the story of an african farm-第7节

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again　at　the　little　whitewashed　room；　and　at　Lyndall；　who　sat　in　the

doorway　looking　at　a　book。　　Then　he　raised　his　chin　and　tried　to　adjust　an

imaginary　shirt…collar。　　Finding　none；　he　smoothed　the　little　grey　fringe

at　the　back　of　his　head；　and　began：



〃You　are　a　student　of　history；　I　perceive；　my　friend；　from　the　study　of

these　volumes　that　lie　scattered　about　this　apartment；　this　fact　has　been

made　evident　to　me。〃



〃Wella　littleperhapsit　may　be；〃　said　the　German　meekly。



〃Being　a　student　of　history　then；〃　said　Bonaparte；　raising　himself　loftily；

〃you　will　doubtless　have　heard　of　my　great；　of　my　celebrated　kinsman；

Napoleon　Bonaparte？〃



〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　the　German；　looking　up。



〃I；　sir；〃　said　Bonaparte；　〃was　born　at　this　hour；　on　an　April　afternoon；

three…and…fifty　years　ago。　　The　nurse；　sirshe　was　the　same　who　attended

when　the　Duke　of　Sutherland　was　bornbrought　me　to　my　mother。　　'There　is

only　one　name　for　this　child；'　she　said：　　'he　has　the　nose　of　his　great

kinsman；'　and　so　Bonaparte　Blenkins　became　my　nameBonaparte　Blenkins。　

Yes；　sir；〃　said　Bonaparte；　〃there　is　a　stream　on　my　maternal　side　that

connects　me　with　a　stream　on　his　maternal　side。〃



The　German　made　a　sound　of　astonishment。



〃The　connection；〃　said　Bonaparte；　〃is　one　which　could　not　be　easily

comprehended　by　one　unaccustomed　to　the　study　of　aristocratic　pedigrees；

but　the　connection　is　close。〃



〃Is　it　possible！〃　said　the　German；　pausing　in　his　work　with　much　interest

and　astonishment。　　〃Napoleon　an　Irishman！〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Bonaparte；　〃on　the　mother's　side；　and　that　is　how　we　are

