfully　touched　the　ears　of　the　grey　mare　with　his　whip。



〃No；　Bon；　my　boy；〃　he　addressed　himself；　〃don't　propose！　　You　can't　marry

for　four　years；　on　account　of　the　will；　then　why　propose？　　Wheedle　her；

tweedle　her；　teedle　her；　but　don't　let　her　make　sure　of　you。　　When　a

woman；〃　said　Bonaparte；　sagely　resting　his　finger　against　the　side　of　his

nose；　〃When　a　woman　is　sure　of　you　she　does　what　she　likes　with　you；　but

when　she　isn't；　you　do　what　you　like　with　her。　　And　I〃　said　Bonaparte。



Here　he　drew　the　horse　up　suddenly　and　looked。　　He　was　now　close　to　the

house；　and　leaning　over　the　pigsty　wall；　in　company　with　Em；　who　was

showing　her　the　pigs；　was　a　strange　female　figure。　　It　was　the　first

visitor　that　had　appeared　on　the　farm　since　his　arrival；　and　he　looked　at

her　with　interest。　　She　was　a　tall；　pudgy　girl　of　fifteen；　weighing　a

hundred　and　fifty　pounds；　with　baggy　pendulous　cheeks　and　up…turned　nose。　

She　strikingly　resembled　Tant　Sannie；　in　form　and　feature；　but　her　sleepy

good　eyes　lacked　that　twinkle　that　dwelt　in　the　Boer…woman's　small　orbs。　

She　was　attired　in　a　bright　green　print；　wore　brass　rings　in　her　ears　and

glass　beads　round　her　neck；　and　was　sucking　the　tip　of　her　large　finger　as

she　looked　at　the　pigs。



〃Who　is　it　that　has　come？〃　asked　Bonaparte；　when　he　stood　drinking　his

coffee　in　the　front　room。



〃Why；　my　niece；　to　be　sure；〃　said　Tant　Sannie；　the　Hottentot　maid

translating。　　〃She's　the　only　daughter　of　my　only　brother　Paul；　and　she's

come　to　visit　me。　　She'll　be　a　nice　mouthful　to　the　man　that　can　get　her；〃

added　Tant　Sannie。　　〃Her　father's　got　two　thousand　pounds　in　the　green

wagon　box　under　his　bed；　and　a　farm；　and　five　thousand　sheep；　and　God

Almighty　knows　how　many　goats　and　horses。　　They　milk　ten　cows　in　mid…

winter；　and　the　young　men　are　after　her　like　flies　about　a　bowl　of　milk。　

She　says　she　means　to　get　married　in　four　months；　but　she　doesn't　yet　know

to　whom。　　It　was　so　with　me　when　I　was　young；〃　said　Tant　Sannie。　　〃I've　sat

up　with　the　young　men　four　and　five　nights　a　week。　　And　they　will　come

riding　again；　as　soon　as　ever　they　know　that　the　time's　up　that　the

Englishman　made　me　agree　not　to　marry　in。〃



The　Boer…woman　smirked　complacently。



〃Where　are　you　going　to？〃　asked　Tant　Sannie　presently；　seeing　that

Bonaparte　rose。



〃Ha！　　I'm　just　going　to　the　kraals；　I'll　be　in　to　supper；〃　said　Bonaparte。



Nevertheless；　when　he　reached　his　own　door　he　stopped　and　turned　in　there。

Soon　after　he　stood　before　the　little　glass；　arrayed　in　his　best　white

shirt　with　the　little　tucks；　and　shaving　himself。　　He　had　on　his　very　best

trousers；　and　had　heavily　oiled　the　little　fringe　at　the　back　of　his　head；

which；　however；　refused　to　become　darker。　　But　what　distressed　him　most　was

his　noseit　was　very　red。　　He　rubbed　his　finger　and　thumb　on　the　wall；　and

put　a　little　whitewash　on　it；　but；　finding　it　rather　made　matters　worse；　he

rubbed　it　off　again。　　Then　he　looked　carefully　into　his　own　eyes。　　They

certainly　were　a　little　pulled　down　at　the　outer　corners；　which　gave　them

the　appearance　of　looking　crosswise；　but　then　they　were　a　nice　blue。　　So　he

put　on　his　best　coat；　took　up　his　stick；　and　went　out　to　supper；　feeling　on

the　whole　well　satisfied。



〃Aunt；〃　said　Trana　to　Tant　Sannie　when　that　night　they　lay　together　in　the

great　wooden　bed；　〃why　does　the　Englishman　sigh　so　when　he　looks　at　me？〃



〃Ha！〃　said　Tant　Sannie；　who　was　half　asleep；　but　suddenly　started；　wide

awake。　　〃It's　because　he　thinks　you　look　like　me。　　I　tell　you；　Trana；〃　said

Tant　Sannie；　〃the　man　is　mad　with　love　of　me。　　I　told　him　the　other　night　I

couldn't　marry　till　Em　was　sixteen；　or　I'd　lose　all　the　sheep　her　father

left　me。　　And　he　talked　about　Jacob　working　seven　years　and　seven　years

