the story of an african farm-第51节

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〃Is　dead。〃



He　sat　down　on　the　bench　before　the　fire。



〃The　cakes　are　almost　ready；〃　she　said；　〃I　will　get　you　something　to　eat。　

Where　have　you　been　wandering　all　this　while？〃



〃Up　and　down；　up　and　down；〃　he　answered　wearily；　〃and　now　the　whim　has

seized　me　to　come　back　here。　　Em；〃　he　said；　putting　his　hand　on　her　arm　as

she　passed　him；　〃have　you　heard　from　Lyndall　lately？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Em；　turning　quickly　from　him。



〃Where　is　she？　　I　had　one　letter　from　her；　but　that　is　almost　a　year　ago

nowjust　when　she　left。　　Where　is　she？〃



〃In　the　Transvaal。　　I　will　go　and　get　you　some　supper；　we　can　talk

afterward。〃



〃Can　you　give　me　her　exact　address？　　I　want　to　write　to　her。〃



But　Em　had　gone　into　the　next　room。



When　food　was　on　the　table　she　knelt　down　before　the　fire；　turning　the

cakes；　babbling　restlessly；　eagerly；　now　of　this；　now　of　that。　　She　was

glad　to　see　himTant　Sannie　was　coming　soon　to　show　her　her　new　babyhe

must　stay　on　the　farm　now；　and　help　her。　　And　Waldo　himself　was　well

content　to　eat　his　meal　in　silence；　asking　no　more　questions。



〃Gregory　is　coming　back　next　week；〃　she　said；　〃he　will　have　been　gone　just

a　hundred　and　three　days　tomorrow。　　I　had　a　letter　from　him　yesterday。〃



〃Where　has　he　been？〃



But　his　companion　stooped　to　lift　a　cake　from　the　fire。



〃How　the　wind　blows！　　One　can　hardly　hear　one's　own　voice；〃　she　said。　

〃Take　this　warm　cake；　no　one's　cakes　are　like　mine。　　Why；　you　have　eaten

nothing！〃



〃I　am　a　little　weary；〃　he　said；　〃the　wind　was　mad　tonight。〃



He　folded　his　arms；　and　rested　his　head　against　the　fireplace；　whilst　she

removed　the　dishes　from　the　table。　　On　the　mantelpiece　stood　an　inkpot　and

some　sheets　of　paper。　　Presently　he　took　them　down　and　turned　up　the　corner

of　the　tablecloth。



〃I　will　write　a　few　lines；〃　he　said；　〃till　you　are　ready　to　sit　down　and

talk。〃



Em；　as　she　shook　out　the　tablecloth；　watched　him　bending　intently　over　his

paper。　　He　had　changed　much。　　His　face　had　grown　thinner；　his　cheeks　were

almost　hollow；　though　they　were　covered　by　a　dark　growth　of　beard。



She　sat　down　on　the　skin　beside　him；　and　felt　the　little　bundle　on　the

bench；　it　was　painfully　small　and　soft。　　Perhaps　it　held　a　shirt　and　a

book；　but　nothing　more。　　The　old　black　hat　had　a　piece　of　unhemmed　muslin

twisted　round　it；　and　on　his　elbow　was　a　large　patch　so　fixed　on　with

yellow　thread　that　her　heart　ached。　　Only　his　hair　was　not　changed；　and

hung　in　silky　beautiful　waves　almost　to　his　shoulders。



Tomorrow　she　would　take　the　ragged　edge　off　his　collar；　and　put　a　new　band

round　his　hat。　　She　did　not　interrupt　him；　but　she　wondered　how　it　was　that

he　sat　to　write　so　intently　after　his　long　weary　walk。　　He　was　not　tired

now；　his　pen　hurried　quickly　and　restlessly　over　the　paper；　and　his　eye　was