related。　　There　wasn't　a　man　to　beat　him；〃　said　Bonaparte；　stretching

himself〃not　a　man　except　the　Duke　of　Wellington。　　And　it's　a　strange

coincidence；〃　added　Bonaparte；　bending　forward；　〃but　he　was　a　connection　of

mine。　　His　nephew；　the　Duke　of　Wellington's　nephew；　married　a　cousin　of

mine。　　She　was　a　woman！　　See　her　at　one　of　the　court　ballsamber　satin

daisies　in　her　hair。　　Worth　going　a　hundred　miles　to　look　at　her！　　Often

seen　her　there　myself；　sir！〃



The　German　moved　the　leather　thongs　in　and　out；　and　thought　of　the　strange

vicissitudes　of　human　life；　which　might　bring　the　kinsman　of　dukes　and

emperors　to　his　humble　room。



Bonaparte　appeared　lost　among　old　memories。



〃Ah；　that　Duke　of　Wellington's　nephew！〃　he　broke　forth　suddenly；　〃many's

the　joke　I've　had　with　him。　　Often　came　to　visit　me　at　Bonaparte　Hall。　

Grand　place　I　had　thenpark；　conservatory；　servants。　　He　had　only　one

fault；　that　Duke　of　Wellington's　nephew；〃　said　Bonaparte；　observing　that

the　German　was　deeply　interested　in　every　word；　〃He　was　a　cowardwhat　you

might　call　a　coward。　　You've　never　been　in　Russia；　I　suppose？〃　said

Bonaparte；　fixing　his　crosswise　looking　eyes　on　the　German's　face。



〃No；　no；〃　said　the　old　man　humbly。　　〃France；　England；　Germany；　a　little　in

this　country；　it　is　all　I　have　travelled。〃



〃I；　my　friend；〃　said　Bonaparte；　〃I　have　been　in　every　country　in　the　world；

and　speak　every　civilised　language；　excepting　only　Dutch　and　German。　　I

wrote　a　book　of　my　travelsnoteworthy　incidents。　　Publisher　got　it

cheated　me　out　of　it。　　Great　rascals　those　publishers！　　Upon　one　occasion

the　Duke　of　Wellington's　nephew　and　I　were　travelling　in　Russia。　　All　of　a

sudden　one　of　the　horses　dropped　down　dead　as　a　doornail。　　There　we　were

cold　nightsnow　four　feet　thickgreat　forestone　horse　not　being　able　to

move　the　sledgenight　coming　onwolves。



〃'Spree！'　says　the　Duke　of　Wellington's　nephew。



〃'Spree；　do　you　call　it？　says　I。　'Look　out。'



〃There；　sticking　out　under　a　bush；　was　nothing　less　than　the　nose　of　a

bear。　　The　Duke　of　Wellington's　nephew　was　up　a　tree　like　a　shot；　I　stood

quietly　on　the　ground；　as　cool　as　I　am　at　this　moment；　loaded　my　gun；　and

climbed　up　the　tree。　　There　was　only　one　bough。



〃'Bon；'　said　the　Duke　of　Wellington's　nephew；　'you'd　better　sit　in　front。'



〃'All　right；'　said　I；　'but　keep　your　gun　ready。　　There　are　more　coming。'　

He'd　got　his　face　buried　in　my　back。



〃'How　many　are　there？'　said　he。



〃'Four；'　said　I。



〃'How　many　are　there　now？'　said　he。



〃'Eight；'　said　I。



〃'How　many　are　there　now？'　said　he。



〃'Ten；'　said　I。



〃'Ten！　ten！'　said　he；　and　down　goes　his　gun。



〃'Wallie；'　I　said；　'what　have　you　done？　　We're　dead　men　now。'



〃'Bon；　my　old　fellow；'　said　he；　'I　couldn't　help　it；　my　hands　trembled　so！'



〃'Wall；'　I　said；　turning　round　and　seizing　his　hand；　'Wallie；　my　dear　lad；

good…bye。　　I'm　not　afraid　to　die。　　My　legs　are　longthey　hang　downthe

first　bear　that　comes　and　I　don't　hit　him；　off　goes　my　foot。　　When　he　takes

it　I　shall　give　you　my　gun　and　go。　　You　may　yet　be　saved；　but　tell；　oh；

tell　Mary　Ann　that　I　thought　of　her；　that　I　prayed　for　her。'



