a simpleton-第63节

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〃But　if　I　go？〃

〃Then；　it　will　depend　on　how　you　do　it。　　Rosa　Staines　is　a　true
mourner。　　Whatever　you　may　think；　I　don't　believe　the　idea　of　a
second　union　has　ever　entered　her　head。　　But　then　she　is　very
unselfish：　and　she　likes　you　better　than　any　one　else；　I　dare　say。
I　don't　think　your　title　or　your　money　will　weigh　with　her　now。
But；　if　you　show　her　your　happiness　depends　on　it；　she　may；
perhaps；　cwy　and　sob　at　the　very　idea　of　it；　and　then；　after　all；
say；　'Well；　why　notif　I　can　make　the　poor　soul　happy？'〃

So；　on　this　advice；　Tadcaster　went　down　to　Gravesend；　and　Lady
Cicely　felt　a　certain　self…satisfaction；　for；　her　well…meant
interference　having　lost　Rosa　one　husband；　she　was　pleased　to　think
she　had　done　something　to　give　her　another。

Lord　Tadcaster　came　to　Rosa　Staines；　he　found　her　seated　with　her
head　upon　her　white　hand；　thinking　sadly　of　the　past。

At　sight　of　him　in　deep　mourning；　she　started；　and　said；　〃Oh！〃

Then　she　said　tenderly；　〃We　are　of　one　color　now；〃　and　gave　him　her
hand。

He　sat　down　beside　her；　not　knowing　how　to　begin。

〃I　am　not　Tadcaster　now。　　I　am　Earl　of　Miltshire。〃

〃Ah；　yes；　I　forgot；〃　said　she　indifferently。

〃This　is　my　first　visit　to　any　one　in　that　character。〃

〃Thank　you。〃

〃It　is　an　awfully　important　visit　to　me。　　I　could　not　feel　myself
independent；　and　able　to　secure　your　comfort　and　little　Christie's；
without　coming　to　the　lady；　the　only　lady　I　ever　saw；　thatoh；
Mrs。　StainesRosawho　could　see　you；　as　I　have　donemingle　his
tears　with　yours；　as　I　have　done；　and　not　love　you；　and　long　to
offer　you　his　love？〃

〃Love！　to　me；　a　broken…hearted　woman；　with　nothing　to　live　for　but
his　memory　and　his　child。〃

She　looked　at　him　with　a　sort　of　scared　amazement。

〃His　child　shall　be　mine。　　His　memory　is　almost　as　dear　to　me　as　to
you。〃

〃Nonsense；　child；　nonsense！〃　said　she；　almost　sternly。

〃Was　he　not　my　best　friend？　　Should　I　have　the　health　I　enjoy；　or
even　be　alive；　but　for　him？　　Oh；　Mrs。　StainesRosa；　you　will　not
live　all　your　life　unmarried；　and　who　will　love　you　as　I　do？　　You
are　my　first　and　only　love。　　My　happiness　depends　on　you。〃

〃Your　happiness　depend　on　me！　　Heaven　forbida　woman　of　my　age；
that　feels　so　old；　old；　old。〃

〃You　are　not　old；　you　are　young；　and　sad；　and　beautiful；　and　my
happiness　depends　on　you。〃　　She　began　to　tremble　a　little。　　Then　he
kneeled　at　her　knees；　and　implored　her；　and　his　hot　tears　fell　upon
the　hand　she　put　out　to　stop　him；　while　she　turned　her　head　away；
and　the　tears　began　to　run。

Oh！　never　can　the　cold　dissecting　pen　tell　what　rushes　over　the
heart　that　has　loved　and　lost；　when　another　true　love　first　kneels
and　implores　for　love；　or　pity；　or　anything　the　bereaved　can　give。


CHAPTER　XXIII。


When　Falcon　went；　luck　seemed　to　desert　their　claim：　day　after　day
went　by　without　a　find；　and　the　discoveries　on　every　side　made　this
the　more　mortifying。

