the story of an african farm-第4节

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〃Ah；　no；〃　said　her　companion。　　〃I　suppose　some　day　we　shall　go　somewhere；

but　now　we　are　only　twelve；　and　we　cannot　marry　till　we　are　seventeen。　

Four　years；　fivethat　is　a　long　time　to　wait。　　And　we　might　not　have

diamonds　if　we　did　marry。〃



〃And　you　think　that　I　am　going　to　stay　here　till　then？〃



〃Well；　where　are　you　going？〃　asked　her　companion。



The　girl　crushed　an　ice…plant　leaf　between　her　fingers。



〃Tant　Sannie　is　a　miserable　old　woman；〃　she　said。　　〃Your　father　married　her

when　he　was　dying；　because　he　thought　she　would　take　better　care　of　the

farm；　and　of　us；　than　an　English　woman。　　He　said　we　should　be　taught　and

sent　to　school。　　Now　she　saves　every　farthing　for　herself；　buys　us　not　even

one　old　book。　　She　does　not　ill…use　uswhy？　　Because　she　is　afraid　of　your

father's　ghost。　　Only　this　morning　she　told　her　Hottentot　that　she　would

have　beaten　you　for　breaking　the　plate；　but　that　three　nights　ago　she　heard

a　rustling　and　a　grunting　behind　the　pantry　door；　and　knew　it　was　your

father　coming　to　spook　her。　　She　is　a　miserable　old　woman；〃　said　the　girl；

throwing　the　leaf　from　her；　〃but　I　intend　to　go　to　school。〃



〃And　if　she　won't　let　you？〃



〃I　shall　make　her。〃



〃How？〃



The　child　took　not　the　slightest　notice　of　the　last　question；　and　folded

her　small　arms　across　her　knees。



〃But　why　do　you　want　to　go；　Lyndall？〃



〃There　is　nothing　helps　in　this　world；〃　said　the　child　slowly；　〃but　to　be

very　wise；　and　to　know　everythingto　be　clever。〃



〃But　I　should　not　like　to　go　to　school！〃　persisted　the　small　freckled　face。



〃And　you　do　not　need　to。　　When　you　are　seventeen　this　Boer…woman　will　go；

you　will　have　this　farm　and　everything　that　is　upon　it　for　your　own；　but

I；〃　said　Lyndall；　〃will　have　nothing。　　I　must　learn。〃



〃Oh；　Lyndall！　　I　will　give　you　some　of　my　sheep；〃　said　Em；　with　a　sudden

burst　of　pitying　generosity。



〃I　do　not　want　your　sheep；〃　said　the　girl　slowly；　〃I　want　things　of　my　own。

When　I　am　grown　up；〃　she　added；　the　flush　on　her　delicate　features

deepening　at　every　word；　〃there　will　be　nothing　that　I　do　not　know。　　I

shall　be　rich；　very　rich；　and　I　shall　wear　not　only　for　best；　but　every

