the story of an african farm-第12章

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〃Take　another　cup　of　coffee；〃　said　Tant　Sannie。　　〃Put　some　sugar　in。〃



Bonaparte　hung　the　picture　tenderly　up；　and　was　turning　to　take　the　cup

from　her　hand；　when　the　German　appeared；　to　say　that　the　pudding　was　ready

and　the　meat　on　the　table。



〃He's　a　God…fearing　man；　and　one　who　knows　how　to　behave　himself；〃　said　the

Boer…woman　as　he　went　out　at　the　door。　　〃If　he's　ugly；　did　not　the　Lord

make　him？　　And　are　we　to　laugh　at　the　Lord's　handiwork？　　It　is　better　to　be

ugly　and　good　than　pretty　and　bad；　though　of　course　it's　nice　when　one　is

both；〃　said　Tant　Sannie；　looking　complacently　at　the　picture　on　the　wall。



In　the　afternoon　the　German　and　Bonaparte　sat　before　the　door　of　the　cabin。

Both　smoked　in　complete　silenceBonaparte　with　a　book　in　his　hands　and　his

eyes　half　closed；　the　German　puffing　vigorously；　and　glancing　up　now　and

again　at　the　serene　blue　sky　overhead。



〃Supposingyouyou；　in　fact；　made　the　remark　to　me；〃　burst　forth　the

German　suddenly；　〃that　you　were　looking　for　a　situation。〃



Bonaparte　opened　his　mouth　wide；　and　sent　a　stream　of　smoke　through　his

lips。



〃Now　supposing；〃　said　the　German〃merely　supposing；　of　coursethat　some

one；　some　one；　in　fact；　should　make　an　offer　to　you；　say；　to　become

schoolmaster　on　their　farm　and　teach　two　children；　two　little　girls；

perhaps；　and　would　give　you　forty　pounds　a　year；　would　you　accept　it？　　Just

supposing；　of　course。〃



〃Well；　my　dear　friend；〃　said　Bonaparte；　〃that　would　depend　on

circumstances。　　Money　is　no　consideration　with　me。　　For　my　wife　I　have　made

provision　for　the　next　year。　　My　health　is　broken。　　Could　I　meet　a　place

where　a　gentleman　would　be　treated　as　a　gentleman　I　would　accept　it；

however　small　the　remuneration。　　With　me；〃　said　Bonaparte；　〃money　is　no

consideration。〃



〃Well；〃　said　the　German；　when　he　had　taken　a　whiff　or　two　more　from　his

pipe；　〃I　think　I　shall　go　up　and　see　Tant　Sannie　a　little。　　I　go　up　often

on　Sunday　afternoon　to　have　a　general　conversation；　to　see　her；　you　know。　

Nothingnothing　particular；　you　know。〃



The　old　man　put　his　book　into　his　pocket；　and　walked　up　to　the　farmhouse

with　a　peculiarly　knowing　and　delighted　expression　of　countenance。



〃He　doesn't　suspect　what　I'm　going　to　do；〃　soliloquized　the　German；　〃hasn't

the　least　idea。　　A　nice　surprise　for　him。〃



The　man　whom　he　had　left　at　his　doorway　winked　at　the　retreating　figure

with　a　wink　that　was　not　to　be　described。





Chapter　1。VI。　　Bonaparte　Blenkins　Makes　His　Nest。



〃Ah；　what　is　the　matter？〃　asked　Waldo；　stopping　at　the　foot　of　the　ladder

with　a　load　of　skins　on　his　back　that　he　was　carrying　up　to　the　loft。　

Through　the　open　door　in　the　gable　little　Em　was　visible；　her　feet　dangling

from　the　high　bench　on　which　she　sat。　　The　room；　once　a　storeroom；　had　been

divided　by　a　row　of　mealie　bags　into　two　partsthe　back　being　Bonaparte's

bedroom；　the　front　his　schoolroom。



〃Lyndall　made　him　angry；〃　said　the　girl　tearfully；　〃and　he　has　given　me　the

fourteenth　of　John　to　learn。　　He　says　he　will　teach　me　to　behave　myself

when　Lyndall　troubles　him。〃



〃What　did　she　do？〃　asked　the　boy。



〃You　see；〃　said　Em；　hopelessly　turning　the　leaves；　〃whenever　he　talks　she

looks　out　at　the　door；　as　though　she　did　not　hear　him。　　Today　she　asked　him

what　the　signs　of　the　Zodiac　were；　and　he　said　he　was　surprised　that　she

should　ask　him；　it　was　not　a　fit　and　proper　thing　for　little　girls　to　talk

about。　　Then　she　asked　him　who　Copernicus　was；　and　he　said　he　was　one　of

the　Emperors　of　Rome；　who　burned　the　Christians　in　a　golden　pig；　and　the

worms　ate　him　up　while　he　was　still　alive。　　I　don't　know　why；〃　said　Em

plaintively；　〃but　she　just　put　her　books　under　her　arm　and　walked　out；　and

she　will　never　come　to　his　school　again；　she　says；　and　she　always　does　what

she　says。　　And　now　I　must　sit　here　every　day　alone；〃　said　Em；　the　great

tears　dropping　softly。