By　this　time　the　diggers　at　Bulteel's　pan　were　as　miscellaneous　as
the　audience　at　Drury　Lane　Theatre；　only　mixed　more　closely；　the
gallery　folk　and　the　stalls　worked　cheek　by　jowl。　　Here　a　gentleman
with　an　affected　lisp；　and　close　by　an　honest　fellow；　who　could　not
deliver　a　sentence　without　an　oath；　or　some　still　more　horrible
expletive　that　meant　nothing　at　all　in　reality；　but　served　to　make
respectable　flesh　creep：　interspersed　with　these；　Hottentots；
Kafirs；　and　wild　blue　blacks　gayly　clad　in　an　ostrich　feather；　a
scarlet　ribbon；　and　a　Tower　musket　sold　them　by　some　good　Christian
for　a　modern　rifle。

On　one　side　of　Staines　were　two　swells；　who　lay　on　their　backs　and
talked　opera　half　the　day；　but　seldom　condescended　to　work　without
finding　a　diamond　of　some　sort。

After　a　week's　deplorable　luck；　his　Kafir　boy　struck　work　on
account　of　a　sore　in　his　leg；　the　sore　was　due　to　a　very　common
cause；　the　burning　sand　had　got　into　a　scratch；　and　festered。
Staines；　out　of　humanity；　examined　the　sore；　and　proceeding　to
clean　it；　before　bandaging；　out　popped　a　diamond　worth　forty
pounds；　even　in　the　depreciated　market。　　Staines　quietly　pocketed
it；　and　bandaged　the　leg。　　This　made　him　suspect　his　blacks　had
been　cheating　him　on　a　large　scale；　and　he　borrowed　Hans　Bulteel　to
watch　them；　giving　him　a　third；　with　which　Master　Hans　was　mightily
pleased。　　But　they　could　only　find　small　diamonds；　and　by　this　time
prodigious　slices　of　luck　were　reported　on　every　side。　　Kafirs　and
Boers　that　would　not　dig；　but　traversed　large　tracts　of　ground　when
the　sun　was　shining；　stumbled　over　diamonds。　　One　Boer　pointed　to　a
wagon　and　eight　oxen；　and　said　that　one　lucky　glance　on　the　sand
had　given　him　that　lot：　but　day　after　day　Staines　returned　home；
covered　with　dust；　and　almost　blinded；　yet　with　little　or　nothing
to　show　for　it。

One　evening；　complaining　of　his　change　of　luck；　Bulteel　quietly
proposed　to　him　migration。　　〃I　am　going；〃　said　he　resignedly：　〃and
you　can　come　with　me。〃

〃You　leave　your　farm；　sir？　　Why；　they　pay　you　ten　shillings　a
claim；　and　that　must　make　a　large　return；　the　pan　is　fifteen
acres。〃

〃Yes；　mine　vriend；〃　said　the　poor　Hollander；　〃they　pay；　but　deir
money　it　cost　too　dear。　　Vere　is　mine　peace？　　Dis　farm　is　six
tousand　acres。　　If　de　cursed　diamonds　was　farther　off；　den　it　vas
vell。　　But　dey　are　too　near。　　Once　I　could　smoke　in　peace；　and
zleep。　　Now　diamonds　is　come；　and　zleep　and　peace　is　fled。　　Dere　is
four　tousand　tents；　and　to　each　tent　a　dawg；　dat　dawg　bark　at　four
tousand　other　dawgs　all　night；　and　dey　bark　at　him　and　at　each
oder。　　Den　de　masters　of　de　dawgs　dey　get　angry；　and　fire　four
tousand　pistole　at　de　four　tousand　dawgs；　and　make　my　bed　shake　wid
the　trembling　of　mine　vrow。　　My　vamily　is　with　diamonds　infected。
Dey　vill　not　vork。　　Dey　takes　long　valks；　and　always　looks　on　de
ground。　　Mine　childre　shall　be　hump…backed；　round…shouldered；
looking　down　for　diamonds。　　Dey　shall　forget　Gott。　　He　is　on　high：
dere　eyes　are　always　on　de　earth。　　De　diggers　found　a　diamond　in
mine　plaster　of　mine　wall　of　mine　house。　　Dat　plaster　vas
limestone；　it　come　from　dose　kopjes　de　good　Gott　made　in　His　anger
against　man　for　his　vickedness。　　I　zay　so。　　Dey　not　believe　me。
Dey　tink　dem　abominable　stones　grow　in　mine　house；　and　break　out　in
mine　plaster　like　de　measle：　dey　vaunt　to　dig　in　mine　wall；　in　mine
garden；　in　mine　floor。　　One　day　dey　shall　dig　in　mine　body。　　I　vill
go。　　Better　I　love　peace　dan　money。　　Here　is　English　company　make
me　offer　for　mine　varm。　　Dey　forgive　de　diamonds。〃