again　for　his　wife。　　And　of　course　he　meant　me；〃　said　Tant　Sannie

pompously。　　〃But　he　won't　get　me　so　easily　as　he　thinks；　he'll　have　to　ask

more　than　once。〃



〃Oh！〃　said　Trana；　who　was　a　lumpish　girl　and　not　much　given　to　talking；　but

presently　she　added；　〃Aunt；　why　does　the　Englishman　always　knock　against　a

person　when　he　passes　them？〃



〃That's　because　you　are　always　in　the　way；〃　said　Tant　Sannie。



〃But；　aunt；　said　Trana；　presently；　〃I　think　he　is　very　ugly。〃



〃Phugh！〃　said　Tant　Sannie。　　It's　only　because　we're　not　accustomed　to　such

noses　in　this　country。　　In　his　country　he　says　all　the　people　have　such

noses；　and　the　redder　your　nose　is　the　higher　you　are。　　He's　of　the　family

of　the　Queen　Victoria；　you　know；〃　said　Tant　Sannie；　wakening　up　with　her

subject；　〃and　he　doesn't　think　anything　of　governors　and　church　elders　and

such　people；　they　are　nothing　to　him。　　When　his　aunt　with　the　dropsy　dies

he'll　have　money　enough　to　buy　all　the　farms　in　this　district。〃



〃Oh！〃　said　Trana。　　That　certainly　made　a　difference。



〃Yes；〃　said　Tant　Sannie；　〃and　he's　only　forty…one；　though　you'd　take　him　to

be　sixty。　　And　he　told　me　last　night　the　real　reason　of　his　baldness。〃



Tant　Sannie　then　proceeded　to　relate　how；　at　eighteen　years　of　age；

Bonaparte　had　courted　a　fair　young　lady。　　How　a　deadly　rival；　jealous　of

his　verdant　locks；　his　golden　flowing　hair；　had；　with　a　damnable　and

insinuating　deception；　made　him　a　present　of　a　pot　of　pomatum。　　How；

applying　it　in　the　evening；　on　rising　in　the　morning　he　found　his　pillow

strewn　with　the　golden　locks；　and；　looking　into　the　glass；　beheld　the

shining　and　smooth　expanse　which　henceforth　he　must　bear。　　The　few

remaining　hairs　were　turned　to　a　silvery　whiteness；　and　the　young　lady

married　his　rival。



〃And；〃　said　Tant　Sannie　solemnly；　〃if　it　had　not　been　for　the　grace　of　God；

and　reading　of　the　psalms；　he　says　he　would　have　killed　himself。　　He　says

he　could　kill　himself　quite　easily　if　he　wants　to　marry　a　woman　and　she

won't。〃



〃Alle　wereld！〃　said　Trana：　　and　then　they　went　to　sleep。



Every　one　was　lost　in　sleep　soon；　but　from　the　window　of　the　cabin　the

light　streamed　forth。　　It　came　from　a　dung　fire；　over　which　Waldo　sat

brooding。　　Hour　after　hour　he　sat　there；　now　and　again　throwing　a　fresh

lump　of　fuel　on　to　the　fire；　which　burnt　up　bravely；　and　then　sank　into　a

great　bed　of　red　coals；　which　reflected　themselves　in　the　boy's　eyes　as　he

sat　there　brooding；　brooding；　brooding。　　At　last；　when　the　fire　was　blazing

at　its　brightest；　he　rose　suddenly　and　walked　slowly　to　a　beam　from　which

an　ox　riem　hung。　　Loosening　it；　he　ran　a　noose　in　one　end　and　then　doubled

it　round　his　arm。



〃Mine；　mine！　　I　have　a　right；〃　he　muttered；　and　then　something　louder；　〃if

I　fall　and　am　killed；　so　much　the　better！〃



He　opened　the　door　and　went　out　into　the　starlight。



He　walked　with　his　eyes　bent　upon　the　ground；　but　overhead　it　was　one　of

those　brilliant　southern　nights　when　every　space　so　small　that　your　hand

might　cover　it　shows　fifty　cold　white　points；　and　the　Milky…Way　is　a　belt

of　sharp　frosted　silver。　　He　passed　the　door　where　Bonaparte　lay　dreaming

of　Trana　and　her　wealth；　and　he　mounted　the　ladder　steps。　　From　those　he

clambered　with　some　difficulty　on　to　the　roof　of　the　house。　　It　was　of　old

rotten　thatch　with　a　ridge　of　white　plaster；　and　it　crumbled　away　under　his

feet　at　every　step。　　He　trod　as　heavily　as　he　could。　　So　much　the　better　if

he　fell。



He　knelt　down　when　he　got　to　the　far　gable；　and　began　to　fasten　his　riem　to

the　crumbling　bricks。　　Below　was　the　little　window　of　the　loft。　　With　one

end　of　the　riem　tied　round　the　gable；　the　other　end　round　his　waist；　how

easy　to　slide　down　to　it；　and　to　open　it；　through　one　of　the　broken　panes；

and　to