〃Perhaps　Tant　Sannie　will　send　him　away；〃　said　the　boy；　in　his　mumbling

way；　trying　to　comfort　her。



〃No；〃　said　Em；　shaking　her　head；　〃no。　　Last　night　when　the　little　Hottentot

maid　was　washing　her　feet；　he　told　her　he　liked　such　feet；　and　that　fat

women　were　so　nice　to　him；　and　she　said　I　must　always　put　pure　cream　in　his

coffee　now。　　No；　he'll　never　go　away；〃　said　Em　dolorously。



The　boy　put　down　his　skins　and　fumbled　in　his　pocket；　and　produced　a　small

piece　of　paper　containing　something。　　He　stuck　it　out　toward　her。



〃There；　take　it　for　you；〃　he　said。　　This　was　by　way　of　comfort。



Em　opened　it　and　found　a　small　bit　of　gum；　a　commodity　prized　by　the

children；　but　the　great　tears　dropped　down　slowly　on　to　it。



Waldo　was　distressed。　　He　had　cried　so　much　in　his　morsel　of　life　that

tears　in　another　seemed　to　burn　him。



〃If；〃　he　said；　stepping　in　awkwardly　and　standing　by　the　table；　〃if　you

will　not　cry　I　will　tell　you　somethinga　secret。〃



〃What　is　that？〃　asked　Em；　instantly　becoming　decidedly　better。



〃You　will　tell　it　to　no　human　being？〃



〃No。〃



He　bent　nearer　to　her；　and　with　deep　solemnity　said：



〃I　have　made　a　machine！〃



Em　opened　her　eyes。



〃Yes；　a　machine　for　shearing　sheep。　　It　is　almost　done；〃　said　the　boy。　

〃There　is　only　one　thing　that　is　not　right　yet；　but　it　will　be　soon。　　When

you　think；　and　think；　and　think；　all　night　and　all　day；　it　comes　at　last；〃

he　added　mysteriously。



〃Where　is　it？〃



〃Here！　　I　always　carry　it　here；〃　said　the　boy；　putting　his　hand　to　his

breast；　where　a　bulging…out　was　visible。　　〃This　is　a　model。　　When　it　is

done　they　will　have　to　make　a　large　one。〃



〃Show　it　me。〃



The　boy　shook　his　head。



〃No；　not　till　it　is　done。　　I　cannot　let　any　human　being　see　it　till　then。〃



〃It　is　a　beautiful　secret；〃　said　Em；　and　the　boy　shuffled　out　to　pick　up

his　skins。



That　evening　father　and　son　sat　in　the　cabin　eating　their　supper。　　The

father　sighed　deeply　sometimes。　　Perhaps　he　thought　how　long　a　time　it　was

since　Bonaparte　had　visited　the　cabin；　but　his　son　was　in　that　land　in

which　sighs　have　no　part。　　It　is　a　question　whether　it　were　not　better　to

be　the　shabbiest　of　fools；　and　know　the　way　up　the　little　stair　of

imagination　to　the　land　of　dreams；　than　the　wisest　of　men；　who　see　nothing

that　the　eyes　do　not　show；　and　feel　nothing　that　the　hands　do　not　touch。　

The　boy　chewed　his　brown　bread　and　drank　his　coffee；　but　in　truth　he　saw

only　his　machine　finishedthat　last　something　found　out　and　added。　　He　saw

it　as　it　worked　with　beautiful　smoothness；　and　over　and　above；　as　he　chewed

his　bread　and　drank　his　coffee；　there　was　that　delightful　consciousness　of

something　bending　over　him　and　loving　him。　　It　would　not　have　been　better

in　one　of　the　courts　of　heaven；　where　the　walls　are　set　with　rows　of　the

King　of　Glory's　amethysts　and　milk…white　pearls；　than　there；　eating　his

supper　in　that　little　room。



As　they　sat　in　silence　there　was　a　knock　at　the　door。　　When　it　was　opened

the　small　woolly　head　of　a　little　nigger　showed　itself。　　She　was　a

messenger　from　Tant　Sannie：　　the　German　was　wanted　at　once　at　the

homestead。　　Putting　on　his　hat　with　both　hands；　he　hurried　off。　　The

kitchen　was　in　darkness；　but　in　the　pantry　beyond　Tant　Sannie　and　her　maids

were　assembled。



A　Kaffer　girl；　who　had　been　grinding　pepper　between　two　stones；　knelt　on

the　floor；　the　lean　Hottentot　stood　with　a　brass　candlestick　in　her　hand；

and　Tant　Sannie；　near　the　shelf；　with　a　hand　on　each　hip；　was　evidently

listening　intently；　as　were　her　companions。



〃What　may　be　it？〃　cried　the　old　German　in　astonishment。　　The　room　beyond

the　pantry　was　the　storeroom。　　Through　the　thin　wooden　partition　there

arose　at　that　instant；　evidently　from　some　creature　ensconced　there；　a

prolonged　and　prodigious　howl；　followed　by　a　succession　of　violent　blows

against　the　partition　wall。



The　German　seized　the　churn…stick；　and　was　about　to　rush　round　the　house；

when　the　Boer…woman　impressively　laid　her　hand　upon　his　arm。