〃You　have　not　accepted　it？〃　cried　Staines　in　alarm。

〃No；　but　I　vill。　　I　have　said　I　shall　tink　of　it。　　Dat　is　my　vay。
So　I　say　yah。〃

〃An　English　company？　　They　will　cheat　you　without　mercy。　　No；　they
shall　not；　though；　for　I　will　have　a　hand　in　the　bargain。〃

He　set　to　work　directly；　added　up　the　value　of　the　claims；　at　ten
shillings　per　month；　and　amazed　the　poor　Hollander　by　his　statement
of　the　value　of　those　fifteen　acres；　capitalized。

And　to　close　this　part　of　the　subject；　the　obnoxious　diamonds
obtained　him　three　times　as　much　as　his　father　had　given　for　the
whole　six　thousand　acres。

The　company　got　a　great　bargain；　but　Bulteel　received　what　for　him
was　a　large　capital；　and　settling　far　to　the　south；　this　lineal
descendant　of　le　philosophe　sans　savoir　carried　his　godliness；　his
cleanliness；　and　his　love　of　peace；　out　of　the　turmoil；　and　was
happier　than　ever；　since　now　he　could　compare　his　placid　existence
with　one　year　of　noise　and　clamor。

But　long　before　this；　events　more　pertinent　to　my　story　had
occurred。

One　day；　a　Hottentot　came　into　Bulteel's　farm　and　went　out　among
the　diggers；　till　be　found　Staines。　　The　Hottentot　was　one　employed
at　Dale's　Kloof；　and　knew　him。　　He　brought　Staines　a　letter。

Staines　opened　the　letter；　and　another　letter　fell　out；　it　was
directed　to　〃Reginald　Falcon；　Esq。〃

〃Why；〃　thought　Staines；　〃what　a　time　this　letter　must　have　been　on
the　road！　　So　much　for　private　messengers。〃

The　letter　ran　thus：


DEAR　SIR；This　leaves　us　all　well　at　Dale's　Kloof；　as　I　hope　it
shall　find　you　and　my　dear　husband　at　the　diggings。　　Sir；　I　am
happy　to　say　I　have　good　news　for　you。　　When　you　got　well　by　God's
mercy；　I　wrote　to　the　doctor　at　the　hospital　and　told　him　so。　　I
wrote　unbeknown　to　you；　because　I　had　promised　him。　　Well；　sir；　he
has　written　back　to　say　you　have　two　hundred　pounds　in　money；　and　a
great　many　valuable　things；　such　as　gold　and　jewels。　　They　are　all
at　the　old　bank　in　Cape　Town；　and　the　cashier　has　seen　you；　and
will　deliver　them　on　demand。　　So　that　is　the　first　of　my　good　news；
because　it　is　good　news　to　you。　　But；　dear　sir；　I　think　you　will　be
pleased　to　hear　that　Dick　and　I　are　thriving　wonderfully；　thanks　to
your　good　advice。　　The　wooden　house　it　is　built；　and　a　great　oven。
But；　sir；　the　traffic　came　almost　before　we　were　ready；　and　the
miners　that　call　here；　coming　and　going；　every　day；　you　would　not
believe；　likewise　wagons　and　carts。　　It　is　all　bustle；　morn　till
night；　and　dear　Reginald　will　never　be　dull　here　now；　I　hope　you
will　be　so　kind　as　tell　him　so；　for　I　do　long　to　see　you　both　home
again。

Sir；　we　are　making　our　fortunes。　　The　grain　we　could　not　sell　at　a
fair　price；　we　sell　as　b