bright。　　Presently　Em　raised　her　hand　to　her　breast；　where　lay　the　letter

yesterday　had　brought　her。　　Soon　she　had　forgotten　him；　as　entirely　as　he

had　forgotten　her；　each　was　in　his　own　world　with　his　own。　　He　was　writing

to　Lyndall。　　He　would　tell　her　all　he　had　seen；　all　he　had　done；　though　it

were　nothing　worth　relating。　　He　seemed　to　have　come　back　to　her；　and　to　be

talking　to　her　now　he　sat　there　in　the　old　house。



〃and　then　I　got　to　the　next　town；　and　my　horse　was　tired；　so　I　could　go

no　further；　and　looked　for　work。　　A　shopkeeper　agreed　to　hire　me　as

salesman。　　He　made　me　sign　a　promise　to　remain　six　months；　and　he　gave　me　a

little　empty　room　at　the　back　of　the　store　to　sleep　in。　　I　had　still　three

pounds　of　my　own；　and　when　you　just　come　from　the　country　three　pounds

seems　a　great　deal。



〃When　I　had　been　in　the　shop　three　days　I　wanted　to　go　away　again。　　A　clerk

in　a　shop　has　the　lowest　work　to　do　of　all　the　people。　　It　is　much　better

to　break　stones；　you　have　the　blue　sky　above　you；　and　only　the　stones　to

bend　to。　　I　asked　my　master　to　let　me　go；　and　I　offered　to　give　him　my　two

pounds；　and　the　bag　of　mealies　I　had　bought　with　the　other　pound；　but　he

would　not。



〃I　found　out　afterward　he　was　only　giving　me　half　as　much　as　he　gave　to　the

othersthat　was　why。　　I　had　fear　when　I　looked　at　the　other　clerks　that　I

would　at　last　become　like　them。　　All　day　they　were　bowing　and　smirking　to

the　women　who　came　in；　smiling；　when　all　they　wanted　was　to　get　their　money

from　them。　　They　used　to　run　and　fetch　the　dresses　and　ribbons　to　show

them；　and　they　seemed　to　me　like　worms　with　oil　on。　　There　was　one

respectable　thing　in　that　storeit　was　the　Kaffer　storeman。　　His　work　was

to　load　and　unload；　and　he　never　needed　to　smile　except　when　he　liked；　and

he　never　told　lies。



〃The　other　clerks　gave　me　the　name　of　Old　Salvation；　but　there　was　one

person　I　liked　very　much。　　He　was　clerk　in　another　store。　　He　often　went

past　the　door。　　He　seemed　to　me　not　like　othershis　face　was　bright　and

fresh　like　a　little　child's。　　When　he　came　to　the　shop　I　felt　I　liked　him。

One　day　I　saw　a　book　in　his　pocket；　and　that　made　me　feel　near　him。　　I

asked　him　if　he　was　fond　of　reading；　and　he　said；　yes；　when　there　was

nothing　else　to　do。　　The　next　day　he　came　to　me；　and　asked　me　if　I　did　not

feel　lonely；　he　never　saw　me　going　out　with　the　other　fellows；　he　would

come　and　see　me　that　evening；　he　said。



〃I　was　glad；　and　bought　some　meat　and　flour；　because　the　grey　mare　and　I

always　ate　mealies；　it　is　the　cheapest　thing；　when　you　boil　it　hard　you

can't　eat　much　of　it。　　I　made　some　cakes；　and　I　folded　my　great　coat　on　the

box　to　make　it　softer　for　him；　and　at　last　he　came。



〃'You've　got　a　rummy　place　here；'　he　said。



〃You　see　there　was　nothing　in　it　but　packing…cases　for　furniture；　and　it

was　rather　empty。　　While　I　was　putting　the　food　on　the　box　he　looked　at　my

books；　he　read　their　names　out　aloud。　　'Elementary　Physiology；'　'First

Principles。'