〃'Good…bye；　old　fellow；'　said　he。



〃'God　bless　you；'　said　I。



〃By　this　time　the　bears　were　sitting　in　a　circle　all　around　the　tree。　

Yes；〃　said　Bonaparte　impressively；　fixing　his　eyes　on　the　German；　〃a

regular；　exact；　circle。　　The　marks　of　their　tails　were　left　in　the　snow；

and　I　measured　it　afterward；　a　drawing…master　couldn't　have　done　it　better。

It　was　that　saved　me。　　If　they'd　rushed　on　me　at　once；　poor　old　Bon　would

never　have　been　here　to　tell　this　story。　　But　they　came　on；　sir；

systematically；　one　by　one。　　All　the　rest　sat　on　their　tails　and　waited。　

The　first　fellow　came　up；　and　I　shot　him；　the　second　fellowI　shot　him；

the　thirdI　shot　him。　　At　last　the　tenth　came；　he　was　the　biggest　of　all

the　leader；　you　may　say。



〃'Wall；'　I　said；　'give　me　your　hand。　　My　fingers　are　stiff　with　the　cold；

there　is　only　one　bullet　left。　　I　shall　miss　him。　　While　he　is　eating　me

you　get　down　and　take　your　gun；　and　live；　dear　friend；　live　to　remember　the

man　who　gave　his　life　for　you！'　　By　that　time　the　bear　was　at　me。　　I　felt

his　paw　on　my　trousers。



〃'Oh；　Bonnie！　　Bonnie！'　said　the　Duke　of　Wellington's　nephew。　　But　I　just

took　my　gun　and　put　the　muzzle　to　the　bear's　earover　he　felldead！〃



Bonaparte　Blenkins　waited　to　observe　what　effect　his　story　had　made。　　Then

he　took　out　a　dirty　white　handkerchief　and　stroked　his　forehead；　and　more

especially　his　eyes。



〃It　always　affects　me　to　relate　that　adventure；〃　he　remarked；　returning　the

handkerchief　to　his　pocket。　　〃Ingratitudebase；　vile　ingratitudeis

recalled　by　it！　　That　man；　that　man；　who　but　for　me　would　have　perished　in

the　pathless　wilds　of　Russia；　that　man　in　the　hour　of　my　adversity　forsook

me。〃　　The　German　looked　up。　　〃Yes；〃　said　Bonaparte；　〃I　had　money；　I　had

lands；　I　said　to　my　wife：　　'There　is　Africa；　a　struggling　country；　they

want　capital；　they　want　men　of　talent；　they　want　men　of　ability　to　open　up

that　land。　　Let　us　go。'



〃I　bought　eight　thousand　pounds'　worth　of　machinerywinnowing；　plowing；

reaping　machines；　I　loaded　a　ship　with　them。　　Next　steamer　I　came　out

wife；　children；　all。　　Got　to　the　Cape。　　Where　is　the　ship　with　the　things？

Lostgone　to　the　bottom！　　And　the　box　with　the　money？　　Lostnothing

saved！



〃My　wife　wrote　to　the　Duke　of　Wellington's　nephew；　I　didn't　wish　her　to；

she　did　it　without　my　knowledge。



〃What　did　the　man　whose　life　I　saved　do？　　Did　he　send　me　thirty　thousand

pounds？　say；　'Bonaparte；　my　brother；　here　is　a　crumb？'　　No；　he　sent　me

nothing。



〃My　wife　said；　'Write。'　　I　said；　'Mary　Ann；　NO。　　While　these　hands　have

power　to　work；　NO。　　While　this　frame　has　power　to　endure；　NO。　　Never　shall

it　be　said　that　Bonaparte　Blenkins　asked　of　any　man。'〃



The　man's　noble　independence　touched　the　German。



〃Your　case　is　hard；　yes；　that　is　hard；〃　said　the　German；　shaking　his　head。



Bonaparte　took　another　draught　of　the　soup；　leaned　back　against　the

pillows；　and　sighed　deeply。



〃I　think；〃　he　said　after　a　while；　rousing　himself；　〃I　shall　now　wander　in

the　benign　air；　and　taste　the　gentle　cool　of　evening。　　The　stiffness　hovers

over　me　yet；　exercise　is　beneficial。〃



So　saying；　he　adjusted　his　hat　carefully　on　the　bald　crown　of　his　head；　and

moved　to　the　door。　　After　he　had　gone　the　German　sighed　again　over　his

work：



〃Ah；　Lord！　　So　it　is！　　Ah！〃



He　thought　of　the　ingratitude　of　the　world。



〃Uncle　Otto；〃　said　the　child　in　the　doorway；　〃did　you　ever　hear　of　ten

bears　sitting　on　their　tails　in　a　circle？〃



〃Well；　not　of　ten　exactly：　　but　bears　do　attack　travellers　every　day。　　It

is　nothing　unheard　of；〃　said　the　German。　　〃A　man　of　such　courage；　too！　

Terrible　experience　that！〃



〃And　how　do　we　know　that　the　story　is　true；　Uncle　Otto？〃



The　German's　ire　was　roused。



〃That　is　what　I　do　hate！〃　he　cried。　　〃Know　that　is　true！　　How　do　you　know

that　anything　is　true？　　Because　you　are　told　so。　　If　we　begin　to　question

everythingproof；　proof；　proof；　what　will　we　have　to　believe　left？　　How　do

you　know　the　angel　opened　the　prison　door　for　Peter；　except　that　Peter　said

so？　　How　do　you　know　that　God　talked　to　Moses；　except　that　Moses　wrote　it？

That　is　what