day；　a　pure　white　silk；　and　little　rose…buds；　like　the　lady　in　Tant

Sannie's　bedroom；　and　my　petticoats　will　be　embroidered；　not　only　at　the

bottom；　but　all　through。〃



The　lady　in　Tant　Sannie's　bedroom　was　a　gorgeous　creature　from　a　fashion…

sheet；　which　the　Boer…woman；　somewhere　obtaining；　had　pasted　up　at　the　foot

of　her　bed；　to　be　profoundly　admired　by　the　children。



〃It　would　be　very　nice；〃　said　Em；　but　it　seemed　a　dream　of　quite　too

transcendent　a　glory　ever　to　be　realized。



At　this　instant　there　appeared　at　the　foot　of　the　kopje　two　figuresthe

one；　a　dog；　white　and　sleek；　one　yellow　ear　hanging　down　over　his　left　eye；

the　other；　his　master；　a　lad　of　fourteen；　and　no　other　than　the　boy　Waldo；

grown　into　a　heavy；　slouching　youth　of　fourteen。　　The　dog　mounted　the　kopje

quickly；　his　master　followed　slowly。　　He　wore　an　aged　jacket　much　too　large

for　him；　and　rolled　up　at　the　wrists；　and；　as　of　old；　a　pair　of　dilapidated

velschoens　and　a　felt　hat。　　He　stood　before　the　two　girls　at　last。



〃What　have　you　been　doing　today？〃　asked　Lyndall；　lifting　her　eyes　to　his

face。



〃Looking　after　ewes　and　lambs　below　the　dam。　　Here！〃　he　said；　holding　out

his　hand　awkwardly；　〃I　brought　them　for　you。〃



There　were　a　few　green　blades　of　tender　grass。



〃Where　did　you　find　them？〃



〃On　the　dam　wall。〃



She　fastened　them　beside　the　leaf　on　her　blue　pinafore。



〃They　look　nice　there；〃　said　the　boy；　awkwardly　rubbing　his　great　hands　and

watching　her。



〃Yes；　but　the　pinafore　spoils　it　all；　it　is　not　pretty。〃



He　looked　at　it　closely。



〃Yes；　the　squares　are　ugly；　but　it　looks　nice　upon　youbeautiful。〃



He　now　stood　silent　before　them；　his　great　hands　hanging　loosely　at　either

side。



〃Some　one　has　come　today；〃　he　mumbled　out　suddenly；　when　the　idea　struck

him。



〃Who？〃　asked　both　girls。



〃An　Englishman　on　foot。〃



〃What　does　he　look　like？〃　asked　Em。



〃I　did　not　notice；　but　he　has　a　very　large　nose；〃　said　the　boy　slowly。　　〃He

asked　the　way　to　the　house。〃



〃Didn't　he　tell　you　his　name？〃



〃YesBonaparte　Blenkins。〃



〃Bonaparte！〃　said　Em；　〃why　that　is　like　the　reel　Hottentot　Hans　plays　on

the　violin



'Bonaparte；　Bonaparte；　my　wife　is　sick；

　In　the　middle　of　the　week；　but　Sundays　not；

　I　give　her　rice　and　beans　for　soup'