〃'Golly！'　he　said；　'I've　got　a　lot　of　dry　stuff　like　that　at　home　I　got　for

Sunday…school　prizes；　but　I　only　keep　them　to　light　my　pipe　with　now；　they

come　in　handy　for　that。'　　Then　he　asked　me　if　I　had　ever　read　a　book　called

the　'Black…eyed　Creole。'　　'That　is　the　style　for　me；'　he　said；　'there　where

the　fellow　takes　the　nigger…girl　by　the　arm；　and　the　other　fellow　cuts　it

off！　　That's　what　I　like。'



〃But　what　he　said　after　that　I　don't　remember；　only　it　made　me　feel　as　if　I

were　having　a　bad　dream；　and　I　wanted　to　be　far　away。



〃When　he　had　finished　eating　he　did　not　stay　long；　he　had　to　go　and　see

some　girls　home　from　a　prayer…meeting；　and　he　asked　how　it　was　he　never　saw

me　walking　out　with　any　on　Sunday　afternoons。　　He　said　he　had　lots　of

sweethearts；　and　he　was　going　to　see　one　the　next　Wednesday　on　a　farm；　and

he　asked　me　to　lend　my　mare。　　I　told　him　she　was　very　old。　　But　he　said　it

didn't　matter；　he　would　come　the　next　day　to　fetch　her。



〃After　he　was　gone　my　little　room　got　back　to　its　old　look。　　I　loved　it　so；

I　was　so　glad　to　get　into　it　at　night；　and　it　seemed　to　be　reproaching　me

for　bringing　him　there。　　The　next　day　he　took　the　grey　mare。　　On　Thursday

he　did　not　bring　her　back；　and　on　Friday　I　found　the　saddle　and　bridle

standing　at　my　door。



〃In　the　afternoon　he　looked　into　the　shop；　and　called　out：　　'Hope　you　got

your　saddle；　Farber？　　Your　bag…of…bones　kicked　out　six　miles　from　here。　

I'll　send　you　a　couple　of　shillings　tomorrow；　though　the　old　hide　wasn't

worth　it。　　Good　morning。'



〃But　I　sprung　over　the　counter；　and　got　him　by　his　throat。　　My　father　was

so　gentle　with　her；　he　never　would　ride　her　up　hill；　and　now　this　fellow

had　murdered　her！　　I　asked　him　where　he　had　killed　her；　and　I　shook　him

till　he　slipped　out　of　my　hand。　　He　stood　in　the　door　grinning。



〃'It　didn't　take　much　to　kill　that　bag…of…bones；　whose　master　sleeps　in　a

packing…case；　and　waits　till　his　company's　finished　to　eat　on　the　plate。　

Shouldn't　wonder　if　you　fed　her　on　sugar…bags；'　he　said；　'and　if　you　think

I've　jumped　her；　you'd　better　go　and　look　yourself。　　You'll　find　her　along

the　road　by　the　aasvogels　that　are　eating　her。'



〃I　caught　him　by　his　collar；　and　I　lifted　him　from　the　ground；　and　I　threw

him　out　into　the　street；　half…way　across　it。　　I　heard　the　bookkeeper　say　to

the　clerk　that　there　was　always　the　devil　in　those　mum　fellows；　but　they

never　called　me　Salvation　after　that。



〃I　am　writing　to　you　of　very　small　things；　but　there　is　nothing　else　to

tell；　it　has　been　all　small　and　you　will　like　it。　　Whenever　anything　has

happened　I　have　always　thought　I　would　tell　it　to　you。　　The　back　thought　in

my　mind　is　always　you。　　After　that　only　one　old　man　came　to　visit　me。　　I

had　seen　him　in　the　streets　often；　he　always　wore　very　dirty　black　clothes；

and　a　hat　with　crepe　round　it；　and　he　had　one　eye；　so　I　noticed　him。　　One

day　he　came　to　my　room　with　a　subscription…list　for　a　minister's　salary。　

When　I　said　I　had　nothing　to　give　he　looked　at　me　with　his　one　eye。



〃'Young　man；'　he　said；　'how　is　it　I　never　see　you　in　the　house　of