It　is　a　funny　name。〃



〃There　was　a　living　man　called　Bonaparte　once；〃　said　she　of　the　great　eyes。



〃Ah　yes；　I　know；〃　said　Em〃the　poor　prophet　whom　the　lions　ate。　　I　am

always　so　sorry　for　him。〃



Her　companion　cast　a　quiet　glance　upon　her。



〃He　was　the　greatest　man　who　ever　lived；〃　she　said；　〃the　man　I　like　best。〃



〃And　what　did　he　do？〃　asked　Em；　conscious　that　she　had　made　a　mistake；　and

that　her　prophet　was　not　the　man。



〃He　was　one　man；　only　one；〃　said　her　little　companion　slowly；　〃yet　all　the

people　in　the　world　feared　him。　　He　was　not　born　great；　he　was　common　as　we

are；　yet　he　was　master　of　the　world　at　last。　　Once　he　was　only　a　little

child；　then　he　was　a　lieutenant；　then　he　was　a　general；　then　he　was　an

emperor。　　When　he　said　a　thing　to　himself　he　never　forgot　it。　　He　waited；

and　waited　and　waited；　and　it　came　at　last。〃



〃He　must　have　been　very　happy；〃　said　Em。



〃I　do　not　know；〃　said　Lyndall；　〃but　he　had　what　he　said　he　would　have；　and

that　is　better　than　being　happy。　　He　was　their　master；　and　all　the　people

were　white　with　fear　of　him。　　They　joined　together　to　fight　him。　　He　was

one　and　they　were　many；　and　they　got　him　down　at　last。　　They　were　like　the

wild　cats　when　their　teeth　are　fast　in　a　great　dog；　like　cowardly　wild

cats；〃　said　the　child；　〃they　would　not　let　him　go。　　There　were　many；　he　was

only　one。　　They　sent　him　to　an　island　on　the　sea；　a　lonely　island；　and　kept

him　there　fast。　　He　was　one　man；　and　they　were　many；　and　they　were

terrified　at　him。　　It　was　glorious！〃　said　the　child。



〃And　what　then？〃　said　Em。



〃Then　he　was　alone　there　in　that　island　with　men　to　watch　him　always；〃　said

her　companion；　slowly　and　quietly。　　〃And　in　the　long　lonely　nights　he　used

to　lie　awake　and　think　of　the　things　he　had　done　in　the　old　days；　and　the

things　he　would　do　if　they　let　him　go　again。　　In　the　day　when　he　walked

near　the　shore　it　seemed　to　him　that　the　sea　all　around　him　was　a　cold

chain　about　his　body　pressing　him　to　death。〃



〃And　then？〃　said　Em；　much　interested。



〃He　died　there　in　that　island；　he　never　got　away。〃



〃It　is　rather　a　nice　story；〃　said　Em；　〃but　the　end　is　sad。〃



〃It　is　a　terrible；　hateful　ending；〃　said　the　little　teller　of　the　story；

leaning　forward　on　her　folded　arms；　〃and　the　worst　is；　it　is　true。　　I　have

noticed；〃　added　the　child　very　deliberately；　〃that　it　is　only　the　made…up

stories　that　end　nicely；　the　true　ones　all　end　so。〃



As　she　spoke　the　boy's　dark；　heavy　eyes　rested　on　her　face。



〃You　have　read　it；　have　you　not？〃



He　nodded。　　〃Yes；　but　the　Brown　history　tells　only　what　he　did；　not　what　he

thought。〃



〃It　was　in　the　Brown　history　that　I　read　of　him；〃　said　the　girl；　〃but　I

know　what　he　thought。　　Books　do　not　tell　everything。〃



〃No；〃　said　the　boy；　slowly　drawing　nearer　to　her　and　sitting　down　at　her

feet。　　〃What　you　want　to　know　they　never　tell。〃



Then　the　children　fell　into　silence；　till　Doss；　the　dog；　growing　uneasy　at

its　long　continuance；　sniffed　at　one　and　the　other；　and　his　master　broke

forth　suddenly：



〃If　they　could　talk；　if　they　could　tell　us　now！〃　he　said；　moving　his　hand

out　over　the　surrounding　objects〃then　we　would　know　something。　　This

kopje；　if　it　could　tell　us　how　it　came　here！　　The　'Physical　Geography'

says；〃　he　went　on　most　rapidly　and　confusedly；　〃that　what　were　dry　lands

now　were　once　lakes；　and　what　I　think　is　thisthese　low　hills　were　once

the　shores　of　a　lake；　this　kopje　is　some　of　the　stones　that　were　at　the

bottom；　rolled　together　by　the　water。　　But　there　is　thisHow　did　the　water

come　to　make　one　heap　here　alone；　in　the　centre　of　the　plain？〃　　It　was　a

ponderous　question；　no　one　volunteered　an　answer。　　〃When　I　was　little；〃

said　the　boy；　〃I　always　looked　at　it　and　wondered；　and　I　thought　a　great

giant　was　buried　under　it。　　Now　I　know　the　water　must　have　done　it；　but

how？　　It　is　very　wonderful。　　Did　one　little　stone　come　first；　and　stop　the

others　as　they　rolled？〃　said　the　boy　with　earnestness；　in　a　low　voice；　more

as　speaking　to　himself　than　to　them。



〃Oh；　Waldo；　God　put　the　little　kopje　here；〃　said　Em　with　solemnity。



〃But　how　did　he　put　it　here？〃



〃By　wanting。〃



〃But　how　did　the　wanting　bring　it　here？〃



〃Because　it　did。〃



The　last　words　were　uttered　with　the　air　of　one　who　produces　a　clinching

argument。　　What　effect　it　had　on　the　questioner　was　not　evident；　for　he

made　no　reply；　and　turned